Eddie Pettus won the overall title at the 2026 SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers with his 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle. After winning the Hot Rod/Hot Rod Truck category, Pettus advanced to the final round against fellow class champions Buddy Hale (Sport Compact/Import Performance), Mark Giambalvo (Off-Road) and Jesse Rieger (Young Guns).
"This is just awesome and it was such a tough year," said Pettus. "It means so much to me and my team to do this, and to finally get the overall is an honor. The Chevelle was a five-year build, over 15,000 man-hours between the interior and the car being built."
SEMA said the Chevelle is powered by a 1,300-hp twin-turbo LS3 paired with a 4L80 transmission from Bowler Performance, on a Roadster Shop chassis with cantilever independent rear suspension and Brembo brakes.
The exterior features a wedge-sectioned body, extended wheelbase and modified roofline, along with custom rocker panels and fender extensions, flush-mounted glass, and custom floor pans, wheelwells and firewall. The build is finished with an Avante Garde-designed interior, Dakota Digital gauges, and custom wheels, grille, bumpers, lighting and exhaust.
"Eddie's Chevelle demonstrates the creativity, craftsmanship and technical expertise that define SEMA Battle of the Builders," said SEMA Vice President of Marketing RJ de Vera. "The competition recognizes the talent, innovation and passion that drive the automotive and powersports industries. We're proud to celebrate the builders who continue to push the boundaries of vehicle design and fabrication."
The competition features four categories, with each category winner competing for the overall title. Hale won Sport Compact/Import Performance with a 1955 Volkswagen Ghia, Giambalvo earned the Off-Road title with a 1974 Chevrolet K10, and Rieger won Young Guns with a 1969 Ford Mustang.
More information is available in the SEMA News report and at sema.org/botb.
