At Irwindale Speedway with ARCA PR Director Charlie Krall, veteran racer Randy Tolsma, and up-and-coming motorsports photographer Elijah Tolsma.

Now, during the heat of the racing season, is when so many engine builders, racers, mechanics, fabricators, and others working on race cars often think, “I wish I had (fill in the blank) to make this easier.” So the next time you think that, write it down (OK, I’m old-school as I still use pencil and paper) or make a note in your phone, and bring it with you to the 2024 PRI Show, December 12–14.
With that thought in mind as you walk up and down the aisles of the Indiana Convention Center (ICC) and Lucas Oil Stadium, you will see numerous innovations designed to either improve performance of race engines and cars or for working on them. And one top destination is Machinery Row. Located in the Yellow Hall of the ICC, the area is filled with exhibitors displaying the latest machinery from CNC machining centers, dynos, 3D printers, parts cleaning equipment, and balancing machines, to tools for cutting, grinding, deburring, drilling, and a host of many other fabricating duties. With so many innovations, you are bound to find the solution to solve that problem.
More than 100 exhibitors have already signed up to display their latest machinery, equipment, and tools on Machinery Row. Turn to page 46 for a list of companies you can expect to see in Indianapolis. We also provide a Machinery Row preview, beginning on page 38, which offers just a glimpse of the fascinating machinery innovations that will be on display to make your job duties easier.
Out & About: Always a treat to visit our local race tracks in So Cal (since there are only a handful), so when the ARCA Menards Series West put on two races at Irwindale Speedway over the July 4 holiday weekend—stock cars booked on the same ticket as Night of Destruction, count me in!—this reminded me of how absolutely critical it is to preserve the health of auto racing by supporting our local tracks. So my challenge to PRI readers is this: Before the 2024 race season concludes, bring someone new to an event. Someone who has never experienced live the thrill of a last-lap pass for the lead and the win, the smell of that lurking yellow nitromethane cloud in the drag race pits, or the gust of wind filled with sand stirred up from an off-road buggy or rally car that whizzes past only a few feet away. Let’s share the excitement and camaraderie we so cherish to continue the future of our sport.