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Performance Racing Industry Trade Show

A community of enthusiasts

Motorsports is a big business. It employs thousands upon thousands of people throughout the world and has an enormous economic impact on the cities and communities where races are held.

And racing isn't just Formula 1 or the NEXTEL Cup. It's about the Saturday night dirt trackers and grassroots racers who take their sport seriously and spend considerable time and money to enable their car, truck, super modified or kart to go faster than their competition. Whatever the series, these people are professionals—drivers, engineers, crew chiefs, owners—and earn their income from the motorsports industry.

Power Biz

That's the power behind the continuing growth of the annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show. Completing its 17th run in late '04 in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the show has been held for seven years, more than 45,000 industry professionals from over 40 countries descended upon "the racing capital of the world" to take in the sights and sounds of some 3,200 booths from 1,300 companies.

The PRI Trade Show is the world's largest auto racing trade show. It became such because its only focus is on motorsports and meeting the needs of the industry professionals who attend the show, seeking the latest "hardcore" products, as well as equipment and other technical materials and manufactured goods.

Despite the claim by some individuals and certain members of the media that motorsports in North America is experiencing a decline, those who are a part of the PRI Trade Show, from the exhibitors to the buyers, can attest to the positive atmosphere that encompasses the show floor where thousands of transactions occur and orders placed as teams and individuals prepare for the upcoming race season.

Race Prep

The PRI Trade Show is traditionally held in early December when the majority of all racing for the year has been completed (save, perhaps, for the occasional ice race), and team managers, engine builders, racecar builders, wholesale/distributors and racing retailers are in search of new equipment, parts and products that will improve their personal efforts, or be added to their inventory, in the new year.

Because of the appropriate timing, these motorsports entrepreneurs know that the best place to find nearly all of their racing needs is at the PRI Trade Show. Competition gets tougher each year, so every team has to be better prepared—the stakes are that much higher—in all series. Speeds go up; rulebooks get revised; new teams enter the fray; sponsors dictate improvements. Team owners must respond. It's time to "go shopping" and find that extra horsepower.

This "need to exceed" demonstrates in part the steady growth that the motorsports industry has realized over the past decade, and has helped propel the PRI Trade Show to greater attendance and a significant expansion in floor space to accommodate additional exhibitors year after year.

Spawning Growth

In fact, the show has gotten so large that it will move to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, for 2005. "This move to Orlando will help the event respond to the needs of our exhibiting companies and our attendees and buyers," says Steve Lewis, producer of the PRI Trade Show. "The 2005 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show that will take place in Orlando represents an important new milestone in the rich history of the racing industry.

"This increase is a direct reflection of the robust health of the racing industry," Lewis adds. "The main attraction of our show comes from all the great displays of the latest in racing technology. The fact that we continue to draw new exhibitors and new buying professionals to our show is a testament to what we mean to the motorsports community."

The secret of the PRI Trade Show is that it stays true to its nature. The show's sister product, "Performance Racing Industry" magazine, covers the topics and issues that the racing community needs to know about, from race shop machinery roundups to current parts trends to advances in electronic fuel injection, as well as advice for racing retailers.

Latest Trends

Staying on top of the trends remains a centerpoint of the PRI Trade Show. The significant explosion of participation at all levels of motorsports, especially among the newer forms, such as import drag racing and drifting, attracts new attendees, all who are drawn to improving high performance. Thus challenged, team members search the aisles of the show for the new technology and corresponding products that will help them win—giving their teams "an edge."

Special Events

To add to the luster, the PRI Trade Show also offers technical and retail seminars, and features celebrities such as NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Team Owners Ray Evernham and Jack Roush as Opening Day Speakers. These two are just as likely to walk the multiple rows of exhibits after they entertain the show guests.

In addition, Fox TV Commentator Jeff Hammond is also a part of the PRI Trade Show as host of the annual Industry Roundtable held the day prior to the start of the trade show. Addressing a variety of topics, Hammond challenges panelists including such industry notables as IRL Team Owner Eddie Cheever, Jr., NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Director John Darby, NHRA Vice President of Marketing Gary Darcy, Irwindale Speedway General Manager Bob DeFazio, and many others, all of whom share their insight and experience with the audience. The Industry Roundtable was created by the late legendary engine builder, Smokey Yunick.

Other show events that have taken place over the years in Indy include a tour of nearby Gasoline Alley where many well known racing businesses are located close to the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Next year, when the PRI Trade Show moves to Orlando, new racing-oriented events will be conducted to entertain the thousands of participants. All told, the focus of the PRI Trade Show is on providing both a hub for exhibitors to display their products and a forum that celebrates the community of motorsports—individuals and teams fiercely competitive at the track, but united as a group sharing a common purpose and interest. These characteristics form the lifeblood of the PRI Trade Show, and help to explain why it's so central to the success of the racing industry.