SEMA’s motorsports-parts council selects HOT ROD’s network director as the aftermarket’s media person of the year.
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00:00The Robert E. Peterson Media Award that we're giving out tonight
00:03obviously started because of Robert E. Peterson
00:07who really was the foundation for what media is today.
00:12And the legacy that those that have come after him
00:16through all of the different iterations of the company
00:19has founded a lot of you in this room
00:22that have moved on to different places
00:24and really helped elevate this industry for multiple reasons.
00:28Before I announce the 2025 award winner
00:31I'd like to bring up last year's winner,
00:33Mr. Steve Sharper.
00:43Well, thank you very much.
00:45I was pretty surprised last year
00:47as I was standing over in the corner
00:49and he started talking and describing things
00:51and I was like, wait a minute.
00:53But for most of us,
00:55as a person enough to make our lives worth
00:58covering and celebrating cars,
01:01a lot of times it's behind the scenes
01:04and to feel like your work has been recognized
01:07is a really special thing.
01:09So the person that earns this award,
01:12it's a high honor.
01:15So I really look forward to passing it on to this year's winner.
01:19So thanks for having me up here.
01:26All right.
01:29This year's recipient of the Robert E. Peterson Media Award
01:33grew up with two older brothers
01:36and found himself street racing in New York
01:39long before he began driving.
01:41He won't tell any more of those stories.
01:44I'll just say, over a drink we'll talk about that.
01:48After graduating from Fordham University
01:51he worked on Wall Street as a stock analyst
01:54for his passion was cars.
01:57So he was moonlighting
02:00at a website called Heads Up Review
02:03to get his feet wet in the media game and motorsports.
02:06The same year, 1998, when he started his life,
02:10he was introduced to two gentlemen
02:13that have had a significant impact on his career.
02:16Steve Walcart and James Lawrence
02:19who were in the process of launching their own magazine
02:23to support their race series.
02:26In March of 1999, his work was featured
02:29in the very first Race Pages magazine.
02:32After 9-11, he had enough of Wall Street
02:35and he followed his passion
02:38and wanted to work for James and Steve for good.
02:41In 2003, he joined the staff
02:44of Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords.
02:47And by 2012, he moved on as the director of content
02:50and marketing at Pro Media
02:53which then housed the NMRA and NMCA.
02:56Since 2022,
02:59he's been the network director
03:02of Hot Rod, where his dedication
03:05and determination had re-established
03:08the Hot Rod brand and led it back to the prominence
03:11that it had in its earlier days.
03:14This guy's been the perennial runner-up
03:18Susan Lucci, baby!
03:24This year, I'm very proud to announce
03:27my dear friend, long-time counterpart in this industry
03:30please welcome the 2025 Robert E. Peterson
03:33Yeah!
03:36Woo!
03:45No, thank you.
03:48It's fantastic. Thank you to PMC for giving this award.
03:51Mr. Peterson was a big part of the industry
03:54and to be at Hot Rod and win the award is fantastic.
03:57A lot of great friends and colleagues are on the list
04:00so to be with them is a real honor for me.
04:04Woo!
04:15Steve's got it.
04:33My guy!
04:36Yes!
04:57You deserve it.
05:00You've deserved it a bunch of times, but I'm so happy.
05:03That's my dude, Steve.
05:06That's my dude.
05:09Congratulations.
05:12That's awesome, dude.
05:15Congratulations, dude.
05:18As much as he fuckin' rambles on
05:21I was like, are you kidding me?
05:24I'm gonna send something else, too, you know.