PRI opened its doors to the public on Fast Friday—the annual practice day before Indianapolis 500 qualifications begin—joining in on the Month of May festivities alongside its Speedway, Indiana, neighbors.

Hosted in partnership with Bell Helmets, which runs a pro shop inside the PRI Headquarters, the PRI Open House and Lunch Pop-Up on the PRI Patio marked major milestones for both organizations, including the third anniversary of PRI's move to Speedway, as well as the 70th year of Bell Helmets protecting drivers in the Indianapolis 500.

To celebrate, the organizations teamed up to host the event, which featured tours of the building, close-up looks at vintage race cars, demonstrations from helmet artists, a silent auction benefiting the Della Penna Foundation, food trucks, a kids coloring contest judged by Bell-sporting INDYCAR drivers, and much more.  

The event also served as an opportunity for PRI to further engrain itself in the community in which it has established its roots, opening up its doors to show off what is usually closed to the public.

"We're right here in the racing capital of the world and we couldn't be more excited," said PRI President Michael Good. "We opened our doors to let the public see inside and see what we do to move the industry along as a trade organization."

Good, along with membership and other PRI staff, spent the evening educating visitors on the mission, services and role PRI plays not only in the local community, but Indiana's thriving motorsports ecosystem—and beyond.

"Racing is a big part of who we are when you think of the jobs created, the industries supported by racing, all that we're doing in higher-ed with motorsports engineering programs, and all the significant employers in the state," Good said. "Racing, in Indiana, is part of the fiber of who we are."

There was no better example than the second event held at PRI HQ on qualifying weekend.

As part of its Inspire Program for local high-school girls interested in motorsports careers, the Della Penna Foundation held an early-morning event at PRI HQ featuring numerous speakers from all corners of the industry, offering advice and words of wisdom for pursuing a job in racing.

The foundation--named for former racer and team owner John Della Penna, and established by his daughter, Michelle Della Penna—aims to increase female representation in the industry and provide opportunities for girls to pursue their passion for motorsports. The Inspire Program is a direct attempt at accomplishing that mission, taking 25 local students to a variety of motorsports businesses—including local teams and manufacturers—before capping the weekend with some on-track action at IMS.

"It's a fully immersive weekend," Della Penna said, listing off an itinerary that included stops at Arrow McLaren, the IMS Museum, Dallara, General Motors, and even a local go-kart track. "It goes from drivers to marketing and everything in between, and hopefully they will be inspired and find something they love."

During their stop at PRI HQ, the students got to hear from representatives of many of those organizations, getting a cross-section of the industry ranging from the on-track accomplishments of Lyn St. James, the trailblazing racer and 1992 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, to the behind-the-scenes work of TaiJaune Robinson, engineering business manager at GM Motorsports. The varied perspectives offered a crash course on the many ways to break into the industry, Della Penna said.

"Every component is just so vital. It all just means so much," she said. "It adds a roundness to everything, so being able to have such a wide breadth of people and experts is huge, and it gives the young ladies so much more perspective on what they could really do."

If you or your business is interested in supporting the Della Penna Foundation through donations, experiences for students or in-kind donations, visit dellapennafoundation.org for more information.