At the end of a memorable Grand Opening Breakfast, the green flag dropped for the exhibit ailses at the 22nd Annual PRI Trade Show and tens of thousands of buyers raced in to catch up with the latest new product lines in motorsports.
"The strength of the PRI Trade Show is a great sign for the racing industry," said Steve Lewis, producer of the Show. "It's been a challenging year for many racing companies, but the crowded exhibit aisles indicate that the racing industry is ramping up for a better 2010."
The Grand Opening Breakfast proved to be standing room only, as the Convention Center caterers hurried to set up more chairs and tables for the mounting crowd. The live production of a Wind Tunnel TV Show was a huge hit.
"The whole thing was fantastic. The entertainment was funny to start things off; the food was delicious and it was more than I expected," said Scott Garrity, Goff Racing Parts, Brooksville, Florida.
The aisles of the North/South Building of Orlando's Orange County Convention Center started getting busy and noisy at 9:30 a.m. as the doors opened to 1100 exhibitors in 3200 booths, offering racing businesspeople plenty to see in new race products, machinery, and advanced motorsports technology.
"Racing is an industry where you must keep absolutely current with new products and changing technology in order to run a successful business," said Lewis. "The PRI Trade Show serves as the epicenter of the racing industry for three, important days, where you can see it all in one giant exhibit hall. Racing industry buyers can conduct business face to face with their suppliers, and return home with new profit strategies, exciting new racing equipment on order, and a solid business game plan for 2010."
Always a popular destination for race engine builders and fabricators, Machinery Row filled with activity quickly, where approximately 100 companies displayed precision machining equipment, CNC machines, and other race shop machinery. Exhibitors were ready for buyers with machinery wired and operating for live, hands-on demonstrations on actual race parts to show off what the latest machinery can do to improve shop efficiency and productivity.
The racing industry was up early on Thursday morning, December 10, before the Trade Show doors opened, for a very entertaining and fun-filled Grand Opening Breakfast.
Wind Tunnel's Dave Despain, who is a well-known and respected radio and television motorsports journalist, entertained the crowd with his live version of his popular Sunday night television show, which is broadcast on Speed TV. Despain was joined by Kenny Schrader, as the two shared insightful stories and posed questions to special guests who joined them on-stage or called in on the telephone.
IndyCar driver Ryan Hunter-Reay and Bob Bondurant, the racing great who started the famed driving school that bears his name, joined Despain and Schrader on stage. Journalist Robin Miller and SPEED TV President Hunter Nickell called into the show live on the telephone. It was great fun for the 3,000 in the audience, and a powerful kick-off event for the PRI Trade Show.
After a delicious hot breakfast, the crowd of 2500 racing industry business people entered the Show hall ready to conduct business face to face.
At the end of the day, the fun wasn't over yet as free beer and appetizers in addition to the world famous Bud Girls were featured at the Budweiser presents the PRI Happy Hour. Thousands of racing industry members headed to the South Lobby of the OCCC to enjoy this jam-packed event, which served as a meeting place and provided plenty of complimentary drinks before people headed out for a business dinner, or going to the big kart race.
The best in public transportation returned to the PRI Trade Show with the famous Bud on the Bus program! On Thursday after a full day of work on the Trade Show floor, attendees and exhibitors enjoyed a refreshing beer on the complimentary PRI shuttle system as they returned to their hotel or out to a business dinner. Bud on the Bus will make another special appearance on Friday to shuttle system riders, as well.
Karting at its best was featured in the 4th Annual PRI CKI All-Star Karting Classic, and just like the previous three events, this one did not disappoint! With packed grandstands and professional drivers from F1, IRL, NASCAR, NHRA, ALMS and Grand-Am, this happening has become a must-see event for the 3000 spectators who filled the grandstands and lined up along the track, which was located in the parking lot adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center.
The karters raced in two divisions--the All-Star Pro division and the Karters division. In the All-Stars Division finale, Izod IndyCar competitor Jan Heylen took the win, driving a CRG Kart for the SSC East-CRG team, followed by NASCAR star Scott Speed in second, running a Tony Kart, and Formula One driver Vitantonio Luizzi in a CRG Kart.
In the Karters division, Gary Carlton of Marysville, California, driving a CRG Kart took first, while Chris Wehrheim in a Top Kart USA took second, and Kyle Wiegand, also in a Top Kart USA, placed third.
Among the pro drivers who fought valiantly to challenge Heylen in the All-Stars Division were: IZOD Indy Car drivers Jay Howard, who won the event last year and Buddy Rice, another former winner, NASCAR's A.J. Allmendinger; along with current Force India Formula One driver Vitantonio Liuzzi, making his debut at the Karting Classic, but no stranger to karting as he won the 2001 World Karting Championship. He will be reunited with former F1 teammate Scott Speed. Also competing will by IndyCar's Justin Wilson, Tomas Scheckter, Ed Carpenter, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alex Tagliani, defending champ Jay Howard and Townsend Bell; NASCAR's Colin Braun and Jamie McMurray, AMA star Kevin Windham; Monster Jam driver Joe Sylvester; and NHRA's Matt Smith.
Heylen and the owner of the SSC East-CRG team, which had five entries in the All-Star Classic, each won a custom watch from associate sponsor B.R.M. Manufacture, each worth more than $5,000.
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