By James Chevrette
Some say the most prestigious car audio competition in North America is the Steel Valley Regionals, located in a small arena in Wheeling, West Virginia.
Industry stalwart Brian Mitchell drove 43 hours from his home to the event this year, as an example of how much it means to some of the movers and shakers in the industry.
The competition was started in 2001 in Steubenville, Ohio by an enthusiast and competitor, Larry Chijner who sold furniture for a living. For 24 years, Steel Valley Regionals has drawn enthusiasts despite 40-hour drives, creating rookie sensations, and building a SQ community that keeps growing year after year.
What makes the event unique is the signature “Money Round” – an Olympic-style judging format featuring six judges with all top competitors going head-to-head regardless of their classification in other organizations like IASCA or EMMA.
With so many different philosophies on how to achieve the best sound quality in a vehicle, this is the ultimate way for competitors to showcase their skills. Traditionally, competitors are placed in classes based on amplifier power and vehicle modifications. The Money Round places ALL competitors in one class. At the end of the Money Round, Chijner, spreads $7,500 in prizes among the top 30 finishers.
Steel Valley Regionals also offers an open-door policy to other SQ organizations. Competitors can compete and qualify for World Finals in four different organizations– IASCA, MECA, EMMA, and MASQ. This is the only event to offer all four Sound Quality organizations in 2025.
Let’s put the competition aside – why would people want to drive 40+ hours for a car audio competition? Mitchell, a seasoned competitor, said, “SVR is one of the longest and best shows currently still going for the SQ community. I have been going for the past 9 years, and for me, it’s one of my cannot miss shows for any year.”
Carson Steigerwalt, an SVR rookie, placed 9th overall at SVR this year. For some, this might sound like a failure, but Steigerwalt sees it differently. “I was already building my Porsche in 2023, but I went to SVR as a spectator to get a feel for this level of competition. What surprised me most was how welcoming everyone was – I got to listen to every car in 2024!” For this 24-year-old rookie, being the 9th best-sounding vehicle in the country is an amazing accomplishment after hundreds of hours of work and tuning with his friend and mentor Nick Apicella.
Many SVR competitors said they attend for the sense of community.
Long-time competitors Mic and Lori Wallace have traveled to the event since the first SVR. The couple has enjoyed considerable success in the competition lanes over the years with help from mentors and other judges. Lori and their 19-year-old daughter Ayeka – 2024 Rookie of the Year in EMMA – are both actively competing in 2025. Mic and Lori mainly focus on giving back to the community by serving as top judges in multiple organizations within the Sound Quality community.
When we asked Chijner about how he feels seeing the next generation competing at SVR, he replied, “That’s what it’s all about! Getting new fresh blood in the competition scene is gratifying – we are growing! There are many new, young enthusiasts who have come aboard in the last few years, and it’s fun to share information and see how technology advances have helped in this regard. The old school way is not necessarily what the newcomers are looking for. They are looking to make it fun again.”
The 2026 Steel Valley Regionals are set for July 17-19 at the WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, with registration starting in February. Reach out directly to Larry Chijner at [email protected].
Hmmm…..I may have to make the trek next year as I am tearing down my truck to rebuild it.
I’ve been going to SVR for about 10 years now. First as a competitor and as judge for the last few years. The show is great from both points of view. It is a must attend in my book. Even if you are not competing it is worth the drive to see and hear some of the best sounding cars in the country. Everyone is very welcoming and willing to give demos and share knowledge.
Uncle Larry, as we who love him refer to him as, is, and was, one of the best, thoroughly committed competitors at many events as well as the Spring Break Nationals almost every year. I remember attending the first SVR, the competitors in attendance all loved the event. The camaraderie among competitors was thick, and I suppose it’s even greater today. Kudos Uncle Larry from your event brother!
I miss Spring Break Nationals, Now that was a great show!
Brian, you flatter me!
Steubenville is in OHIO 😉
Thank you!
My first SVR was 4 years ago after being out of the competition scene since my Spring Break Nationals top 3 finish in Daytona Florida in 1997. Coming back all the brands seemed to be different and I didn’t know much about what was what in the car audio world. At SVR I met so many amazing people..I didn’t bring a good car, my build might have been as old as me, but that first day I had so many people reach out and help me get something’s straight that I felt almost like a patient in a car wreck being attended too.. From this event I have be fortunate to develop lasting friendships and have learned more than I forgot from my old school days. The event is super well organized, runs seamlessly from the competitors view (the amount of behind the scenes work must be an amazing lift), and presents car audio in the best light imaginable. Special thanks to all of the great folks I’ve been fortunate enough to meet at SVR over the past four years, and to Larry for everything including my million email my first year!