Highly successful people always acknowledge that to advance in their careers—and in life—learning never ends. PRI understands the value of all educational opportunities and places great value on sharing knowledge to improve not only motorsports as a whole but those who make up the industry.

PRI Education began at the PRI Show, and this year it features another stellar lineup. All four PRI-branded seminars will take place on Friday, December 11, in Rooms 237–239, located upstairs in the Indiana Convention Center's meeting rooms.

Starting the day at 9:00 a.m. will be Peter Lee of Southwest Research Institute and Lake Speed Jr. of SPEEDiagnostix, who will present "Using Tribology to Find Extra Horsepower." Beginning at 11:00 a.m., PRI Director of Market Research Gavin Knapp will share "State of the Racing Market." Tom Shay of Profits Plus Solutions will discuss "How A Culture Can Cure Your Crew Needs" beginning at 1:00 p.m. Concluding the day's sessions at 3:00 p.m. will be Alex Striler of SponsorshipTactics.com with "Using AI for Sponsorships."

In addition to PRI's seminar lineup, don't miss a variety of options from PRI exhibiting companies. The list begins on page 84. To see a current list of sessions as the PRI Show approaches, visit pri2026.mapyourshow.com/8_0/sessions/#/.

After the PRI Show concludes, additional learning options will be available through the PRI Education webinar series. These webinars will cover a variety of topics to enhance racing operations. Earlier this year, PRI debuted its webinar series with panelists who shared motorsports marketing tips. View this webinar on PRI's YouTube page at youtube.com/user/pritradesh​​ow.

NEXTGEN CONNECT

New to this year's PRI Show is NextGen Connect presented by Carlyle Tools. This special area of the Show is designed to help students, educators, and motorsports professionals build connections and explore career pathways across the industry. Located in Wabash 1 and 2 at the Indiana Convention Center, the space will feature educational seminars, resume reviews, professional headshots provided by SimpleTire and Racership, networking opportunities, career guidance, and access to motorsports company representatives. Supporting sponsors include Standard Bots and TruSpeed Racing Institute.

Students and young adults who are serious about pursuing a motorsports career should arrive ready to impress. A professional photographer from CoForce will be on-site to take a headshot photo that can immediately be uploaded to a professional online profile. This photo station is provided by SimpleTire and Racership.

Those in attendance can bring their resume to be reviewed by human resources professionals, including PRI's own Evan McCoy and Heidi Bandisch of Racership. Resumes can be dropped off at the front desk in NextGen Connect during the morning, then set up a 15-minute appointment to return later that day for professional advice.

Those entering the workforce may not be familiar with professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. Megan Sheffield can help with that. She is the founder of Rally Consulting, where she advises executives and brands on narrative development, brand strategy, and partnership development. Before starting her own company, Sheffield served as director of partnerships at LinkedIn. She knows how to guide industry veterans regarding their online profiles, and she can share her professional experience to guide your career.

Racing industry suppliers and higher education institutions will be available to meet with young adults to discuss the benefits of their programs and how to get involved on Thursday and Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. to close of Show, and on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Confirmed participants include Carlyle Tools, Hendrick Motorsports, University of Northwestern Ohio, Northwood University, CoForce, Racership, SimpleTire, and more to be announced. Stop by NextGen Connect on Thursday morning or during the Show to see a schedule of which companies will be available and when.

One important component of NextGen Connect will take place each day of the Show from 1:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. Take a break from the Show floor and pick up lunch (available to the first 40 seminar attendees) for a Lunch and Learn session and listen to an industry expert share valuable career advice.

On Thursday, December 10, Amanda Van Den Elzen of Racer on Demand will present "Building an Intentional Brand." Whether you're chasing a seat behind the wheel or breaking into sales, marketing, operations, or engineering in this industry, your professional brand is forming right now—with or without your input. This session breaks down what "brand" actually means in a business context, how to build one intentionally, and why it's a career asset from day one.

Van Den Elzen will talk about how a brand gives you the power to secure sponsors and partners on the track and in the workplace. She will also talk honestly about setbacks: When your brand is authentic and your network knows it, a crash doesn't define you. Walk away with a practical approach to building a brand that opens doors wherever you're headed in this industry.

Friday's session, "Gain A Career Advantage with Apprenticeships and Internships," will be presented by Joe Sabo, who began his career as a technician and now leads the Product team for Carlyle Tools, where he is responsible for product strategy and innovation.

Breaking into the motorsports industry starts with getting the right experience and knowing where to find it. Sabo's session will explore the value of internships and apprenticeships, where to look for opportunities, and how to stand out when you're just starting your career. Attendees will also learn how to make the most of an internship or apprenticeship by building skills, developing industry relationships, and turning an early opportunity into a foundation for what comes next. Whether you're pursuing a technical career or exploring other paths within motorsports, you'll leave with practical advice for taking your next step into the industry.

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