SEMA Dump Day 5 – Can someone come carry me home?

Chris Hamilton . November 07, 2025 . Events

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The last lap of SEMA 2025, and the Las Vegas Convention Center is equal parts triumph and teardown. I’m Chris Hamilton, editor-in-chief at Motortopia, running on four hours of sleep, two coffees, and the kind of adrenaline that only comes when 2.4 million square feet of automotive insanity starts folding in on itself. The doors opened at 9 a.m. sharp, but by 4 p.m., the aisles are thinning, forklifts are back in play, and the outdoor lots look like a post-apocalyptic car show, some rides already trailered up while the others are still flexing for the die-hards.

The big moment hit at 11 a.m. in the North Hall: the 2025 Battle of the Builders crowned its champion. After five days of scrutiny, the Top 4 finalists, each a rolling testament to sleepless nights and bottomless budgets, faced the judges one last time.

Booths are stripping down, banners coming off walls, demo parts boxed, and the scent of fresh rubber giving way to cardboard and tape. But the energy’s still electric: last-minute deals, and that one group of builders trying to push a 1,000-hp supercharged muscle car through the crowd like it’s carry-on luggage. Outside, the parking lot’s a rolling exodus, trailers stacked three deep, builders trading final handshakes, and a few holdouts doing burnouts just because it’s SEMA and the tires are already paid for.

We’ve logged 40 miles on foot, shot 3,000 frames, and collected enough business cards to wallpaper a garage. From the EV revolution in FutureTech to the classic truck dominance in Central Hall, SEMA 2025 didn’t just showcase the aftermarket; it redefined it. If you were here, you know. If you weren’t, start saving, next year’s already in the works.

For now, the desert sun’s dropping, the lights are dimming, and the long haul home begins. See you on the blacktop.

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