After a year’s hiatus, members of the racing industry are more excited than ever to gather in Indianapolis next month to catch up on new product trends, attend informative seminars, network with contacts old and new, and renew the one-on-one relationships that are so important to this community.

For more than 30 years, the PRI Trade Show has played a critical role in the racing industry, kicking off the next year’s racing season with a high-intensity display of new products and information downloads for racers, engine builders, dealers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and others involved in high performance. That role came into sharper focus when the 2020 Show had to be canceled due to pandemic restrictions. Racing business didn’t stop, however; if anything, 2020 proved to be a record-setting year for many of the companies that made and sold parts. They had an eager market in racers who, with abbreviated or canceled seasons, spent their downtime improving their vehicles and teams for the inevitable day when racing started back up again. 

Yet something was missing, a hard-to-quantify yet invaluable aspect of attending the Show that no teleconference or web video can duplicate: face-to-face contact with others in your tribe. 

“The PRI Show is the greatest opportunity for us to market our product,” said Peter “Snake” Calvert of CP-Carrillo, Irvine, California. “There are a lot of different ways that we do that—through printed ads, visiting customers, and by attending races. But the PRI Show is absolutely, bar none, the best form of getting face-to-face with the customer, doing business, and making those personal connections.”

“People miss the face-to-face, and that’s why I think the PRI Show will be well attended,” said Jeff Ladd of Sports Insurance Specialists, Fort Wayne, Indiana. “We want to expand our race team business, and there are a lot of teams walking around the PRI Show. The drivers and crewmen are there doing their business, too, meeting with sponsors. We have a nice target audience there.”

“It’s a big deal to meet face-to-face with our sponsors,” said Erik Schwartz of Schwartz Offroad Motorsportz, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. “These are companies I email and phone 360 days a year, and I’ve had the ability to meet some of my sponsors face-to-face for the first time at the PRI Show. That one-on-one time takes that relationship to another level.” 

Calvert, Ladd, Schwartz, and tens of thousands of other exhibitors and attendees will have the opportunity to do just that when the 2021 PRI Trade Show opens its doors for three days beginning December 9. The Indiana Convention Center (ICC) and adjacent Lucas Oil Stadium will be filled with thousands of booths from nearly 1,000 exhibitors displaying their latest products, services, and other innovations—some they’ve been waiting to debut for more than a year.

“We introduced a new lightweight crank last year called the Ultra Dirt/Oval,” said Brook Piper of Callies Performance Products, Fostoria, Ohio. Its planned unveiling at the Show couldn’t happen last year, “so we’re bringing it to this year’s Show to get it out there a little more.” It will be in the Callies booth alongside the company’s latest offering, a crankshaft for the International DT466 diesel engine used by tractor pullers. “We just have to figure out how to display a 300-plus-pound crankshaft,” Piper said, laughing. 

New products are a huge part of what makes the Show so important to the industry, but they’re just one facet of the total Show experience. Read on to learn about all the activities and events this year’s PRI Show has to offer. 

What’s New

Membership Has Its Benefits: For the first time, enrolling in a PRI Membership will be required to attend the PRI Show. Show attendees can sign up for a 2021 PRI Membership at no charge, and they won’t have to pay annual Membership dues until 2022. 

The reason for the change goes to the very future of racing itself. There’s no question that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has racing in its sights, which makes it critical for members of the community to unify and fight against this and any other anti-racing government activity. An important step toward protecting racing will be the passage of the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act, a key part of which maintains the legality of converting street vehicles into dedicated race cars. 

PRI Membership empowers those in the racing industry to take an active role in support of the RPM Act and racing in general. Membership is available to businesses and individuals, with individual Membership offered at several different levels starting at $40 annually. Membership dues help support PRI’s legislative efforts, but Members also receive other exclusive benefits, including subscriptions to the digital edition of PRI Magazine and the PRI eNewsletter, discounts on PRI merchandise, and posting access on the PRI Jobs Board.

“PRI Membership creates a unified voice for the racing industry,” said PRI President Dr. Jamie Meyer. “Now more than ever, given the challenges the motorsports community currently faces, it is important that we unite to advocate on behalf of the industry.” 

For more information and to become a Member prior to the Show, visit performanceracing.com/membership. 

PRI Road Tour: If there was a silver lining to the cancelation of last year’s PRI Show, it was the creation of the PRI Road Tour, which sent several leading content creators across the country in search of compelling stories to tell about our racing community. The Tour was such a success that a second Road Tour hit the highways this summer, chronicling events from Pikes Peak and the NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas to the National Tractor Pulling Championships and the Indy Autonomous Challenge. The 2021 PRI Road Tour will end at the PRI Trade Show, where its team will be eager to show off the images and stories they gathered over the past six months. 

Content Creation Center: For those inspired by the Road Tour to generate their own multi-media stories, a new Content Creation Center at the PRI Show will display the latest in audio/video gear and software. Content experts and social media influencers will be on hand to help teach attendees the most effective strategies for reaching an audience in today’s always-on media world. 

Electric Vehicle Performance Area: Electric racing is here, and there’s little doubt that electrification will do nothing but grow as sanctioning bodies and race teams push the boundaries of what’s possible with battery power. An area of the PRI Show will be devoted to displaying a selection of electric vehicles that are already racing, as well as concepts for future electric race series. 

Favorites Return

Featured Products Showcase: Located in Lucas Oil Stadium, the Featured Products Showcase is a special display of the latest, hottest products from PRI Trade Show exhibitors. For many attendees—and media covering the Show—it’s a great introduction to can’t-miss highlights available for further examination on the Show floor. 

“We like doing the Featured Products Showcase because that’s yet another chance to drive someone to our booth,” said Roger Mealey of RaceQuip, Riverview, Florida. “The Show is so big that most attendees don’t get to visit every booth they would like to. When they see something they like in the Showcase, that can prompt a direct visit to your booth.”

“It’s cool how PRI has it laid out, with products in their own separate room and nicely displayed in show cases,” added Brian LeBarron of Fluidampr, Springville, New York. “It’s a huge draw for attendees and media, so having a presence in there adds to your booth. It definitely drives traffic. The Featured Products Showcase is my favorite attraction at the PRI Show, and I imagine it is for a lot of other people, too.” 

Trailer Exhibits: The cavernous Lucas Oil Stadium is also home to the PRI Show’s Trailer Exhibit, where trailer manufacturers from all over the country converge to display their latest tags, fifth-wheels, stackers and more. Gathering all these trailers in one place—indoors, no less—makes it ultra-convenient for racers to compare trailer features and benefits, and talk directly with manufacturer’s reps and dealers about customizing a trailer for their specific needs. 

Machinery Row: Taking up a large portion of the ICC’s Yellow Hall, Machinery Row is one-stop shopping for those in the business of shaping metal into racing components. 

“Having a concentrated machinery area is extremely important,” said David Bianchi of Rottler Manufacturing, Kent, Washington. “It’s an environment where machinists, engine builders, and other people who are really interested in machined parts and pieces can go to compare machines and have a good conversation with the manufacturers. It’s a great chance to network and a great chance to be front-and-center with our current offerings. Customers can get some good knowledge as to what’s really going on in the industry.”

PRI Education Seminars: The popular PRI Education Seminars offer unprecedented opportunities to learn about the business of racing as well as cutting-edge technology from some of the sharpest, most experienced people in the business. This year the slate of seminars is larger than ever and is organized into two tracks. On the business side, topics will include how to build a brand, successful ways to hire and retain employees, mastering social media outreach, managing cash flow, and how to write successful sponsorship proposals. Technical discussions will cover tools to maximize intake and exhaust port flow, performance engine bearings, managing airflow for more power, racing valve springs, EFI tuning, and more. There will also be discussions about the RPM Act, opportunities for women in motorsports, influencers, and how to engage more young people in racing. 

“The PRI Show seminars are very important for people to attend,” said Mike Leary of Leary Racing Products, Denver, Colorado. Leary has both attended seminars and participated in them to share his racing shock absorber expertise. “There is a lot of good, important information, not just for those in the business but also for the actual end users, the racers. You’re really hurting yourself by not going. There’s way more to gain than most people can imagine.” 

Grand Opening Breakfast: The traditional kickoff for the PRI Show takes place Thursday, December 9, in the Sagamore Ballroom from 7–9 a.m. Mingling with other Show attendees and hearing from what is always an impressive roster of guest speakers is a great way to prepare to hit the ground running at the Show. Having just worked out the details at press time, PRI Trade Show Director Karin Davidson revealed that among this year’s guest speakers will be none other than motorsports icon Roger Penske! 

One-on-One: For those looking to renew and build on those face-to-face connections they’ve missed since the last Show, just being at the ICC and Lucas Oil Stadium during Show hours can open doors for business and racing opportunities.  

“I’m always looking for an opportunity to make a new connection,” said Matthew Hurlbut of SpeedFactory Racing, Tacoma Washington, which specializes in drag racing Hondas and Acuras. “Not just continuing our relationships that we’ve had with people and businesses over the years, but looking for a new relationship. Maybe there’s an opportunity for us to connect with Company X and do some business.”

To that end, Hurlbut recommends “talking to everybody you possibly can. You never know where those conversations can go. You need to talk to as many people as possible, soaking in all the knowledge you can while you’re there.” 

There are venues to gather off the Show floor and network, starting with the PRI Exhibitor Reception on Wednesday, December 8, from 5–7 p.m. in the Lucas Oil Stadium Concourse. All show attendees are invited to attend the PRI Happy Hour on Thursday, December 9, from, 5–7 p.m., also in the Lucas Oil Stadium Concourse.

As in years’ past, register to attend the PRI Trade Show by November 18 to receive your badges in the mail before December 9. Visit performanceracing.com/trade-show/attend to register. And just a reminder, the Show is only open to PRI Members starting this year. For more information, visit performanceracing.com/membership.

Staying Healthy

As of this writing (in early October), the situation with the COVID Delta variant was in a state of flux, so PRI is following all recommendations and requirements from Dr. Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department. PRI has published a Know Before You Go page on the Show’s website (performanceracing.com/tradeshow) with recommended health and safety measures. In addition, the Official Tourism Site of Indianapolis (visitindy.com) has up-to-date COVID information and health protocols, as does Indiana’s COVID webpage (coronavirus.in.gov).

Tips for an Effective Show

We polled seasoned PRI Show exhibitors and attendees and asked them for tips and strategies to maximize effectiveness at what many think is an all-too-brief Show. 

“Plan, plan, plan” was the most-given piece of advice for attendees. “You’ll never see anything if you just wander through there,” noted David Schardt of Forgeline Motorsports, Dayton, Ohio. “Figure out ahead of time what it is you’re trying to accomplish, make a list of the vendors you want to see beforehand, and then track them down and figure out where they’re at.”

Many exhibitors recommended using the online PRI Show Planner (available at PRI2021.com) to conveniently map out each day’s activities. 

“The Show Planner works fantastic,” said Donald Yonkers of CH Hanson/Palmgren, Naperville, Illinois. “If you’re going for specific parts from specific people, that’s the way to do it. Otherwise it could take you all day to find them.”

Another universal recommendation when planning: See who and what you need to see early. “Two years ago, I talked to one of our sponsor reps on Friday, and he was getting ready to leave,” Schwartz recalled. “There’s no guarantee the people you want to talk to are there every day. So get there early, talk to people, and if you’ve talked to everyone that you wanted to talk to, that’s when you can walk the floor.” 

“Get in there and ask questions,” recommended Rottler’s Bianchi. “Exhibitors are there for a reason, and that is to take the time with customers and peers in the industry to communicate what we’re doing. As an exhibitor, we love the questions. We want to talk to customers, doing everything we can to keep things upbeat and show where things are going. There’s a lot of exciting things in the high-performance racing market right now. A lot of new technology coming out, too.” 

Lynnie Doughton of DRP Performance Products in Rocky Mount, Virginia, had a tip to help with negotiating the ICC’s crowded halls, “kind of like what you would do at Disney World: Whatever most people do, do the opposite. There’s a flow of traffic at the Show, and often the flow starts in the first room. That’s where most people come through first, and it gets crowded first. Smart people will go the opposite direction,” such as starting in Lucas Oil Stadium and then working through the Yellow and Green halls.

To Dan Chervenak of DLC Racing Equipment in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, the PRI Show “is like Christmas for an auto nut and racing enthusiast like me.” He collects so many catalogs, brochures, and other pieces of information that he’s found the exhibitor bags handed out at the Show and even a backpack can’t hold it all. “Get a small travel suitcase on wheels and bring it with you. Then you can get all the catalogs you can grab while you’re there, of all the different companies you might be interested in to get a better, more informative look at their business.”

Much of the advice directed at exhibitors had to do with booth staffing. 

“With the influx of racers coming to the Show, we bring additional staff to cover the waves of booth traffic,” said RaceQuip’s Mealey. “When those rushes occur, and people are waiting in line to see you, that visit may be your only chance to talk with them. If they have to leave, they may not be able to make it back. So try to have your bases covered.”

“Bring enough people to where people don’t have to wait to talk to you,” added CP-Carrillo’s Calvert. “It’s another plane ticket and another mouth to feed, but if you end up picking up more customers from having more people available, it’s a win-win situation.”

Bianchi said, “We’re going there to support the folks at PRI, support the industry, and put on a good show. We hope to take a lot of machine orders. What I’d like to accomplish is a record show, more machines sold than we ever have. And I hope the same for the other exhibitors.” 

“I wish more race teams would put the PRI Show on their to-do list,” added Doughton. “The amount of information they can learn and pull from a day or two at that Show, they can’t replace that. They’re going to see stuff they’d never see without coming to the Show. The ones that do come, always come. They know how important it is. They’re absolutely getting an advantage over those that don’t come.”

PRI Trade Show Quick Facts

Show Dates: Dec. 9–11, 2021

Show Location: Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana 

Show Times:

ICC: Thursday, Dec. 9 and 

Friday, Dec. 10: 9 a.m.–5 p.m. 

Saturday, Dec. 11: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Lucas Oil Stadium: Thursday, Dec. 9 and Friday, Dec. 10: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 11: 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Show website: PRI2021.com

Show registration/hotel reservations: PRI2021.com/attend

For information on PRI Membership (required for Show entry), visit performanceracing.com/membership

All-New TOPS Space at PRI 2021 Dedicated to Tracks, Sanctions

PRI has created a brand-new space at the 2021 Trade Show dedicated to owners, promoters, officials, and staff of motorsports facilities and sanctioning bodies. 

Located in the Indiana Convention Center’s 500 Ballroom, the Track Operators, Promoters & Sanctions (TOPS) Workroom and Lounge will serve as a headquarters, meeting spot, and break room exclusively for race track and sanctioning body personnel throughout all three days of the Show, December 9–11. 

Guests of the TOPS center will have the opportunity to meet in person, talk to others with a common interest, or take a break from the busy Show floor. A portion of the ballroom will be sectioned off to house meeting rooms for groups, state coalitions, councils, and others. The rest of the space will be a less formal social setting with couches, chairs and small meeting tables.

Prior to the Show, track and sanctioning body officials also may be interested in attending the 2021 Race Track Business Conference. Scheduled for Wednesday, December 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., this year’s program once again takes place at the Indiana Convention Center, site of PRI 2021. 

For additional information on agenda, speakers, etc., or to register, visit racetrackbusinessconference.com or call 847-853-0294.

New Product Sneak Peek

Here’s a brief description of the new products that exhibitors who contributed to our guide plan to bring to the 2021
PRI Show:

Callies Performance Products of Fostoria, Ohio, is entering the tractor pulling segment with a new crankshaft for the International DT466 diesel. “We’re in farm country, and we know how to make crankshafts, so here we come,” said Brook Piper. “They’re monsters at 44 inches tall and 300-plus pounds. We invested in a couple of mill turns, and the mill turn that we’re making these big ones on can make a crank 40 inches in diameter and 20 feet long.” 

DRP Performance Products of Rocky Mount, Virginia, will launch an education program called DRP University, said Lynnie Doughton. It’s a four-year course, available online and in-person, that will “teach race teams how the race car works.” The focus will be on “chassis setup, suspension dynamics and handling, information that’s typically not available unless you go out, spend money, and learn through trial and error.” The course is primarily directed at asphalt and dirt circle track racing, but other forms of racing can benefit, too, Doughton said. “Our goal is to speed up the process and let race teams learn decades of knowledge in a much shorter period of time.” 

Fluidampr of Springville, New York, is introducing two new dampers this year, said Brian LeBarron. “One that’s getting a lot of attention right now is for the Duramax L5P, the latest Duramax engine. We’ll have two damper variations, one for the 2017–2019 engines and one for 2020–current. The second damper is for the Nissan RB25DET NEO engines. Restrictions have eased, and so people are bringing old Skylines into the States. They’re affordable and an easy engine to get into drifting with, so we’ve had a lot of requests for that.”

Forgeline Motorsports “just got into drag racing,” said David Schardt of the Dayton, Ohio-based wheel manufacturer. “We’ve been in road racing for 25 years, and we released our first beadlock wheels for drag racing in 2019. We’re hoping to expand that with a lot more sizes, more styles, and more options we didn’t have in 2019.”

Palmgren will have an affordable new welding machine “that can do MIG, TIG and stick, 110- or 200-volt, so people in a garage can use it,” said David Yonkers. Also coming to the Show from the Naperville, Illinois, company, is “a new line of drill presses that are really big. The smallest drill press in our line will be 20-inch. This is for big fabricating stuff. It probably won’t be used in a garage, but we want to get the word out that we have them.”

David Bianchi said Rottler Manufacturing of Kent, Washington, is coming to the PRI Show “with a big black box. We’re going to unveil something at the Show that will be very exciting. It’s something we’ve never offered before, and we think it will appeal to the masses. Our plan is to unveil it Friday during the Show. The people at PRI don’t know about it. None of our sales reps know about it. It’s literally going to hit them between the eyes.”

Sports Insurance Specialists in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will be at the Show to market its new Competitive Advantage Program, said Jeff Ladd. “It’s a high limit medical program specific to drivers and crewmen. They can buy it on their own, and it would go above what any sanctioning body provides through their memberships or what a regular Friday or Saturday night track does through a release form.” —Drew Hardin