On Friday, October 7th, the FinishMaster Team welcomed around 250 guests at the Alexander Hotel in downtown Indianapolis, Ind. the perfect backdrop to display curated art. Guests traveled in from all over the country to take in the sights and experiences Hood Master had to offer. It was apparent this group of enthusiasts enjoyed all the exciting elements pulled together for the evening, which were flawlessly executed by the FinishMaster Team.
From the time guests walked under the custom-made Hood Master entrance and through the completely transformed event space, they were surrounded by a total of 70 hoods and 38 pins. To top it off, 13 winning hoods from previous challenges were highlighted and displayed as the backdrop on the center stage.
The FinishMaster Team left no stone unturned regarding entertainment and the room buzzed with positive energy. Starting with the gala itself, the 2022 hoods on display mesmerized the guests with the technique and creativity poured into each painters’ artwork. There were activities for the children, who joined the celebration, with a scavenger hunt to help them navigate the room and understand what they were experiencing, and a special demonstration by FinishMaster’s Mike Cohen and Darold Moore. These two experts spent their time teaching kids the art of taping on micro-mini hoods. Everyone had the opportunity to try out their painting skills with the virtual spray booth experience by Sagola an Elcometer Company. FinishMaster was simultaneously hosting a fundraiser where all proceeds raised went to an education grant for the Collision Repair Education Foundation. Items included in the fundraiser were an online auction of hoods and pins from previous challenges, beautifully displayed raffle baskets, and Hood Master swag.
Of course, this challenge would not have been possible without the participation and dedication from our painters, who are true artists, the sponsors who supported making this event happen, our 19 industry-expert judges, and a multitude of volunteers. They all devoted their personal time and resources to carry out their responsibilities and we thank each and every one of them for being a part of the magic of Hood Master.
The Hood Master Winners were:
PINSTRIPE
- 1st Place – Ol’ Calhoun; Brendan Warmerdam
- 2nd Place – Exalted Circuit; Drew Brasington
- 3rd Place – Paint by Performance; Mike Smith
AIRBRUSH
- 1st Place – Guilty Pleasure; Chad Henslin
- 2nd Place – Immortalis in Memoria; Tom Strait
- 3rd Place – Ignite Your Passion; Andy Dean
OVERALL
- Wild Card – Exalted Circuit; Drew Brasington
- Crowd Favorite – Rhythm N’ Blues; Zack Hampton
Highlighting Students’ Skills
PiN Master is a student challenge hosted during Hood Master for those in collision repair programs across the US, where High School and College students compete against each other by repairing, designing, and painting retired bowling pins. The goal of the PiN Master Challenge is to showcase the skills of these students and to support the future of this industry.
Hood Master’s 19 industry-expert judges utilized their background and expertise to properly evaluate the skills and technique of each of the students’ pins, and to determine this year’s winners.
The PiN Master Winners included:
- 1st Place – Untitled; Eric De La Cruz, Lincoln Tech
- 2nd Place – Untitled; Colton Griggs, Kingwood Park High School
- 3rd Place – Untitled; Erin Shannon, Lincoln Tech
- Wild Card – A Little Bit of Everything; Jordan Hoag, Cape Fear Community College
FinishMaster fundraiser supported collision repair industry education.
For the second year in a row, FinishMaster utilized the Hood Master platform as an opportunity to support the future of the collision repair industry. All proceeds raised before and during the Hood Master Challenge went directly to a FinishMaster sponsored education grant for CREF to support collision repair education programs across the nation. This year, the FinishMaster and CREF teams raised a record $13,000, which more than doubled from the previous year.
The FinishMaster Team partnered with CREF to build an online auction site for anyone who wanted a chance at taking a piece of Hood and PiN Master history home with them while supporting collision repair programs. The stakes were high and guests at the Hood Master event were able to bid on the hoods and pins displayed in the foyer area, with some bids coming in at the last minute before the auction closed. Additionally, while at the event, attendees could purchase raffle tickets to try and win special raffle baskets with fantastic prizes that included custom-painted pieces by some of the challengers and other painters who volunteered their resources and time. The non-winning 2022 hoods became available for sale at a set price after the winners were announced at the event. It was exciting to watch guests make a mad dash to get to their favorite hood!
FinishMaster thanked everyone involved with the 2022 Hood Master & PiN Master Challenges and extended congratulations to this year’s winners and look forward to the 2023 Hood Master & PiN Master Challenges.