2019 PASMAG Tuner Battlegrounds SEMA Recap

2019 PASMAG Tuner Battlegrounds SEMA Recap

Photography by Gerbie Reyes, Randi Bentia, Patrick Parong, Paul Delapena.


Now seven years, thousands of competitors, and millions of votes deep into this Tuner Battlegrounds thing, we’re still amazed every year by the sheer amount of passion and momentum behind it. Thanks to you, the audience and competitors, this idea has grown into a powerhouse of automotive culture that comes to a head at SEMA each year, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA DSC08383 Paul Delapena

For the 2019 Championship, you chose Anthony Do’s 1993 Nissan 240sx S13.5 and Kalvin Malli’s 1990 Nissan 300zx as your finalists to do battle for the title of the Tuner Battlegrounds Champion of 2019! Do’s 240sx is a full build from top to bottom with nothing left untouched - including the entire front end, which has been converted to an S15 front end outfitted with a combination of S13 and S15 Rocket Bunny kits and air suspension. Malli’s 300zx is more on the subtle side, featuring a stock body with some period-correct exterior mods and a KBD front bumper. Each one has a ton of charm and looked right at home on the SEMA floor.

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA Day 1 pt 1 589 Gerbie Reyes

A common thread between the two 1990s Nissans was in the engine bay. Both Nissans were powered by single-turbo 2JZ engines! Because of their dedication to quality work inside and out, and the ability to light up the tires at the drop of a hat, both cars and their owners have amassed sizeable followings, which made for a tight battle all the way to the end. As you might imagine, Tuner Battlegrounds’ competitive nature can cause tempers to flare, but both of these guys stayed true to the spirit of the competition and became friends during their time battling it out at SEMA.

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA IMG 20191105 095228 Randi Bentia

For the second year running, we also utilized the PASMAG Editor’s Challenges to keep these two busy during their time at SEMA, visiting key SEMA landmarks, partners, and personnel for chances to score extra votes towards their totals. With the online votes counted, hashtags tallied up, and the math done on the Editor’s Challenges, the winner achieved a vote total of 2,792 votes. Your Tuner Battlegrounds 2019 Champion is Kalvin Malli and his 1990 Nissan 300zx.

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA IMG 20191105 132824 Randi Bentia

Malli comes home with the Tuner Battlegrounds 2019 Championship award, a PASMAG cover feature, and the experience of having proved himself on the SEMA show floor alongside the best in the industry. Do will also show up in his own PASMAG feature later this year as well, so stay tuned for a breakdown on both of these impressive 2J-swapped builds.

For us here at PASMAG, the dust never really settles, as Tuner Battlegrounds is a 365-day-a-year thing now with TBG Live, and we’re already putting gears in motion for the 2020 season. If you think you’ve got what it takes to make it to the top, we’re ready when you are!

For more information, visit www.tunerbattlegrounds.com.


BY THE NUMBERS

2019 tbg championship results

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA Day 1 pt 1 582 Gerbie Reyes

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA DSC08384 Paul Delapena

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA DSC08387 Paul Delapena

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA IMG 20191105 095234 Randi Bentia

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA IMG 20191105 095222 Randi Bentia

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA IMG 20191105 102010 Randi Bentia

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 05 SEMA IMG 20191105 163240 Randi Bentia

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 06 SEMA 2019 day 2 166 Gerbie Reyes

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 06 SEMA IMG 5687 Patrick Parong

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 06 SEMA IMG 5688 Patrick Parong

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 06 SEMA IMG 5690 Patrick Parong

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 08 SEMA IMG 20191108 094300 Randi Bentia

SEMA 2019 11 Nov 08 SEMA IMG 20191108 121555 Randi Bentia

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