Savvy racing business and team owners devoted to taking their operations up a notch or two flocked to Saturday morning’s PRI Business Management Seminars, where record crowds learned about strategies for business growth through creative marketing, attracting sponsorships, and running a more efficient and profitable engine shop.
    
Those who realized that businesses don’t promote themselves took away a wealth of tips from “Fueling High Performance In Your Business,” conducted by Christine Corelli of Christine Corelli & Associates. The veteran industry speaker and business columnist led a fast-faced, interactive session examining critical factors for business growth, including easy, practical tips for marketing in the digital age.
    
Those who specialize in building race engines filled the seats to hear famed builder Jay Dickens’ “Running A Successful Race Engine Business,” to learn what has put Jay Dickens Racing Engines at the top of the dirt late model market
    
“You always want to find out what other guys in the industry are doing,” stated John Stefko of Stefko Racing Engines, Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years now, and all of us builders continue to learn a lot from each other.”
    
Coming at it from a younger perspective, Marshall Collins of Houston attended because he plans to open his own engine shop soon. A student at the School of Automotive Machinists, Collins, like most aspiring builders, has already started a small business out of his garage. “This guy has built a successful business, and I came to learn how he did it. This has taught me a lot,” he said.
    
It was standing-room only for renowned motorsports marketing mentor and sponsorship attraction coach Annamarie Malfitana-Strawhand, who presented a dynamic session titled “How To Attract All The Sponsors & Opportunities Racers Need.” Based on proven ideas from her books, videos and boot camps with up-and-coming racers, Malifitana-Strawhand served up a step-by-step lesson in what it takes to engage potential sponsors in a rapidly changing marketplace.

“You can’t just sit and wait for the good old days to come back, when being a good driver was enough to get a ride,” she said. “It’s all about showing sponsors who you are and that you have a clear plan on where you’re going so they want to go with you.”
    
Many parents and young racers attended together, including Richard Gerber and son Jarrett of McCreary Motorsports in Ashville, Ohio. Jarrett has just moved up from qurarter-midgets to sprints, and the increased costs led them to Malifitana-Strawhand’s seminar to learn to market their team more effectively.

“We’re spending 10 times what we were before, so we’re here to learn how to get some help for next year,” said Richard. “Jarrett has a great story to tell, he’s a brain cancer survivor and one of his big goals in life is to race a sprint car at Eldora. We don’t tell a lot of people about the cancer, but this showed us that it’s part of the story we have to tell sponsors.”

As they left the session, Jarrett told us he was ready to go home and build his own website, as well as meet with folks he knows at his local speed shop to test out his new self-promotion skills.
    

A large international presence helped propel the 27th Annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show to one of its busiest Fridays ever at the Indiana Convention Center.   
 
This year’s Show has attracted buyers and attendees from 70-plus countries, including several emerging markets that came to Indianapolis in impressive numbers.

“Our international attendance continues to be strong at the PRI Show,” said Francisque Savinien, PRI's director of Global Sales and Marketing. “We have exhibitors here from every corner of the world – Australia, Argentina, Sweden, Japan, Estonia and more. We have buyers here from all over the globe, and are hosting a large group from FIA Europe.”

Among the international contingent was Xia Qing, who promotes the largest racing series in China – the China Touring Car Championship – and is vice chairman of the Federation of Automotive Sports, which oversees all motorsports in China.

“This is our first time at PRI and we are here looking at the trends of the motorsports industry,” relayed Qing. “We’re also looking to develop a cooperation between PRI and the Chinese motorsports industry.”

The Trade Show also played host to a variety buyers and potential future exhibitors from across the globe.

“We are an engineering company that works in all facets of motorsports, and we’re here looking for potential suppliers and partners,” said Mauricio Toro of C2R2 Engineering in Colombia. “We’re also doing a little scouting on potentially coming over to the Show as an exhibitor and selling our products to companies around the world. It’s been a very nice show. It’s huge, and my feet are sore from walking around the show, but I think we’ve made some very nice contacts for the future of our company.”

The international presence was seen all over, in fact, as Hoosier Tire brought distributors from Japan, Germany, Thailand and England to take part in the Show, while SuperFlow debuted the latest ROTOTEST dynamometer from Sweden.

On Friday, buyers from all over flocked to PRI's famed Machinery Row, which helped power the day's brisk booth business.

“The traffic has been good today, a little bit overwhelming in the morning, but after that it’s been steady all day,” relayed Scott Giles of SuperFlow, which featured its engine dynamometers. “We’ve seen some of our long-term customers here looking to see what’s new, as well as people starting new shops looking for new machinery. We’ll definitely leave here with some good orders in hand.”

Similar accounts were heard up and down the aisles, with some of the most advanced precision machining equipment on full display and providing live demonstrations.

“The show’s been very, very good,” offered Drew Patey of Safety Kleen. “Thursday we finished with a real bang, and it’s continued today. We met with a lot of customers and things are going great. There are serious customers here, and we’ve received a lot of interest in our large JRI machines that can minimize a builder’s time in cleaning up engine blocks.”

This year’s PRI Trade Show, which runs through Saturday, will play host to exhibits from over 1100 racing companies occupying 3200 booths, and attract tens of thousands of racing professionals. For more information, go to www.pri2014.com.

While the PRI Trade Show is undoubtedly the place to see more hardcore racing parts and equipment per square foot than anyplace else on earth, it’s also an ideal place to meet racing celebrities up close and personal, and even collect an autograph or two.

The star sighting began at Thursday’s Grand Opening Breakfast, where MAVTV reporter Dave Despain bench-raced with drag racing legends Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen. After breakfast, McEwen retired to the Aeromotive booth to sign autographs and chat with fans.

Exhibitors from one end of the sprawling Indiana Convention Center to the other are offering celebrity press conferences, meet and greets, and autograph signings throughout the three-day Show.

Chevrolet’s massive island exhibit bristled with the growing line of Camaro performance parts, and featured no less than three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart to help promote it to the racing public. “It’s brilliant; all of the research and testing has been done,” he said. “No manufacturer has ever put together a package like this.” As expected, autograph-seekers snaked down the aisle while trading racing stories with Chevrolet’s Jim Campbell.

Elsewhere in the hall, Racemaker Press featured Jim McGee signing copies of his new book, “Crew Chief of Champions,” while the IndyCar booth hosted Scott Dixon, as well as Sarah Fisher, Pippa Mann and other women in racing today. Al Unser, Jr. signed his famous name in the Sparkplugs.com booth, while John Force and Antron Brown did the same in the Darton Sleeves exhibit. The list of racing heroes from virtually every motorsports arena went on and on.

While many top racers come to PRI year after year, this was a first for NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Rusty Wallace of Rusty Wallace Racing, who joined his son Steve in the JET Tools booth to celebrate a new partnership between the two companies. JET is sponsoring Steve’s #66 Ford Fusion in the newly announced CARS (Championship Auto Racing Series) tour. Lucky show-goers received collectible posters signed by dad and son.

As for his first PRI Show experience, the elder Wallace said, “I’m just overwhelmed; I can’t believe it. I’ve never seen so much race car stuff in my life. It’s like a racer’s dream here. I love it!”

Racing news continued to break at the PRI Trade Show on Friday, as major announcements came from the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), Honda Performance Development, and  ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America), among others.

Excitement was palpable in the filled-to-capacity PRI Show Media Center as representatives from IHRA and its parent company, IRG Sports + Entertainment made more than a half-dozen announcements impacting the 2015 season. As IHRA continues its ascent, the industry has taken notice with renewed sponsorship to support the iconic drag racing sanction.

Topping the list of reveals was the announcement that IHRA is bringing back a class it created back in the 1990s: Pro Modified, which will run an eight-race schedule in 2015 as part of the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Crower Racing Products will sponsor the class and become the Official Valve Train supplier for IHRA.

Other major sponsors who have signed on or renewed their commitments to the growing series are: AMSOIL , Good Vibrations Motorsports, TMS Titanium, Sunoco Race Fuels, and JR Race Car, now the Official Junior Dragster of IHRA. As evidence of its commitment to reach out to a new generation of fans, IHRA also reported that “US Bounty Hunters,” the fast-paced reality TV show, has been named the official class sponsor for the IHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock class, and will extend its support even further by becoming the primary sponsor for the Black Diamond Motorsports team.

Pointing to these and additional changes yet to come, IHRA President Scott Gardner proclaimed, “I would pit our program against any racing series in America as far as sheer entertainment value. This is the rebirth of drag racing.”

Honda Performance Development used the PRI Show to announce that Michael Shank Racing will switch from Ford to HPD power for the 2015 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, giving Honda a full-time presence in the series. Shank, who will debut his new HPD-powered Ligier JS P2 Prototype class entry at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, told the assembled crowd that the move to HPD was designed to increase the team’s racing opportunities internationally, with the goal of running Le Mans in 2016. “We felt we needed to move to the future,” he said. “There’s a new energy in our shop. It’s a great time for us right now.”

Ron Drager, president of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, announced that the group will institute new cost-saving measures and “tweak” its point system and qualifying procedures as the group enters its 63rd season. The changes, he said, “are to stay on top of what we need to do to be around another 63 years. The changes will tighten up the championship and provide for better competition on the track.”

The group also discussed its new Five Star Race Car body and ARCA Ilmor 396 engine, which will debut at Daytona and were on display in ARCA's PRI Trade Show booth. “The top 10 teams have invested in the Ilmor engine,” said Drager. “We’re very pleased with the buy-in.”

Successful racing business owners continue to grow and improve, and many of them attended day one of the PRI Trade Show’s exclusive business management seminars in impressive numbers. Among the hot topics covered this year were the growing opportunities in vintage racing, techniques for building partnerships that benefit both parties, and strategies to promote and market small businesses.

In his seminar "Fast-Tracking Word of Mouth," veteran PRI presenter and columnist Tom Shay of Profits Plus explained that referrals and good reviews don’t just happen. “Most people tell you they get most of their customers from word of mouth, but if you ask how they make that happen, they have no plan. I know word of mouth can be created, and I’ll give them concrete ways to do that.”

Attendee Alex Youngblood told us he picked up a number of valuable tips that he’ll put to work at Youngblood Performance in Crossville, Illinois. “There are some things that I’ve been missing in my business, things I could be doing online and also ways that I can deal with my customers better. This will definitely help me make some decisions about those things.”

Next door, those interested in elevating their business or race team received priceless information from “The Value of Partnerships,” facilitated by Brett Roubinek, Tim Bampton and Mo Murray of JMI, which represents such high-profile clients as Jeff Gordon and John Force Racing, as well as developing the motorsports programs for brands like Verizon and Subway.

Partnerships and sponsorships are a subject near and dear to attendee Matt Fenaroli, who works as the fundraising director of the Kansas City Automotive Museum, but also manages the racing career of his 18-year-old daughter Natalie Fenaroli, who started racing karts at the age of five.

“There are challenges to getting sponsors even at the highest levels, but as these guys pointed out, there really are things someone at the grassroots level can do. I think the biggest thing I got from them is that if you’re going to talk to somebody about supporting a driver or a team, you really need to start out with what you’re going to do for them. If you can find out what their problem is and help them solve it, they’re definitely going to be interested in you.”

The biggest crowd draw of the day was “Opportunities in Vintage Racing,” handled by leading experts in the field: Tony Parella of Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, J.R. Mitchell of GMT Racing, and Chuck Cornelison of VDS Racing Engines. The three laid out the astonishing growth potential in this arena, as well as the demographic make-up of its well-heeled participants. “Vintage racing is going through a significant transformation,” said Parella, whose series has gone from five to 15 races and continues to attract significant numbers of participants and sponsors. “There’s more opportunity than at any time in its history.”

That fact wasn’t lost on Doug Nagy of Street Wise Motorsports, Rancho Santa Margarita, California. “This really confirmed some thoughts I already had about vintage racing, so it kind of verified the direction I’ve been thinking about going. My business is involved in fabrication and race car building, but I’m starting to get inquiries from vintage race people, so I’m exploring that as a possible direction to go. I think it might be a nice thing to add to the business I’m already doing.”

With the international racing community gathered for the world’s largest hardcore racing trade show, PRI always sees its fair share of breaking news by race teams, sanctioning bodies, major sponsors, and more…and 2014 has been no exception.

Racing is about to get a lot safer, thanks to the newly formed Motorsports Safety Education Foundation (MSEF), which was conceived by a group of concerned industry figures at last year’s PRI Trade Show and was officially announced at a press conference in the PRI Media Center Thursday morning by executive director Tom Weisenbach and other members of the MSEF board.

The group’s new educational website will provide safety training for all forms of motorsports. Participants will review and be tested on safety information online, and the results will be reported to their respective sanctioning bodies. Many industry suppliers support the program, and virtually all sanctioning bodies are eventually expected to sign on to participate. “We want to make safety as important as winning,” said Weisenbach. For a preview, visit motorsportssafety.org.

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) made two major partnership announcements for 2015. VP Racing Fuels, which sponsored the inaugural season of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014, has extended the partnership until at least 2017. As the Official Fuel Supplier, VP will continue to develop fuels that fit into the IMSA Green platform, such as its Motorsport 100 and E85, both of which use the bio-fuel ethanol. In addition, VP will use IMSA’s series as a platform to promote the VP-branded gas stations it is quickly rolling out across the US, along with its line of additives and other consumer products.

In other news, IMSA President Scott Atherton announced a multi-year agreement that will make DEKRA North America the Official Technical Partner of the TUDOR series and the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. As such, the company will help oversee emissions and safety inspections, and will also become the title sponsor of the DEKRA Green Challenge Award, which will be presented to the most environmentally clean, fast and efficient GT Le Mans competitor at each series event. The award is determined through Green Racing protocols established by the US Department of Energy, the EPA and SAE International. DEKRA has been involved at the top level of motorsports as a sponsor and technical partner for more than 20 years.

Valvoline’s well-oiled press machine officially launched TeamValvoline.com, a new online resource that provides a one-stop destination for racers, engineers, automotive professionals and car enthusiasts to gain access to exclusive content from industry leaders and connect with a community of racers and racing fans. “It makes it possible for all racers to benefit from the same levels of expertise and innovation that have driven teams like Hendrick Motorsports, JR Motorsports and Kasey Kahne Racing,” according to Jamal Muashsher, who said enrollees will receive points toward motorsports-oriented rewards.

The company also introduced its new Pro-V Racing line of conventional and synthetic lubricants specifically formulated for the rigors of racing.

And from NASA (National Auto Sport Association) comes the announcement of what it describes as an affordable prototype, the NASA/Elan NP01, that can be campaigned in the NASA NP Championship Series beginning in 2016. The package includes a sealed Mazda 2.0-liter engine capable of 185 horsepower, a 1018 steel tube frame, and a lightweight composite body whose panels can be easily replaced. Designed for simplicity, safety and affordability, the basic kit will come with a variety of options. Want one? Deposits are now being taken for the first 10 numbers. More specs and details are available at NASAPrototype.com.

The 2014 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show kicked off with a full house for an annual tradition: the famous Grand Opening Breakfast, where well over 3000 racing businesspeople filled the Indiana Convention Center’s enormous Sagamore Ballroom to fuel up for the busy day ahead with a hearty breakfast and a casual Q&A with a couple of racing legends.

This year, in a segment that has come to be known as “Good Morning, PRI,” veteran motorsports journalist and MAVTV reporter Dave Despain sat down to talk with two of the most colorful figures in the history of drag racing: Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwan, whose famous rivalry and off-track friendship became the subject of a Hollywood film, “Snake & Mongoose,” in 2013, featuring vintage footage from the pair’s racing hey-day.

With 49 career victories, Prudhomme ranks sixth in NHRA history for wins. Beginning his driving career in 1962, he was the first driver to win the NHRA series title four consecutive times. McEwen started racing in 1953 and is listed as number 16 of the 50 most significant drivers of NHRA’s first 50 years, winning five NHRA  national events.

While PRI attendees forked up scrambled eggs and bacon, Snake and Mongoose dished out racing stories about their famous rivalry, which was 100 percent real on track, sometimes putting a dent in their life-long friendship. “The fans knew we were really racing each other, it wasn’t a show. I really wanted to beat him,” explained Prudhomme. “Our teams didn’t speak to each other sometimes.”

“Like brothers, we’ve had a love/hate relationship,” laughed McEwen. “We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve been together a long time.”
Their nicknames, taken from the rivals in a famous “Jungle Book” story, helped promote a running series of Funny Car match races between them. McEwen said, “All of the racers had nicknames back then, and I think it would be a lot more fun if they did that today.”

In the days before big sponsorships, McEwen said that receiving as much as $1000 a year was a big deal. In 1969, he used his promotional abilities to strike a deal with Mattel to produce Hot Wheels replicas of the pair’s race cars, which became one of the most successful promotions in racing history. “Mattel has sold millions of them worldwide,” he told the crowd.

Much has changed since the days Snake and Mongoose scorched quarter-miles across the country. Both Prudhomme and McEwen marveled at the number of racing aftermarket companies exhibiting at PRI—1175 of them, to be exact.

“Back when we were racing, there were just a handful of companies like Cragar Wheels,” said Prudhomme. “To watch the industry grow over the years and feel that we were some small part of that is really satisfying. We started out with junkyard parts and made a living racing and brought guys along behind us who are now making a damned good living. I’m proud of that.”

Packed aisles, full booths and brisk sales were the rule of the day for Thursday's opening of the 27th Annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.   
 
Long known as the three biggest business days in racing, this year's Show certainly lived up to its billing on Day 1.

“We had a fantastic first day of the show,” said John Kilroy, PRI Trade Show producer. “It was really fun walking through the exhibit aisles today. Seeing all the booths busy and selling their products to aisles full of buyers. It was a great first day.”

The day began with the storied tradition of the Grand Opening Breakfast, where renowned motorsports journalist Dave Despain of MAVTV conducted a lively sit-down interview with legendary drag racers Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen. Upon conclusion of the breakfast, thousands of attendees flooded the exhibit hall to find the latest in technology and racing innovation.

“It’s PRI – it’s the best show of the year for us,” said Don Burgoon, President of PFC Brakes. “It’s just been fantastic. Our booth has been full all the time – great quality attendees and interested customers. It’s definitely the most productive show of the year.”

A similar refrain was heard throughout the Show floor.

“It’s been excellent,” Chris Paulsen of C&R Racing told us. “We had constant traffic in our booth all day long, to the point that none of us have been able to leave. It’s going great, and it’s the right attendee that’s here. It’s going really well.”

After last year’s packed house, exhibitors were prepared for today’s crowds with increased staffing and eye-catching displays to accompany their latest parts and technology.
    
“We’ve gotten off to a big bang on Thursday and we’re looking forward to the rest of the weekend being just as productive,” said Paula Nate of Hoosier Racing Tire. “It was time for Hoosier to step it up a notch and spread the ‘Purple Presence’.

In addition to an all-new exhibit, the company brought a staff of about 20 from its corporate office in nearby Brownsburg, Indiana, along with distributors from across the globe, including Japan, Germany, the UK and Thailand, "so we’ve got a good international flair, as well as about 15 distributors here from the United States and probably close to 100 staffers overall,” Nate added.

“The show is going great,” agreed Blane Burnett of Holley. “We’ve really benefited from all the traffic here at the show. We’re releasing our new HydraMat Fuel Reservoir system here, and the booth has just been packed.”

Attendees were just as pleased with the offerings at this year’s Show.

“We’re out here visiting some of the manufacturers we do business with who make a lot of the parts and pieces to our engines, and even the chassis builders,” said Cruz Pedregon, driver of the Snap-on Tools Toyota Funny Car. “It’s such a big show, so I usually come out and do four hours on Thursday and then come out and do four hours on Friday. If I had more time I’d bring a shopping cart out for my hot rod and go up and down every aisle.”

This year’s PRI Trade Show, which runs through Saturday, will play host to exhibits from over 1100 racing companies occupying 3200 booths, and attract tens of thousands of racing professionals from across the US and 70-plus countries from around the globe. For more information, go to www.pri2014.com.

The 27th Annual Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show won’t formally kick off until December 11, but the Indiana Convention Center was abuzz Wednesday as Race Industry Week played host to three major conferences, nine MPMC Education Day presentations, and more than a dozen teams of students from around the nation competing in the opening rounds of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge.

Overall, some 30-plus Race Industry Week conferences, seminars and gatherings will continue through the weekend in conjunction with the 2014  PRI Trade Show, which runs December 11-13.

The two-day Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (AETC), celebrating its 25th year in 2014, drew a variety of attendees including engine builders, design engineers, business owners and parts manufacturers.

“Our turnout is very good this year, with more paid attendees than there has been in the past, and we’re still establishing ourselves here in the new venue,” said AETC’s Ron Coleman.

Meantime, conference attendees were eager to soak up the latest industry trends.

“I’m here to learn – it’s a great collection of minds and leading people in the industry,” said Lake Speed, Jr., of Driven Racing Oil. “It’s always good to see things outside your normal realm that you wouldn’t normally see. It makes you think. We’re an engine lubricant supplier. We’re a part of the engine like everything else is. You have to know what everyone else is doing.  

"So the AETC is a great place to be because everyone is here for the same reason – to learn,” Speed added.

The International Council of Motorsport Sciences (ICMS) once again brought together a number of the leading medical and safety minds from around the world to its Annual Congress to share the latest advances in motorsports safety.

“There’s a lot of information with the ICMS meetings,” said Jeff Horton of IndyCar. “We’re listening and learning and also trying to educate people with the type of technology we use.  It’s crucial to be here – there’s a very wide range of people and expertise. If you have anything to do with safety, from racetrack design to driver safety and everything in between, there are people here who can help you.”

The Race Track Business Conference (RTBC) pulled in record numbers in its third year running in conjunction with the PRI Trade Show. Sessions covering several different areas of race track operation and management were addressed. And legendary promoter, agent and attorney Cary Agajanian provided a compelling keynote.

“This conference has people from all over the industry," said Rich Tobias of the Action Track in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a quarter-mile dirt track. “You pick up little things that are from outside your realm and may work for you. You get to see people you don’t normally see, and if you can pick up even one thing that can make you profitable, it’s worth it.”

The RTBC-2014 also hosted a special announcement from Lyn St. James and the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Project Podium, which awarded its 2014 Leadership Award to SCCA President Lisa Noble. The award highlights the contribution of those in the racing industry who have gone above and beyond in providing opportunities to women in the sport.

The day's activities extended well beyond the major conferences to include the MPMC's Education Day series of product training seminars, while the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow began its Engine Challenge, which will continue through Saturday.

This year’s PRI Trade Show will play host to exhibits from over 1100 racing companies occupying 3200 booths, and attract tens of thousands of racing professionals from across the US and 70-plus countries from around the globe. For more information, go to www.pri2014.com.

New products, company announcements, booth appearances and more!

PRI Trade Show exhibitors have news and information to share, and PRI's online Exhibitor Press Release Center is designed to help racing professionals, journalists and others access that information. Click here, or use the short link: www.performanceracing.com/press

Press releases are displayed chronologically, and can be sorted by Type (Product Release, Company News, etc.) or Category (Chassis, Driveline & Suspension, Engine Components, International, Business Services, etc.).

Dozens of manufacturers, sanctioning bodies, service providers and others have uploaded information for release at the 2014 PRI Trade Show. And updates are being added all the time, so industry members are encouraged to check the Press Release Center regularly for the latest headlines.