Ford Racing Performance Parts welcomed NASCAR legend “The King” Richard Petty to its PRI exhibit to rip the wraps off the long-awaited 2015 Mustang, the iconic muscle car’s 50^th anniversary edition.
 
If you think Richard Petty attracts attention, you should see him standing next to this red-hot beauty. The 2015 comes with all new front and rear suspension, and a choice of a 5.0-liter V8 or 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged engine that is projected to bring exceptional power, torque and fuel efficiency to the Mustang corral.
 
George Goddu of Ford Racing Performance told us the PRI Trade Show was a natural for unleashing its newest pony car. “PRI and Indianapolis are the core of performance, so we were really excited to unveil it here in particular,” he said. “The crowd response was just awesome…a lot of people did that little gasp,” he laughed. “It looks great in print, but it’s even better in 3D.”
 
While there is a whole enthusiast culture surrounding the Mustang, Goddu also noted that it was embraced almost from the start by the performance community. “In 1964, it was racing in France right out of the box,” he said. “It’s been in virtually every racing venue and format since then, so why wouldn’t we do the introduction here at PRI? This is the first reveal since the global one that Ford has done, and that is an acknowledgement of the kind of audience found here at the show.”
 
Meanwhile, Petty, who had been the keynote speaker in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 2,600 at PRI’s Grand Opening Breakfast, hung out in the Ford Racing Performance booth for nearly two hours signing autographs and allowing photo ops with his legions of fans. Asked how it felt to be up on the PRI stage trading quips and racing tales with fellow NASCAR driver Kenny Schrader and motorsports journalist Dave Despain, Petty replied simply: “It was really neat.”

Tens of thousands of motorsports professionals joined exhibitors for one of the most successful opening days in the 26-year history of the annual PRI Trade Show, which returned to Indianapolis in 2013.

The event is widely viewed as the three biggest business days in racing, and that label proved true once again at the Indiana Convention Center on Thursday.

The day began with a capacity crowd at the Grand Opening Breakfast, which hosted Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, and Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co.—the parent organization of IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On-air motorsports journalist and personality Dave Despain then took center stage with a lively talk show-style interview session with racing icon Richard Petty, “The King,” and veteran NASCAR racer Kenny Schrader.

“We had a great opening day,” said John Kilroy, PRI Trade Show producer. “The PRI Grand Opening Breakfast was very well attended, and then the exhibition hall was packed with attendees.  Most importantly, people were buying, and that’s why we’re here—for racing companies to do business.”

As the doors opened, buyers flooded the Trade Show floor to find the latest technology and newest products, many of which were introduced for the first time.

“The show’s been great,” said Ford Racing’s Jesse Kershaw. “We had the opportunity to bring the 2015 Mustang here that was just unveiled globally a week ago. It’s a great chance to show the new body to the racers. The traffic has been awesome. Our booth was packed this morning. Being in Indy is really good for us.”

A similar refrain was heard throughout the show floor.

“It’s been phenomenal—this has been the biggest upsurge we’ve seen in a trade show in a number of years,” noted Jeff Anderson of Moser Engineering, which manufactures aftermarket performance rear end components for various racing applications. “It’s a very pleasant surprise. Coming to Indianapolis has been golden for us.”

The overflow crowd was especially evident on the high-end Machinery Row.

“The show is going very well for us,” offered Eddie Williams of MSC Industrial Supply, which saw its metalworking machines in great demand. “We’re getting a lot of traffic, some unexpected traffic. We’ve done a number of orders. People are buying and the Internet access has been great in doing business. We’ve had a lot of engine builders.”

As pleased as the exhibitors on the floor were, the Indianapolis community was just as happy to see the PRI Trade Show’s return; its last year in Indy was 2004.

“The entire Indianapolis community is just thrilled to have the PRI Show back,” proclaimed Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Visit Indy. “PRI belongs in Indy. We’re almost joined at the hip. This is the capital of racing. The coming together of PRI and IMIS, and SEMA bringing them to Indy, it’s an incredible benefit for everyone involved—for the hardcore racing community, for the attendees here and for the community of Indianapolis.”

The 26th Annual PRI Trade Show features the latest products and technology from over 1200 manufacturers of racing and high-performance automotive components, as well as precision machining equipment. The show is expected to bring well over 40,000 racing professionals from across the US and 72 countries to the Circle City. For more information, visit www.pri2013.com.

IndyCar followers were treated to a live appearance by team owner/driver Ed Carpenter of Ed Carpenter Racing in the Chevrolet Performance booth on opening day of the PRI Trade Show.

“Chevrolet got back into IndyCar racing in 2012, and Ed was a huge part of that,” said the company’s Dr. Jamie Meyer, who was on hand to showcase Chevrolet’s new line of performance engines, as well as the latest iteration of the limited edition COPO Camaro factory drag race car.

During a Q&A with Meyer, Carpenter, a 32-year-old Indianapolis native and Butler University graduate, discussed highlights of his short but stellar IndyCar career, including the thrill of winning the pole position at the 2013 Indianapolis 500 in his No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet.

“In the IndyCar series, winning the pole at Indianapolis, in a lot of ways, is bigger than winning other races on the circuit. We didn’t get into victory lane this year, but winning the pole here in my hometown was extremely important to me,” according to Carpenter, whose four-lap average qualifying speed was 228.6 mph.

Carpenter also revealed that in 2014, Mike Conway will join Carpenter Racing to drive the road and street courses, while Carpenter concentrates on the ovals. “We feel really good about what it’s going to do for our team. With our combined efforts, I feel like we’re going to be in a position to win each and every week, and do even more to contribute to the manufacturers’ title that’s so important to us,” he said.

As for the PRI Show’s return to his hometown, Carpenter added, “I’m just really happy to see it back in Indianapolis. I grew up coming to the show, and living here I see its impact on the community and our economy. This is the Racing Capital of the World, so I feel like the PRI Show should always be here. I’m glad it’s back and I’m happy to be here and be a part of it.”

Four major conferences and seminars kicked off while two others finished up their three-day schedules today—a flurry of Race Industry Week activity throughout the Indiana County Convention Center a day ahead of the PRI Trade Show’s grand opening.

The International Council of Motorsport Sciences (ICMS) Annual Congress, the Winning the eRace Digital Marketing Conference, the Race Track Business Conference, and SEMA’s Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) Education Day launched Wednesday in Indianapolis, joining the ongoing Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (AETC), the Advanced Vehicle Dynamics and Data Acquisition Seminar, and the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow’s National Championship to highlight the busiest day ever for Race Industry Week, which runs in conjunction with the PRI Trade Show, Dec. 12-14.

“With all the activity taking place, it has brought the racing industry together in Indianapolis for a really special event—all in one place, all at one time,” said John Kilroy, PRI Trade Show producer. “The list of speakers has been incredible with people such as Mark Miles, Joie Chitwood and Dr. Steven Olvey taking part. It’s invaluable to have PRI buyers not only attend the PRI Trade Show to see all the newest parts and technology for the 2014 season, but also to have the opportunity to attend an engine or parts conference, or take in a racing business seminar. It’s all leading up to what should be a terrific return for the show to Indianapolis.”

Attendance was strong throughout, as events and conferences addressed several of the most pressing issues in the motorsports industry today. Among those was ICMS’ program on the treatment of concussions—a topic at the forefront of the sports world.

“Motorsports has actually been ahead of most other sports, as we’ve been connected with head injuries way back,” said Olvey. “Concussions are a major issue. People have to realize you don’t have to hit your head or be unconscious to suffer a concussion. If concussions are treated appropriately as they occur, we feel the long-term effects can either be prevented, or at least decreased from what we’re seeing in some other sports. Safety is a combined effort. The doctors can’t do it all; the doctors and drivers can’t do it—you have to have cooperation from the tracks and the sanctioning bodies, which is something the ICMS affords us.”

A strongly attended Race Track Business Conference featured some of the most influential names in the industry, including Hulman & Co. CEO Miles and Chitwood, president of Daytona International Speedway, speaking on subjects such as event management, facilities, track safety, legal and risk management, industry associations, track operations and media.

“I don’t think what happens at MIS is much different than what happens at some of the other tracks,” said Sammie Lukaskiewicz of Michigan International Speedway. “Whether it’s Daytona or whether it’s the short tracks, we all work together and we’re all in the sport of auto racing. There’s a benefit to sharing and collaborating with each other.”

Down the hall, PRI’s Winning the eRace conference returned for a second year to address the ever-changing digital marketing arena, its role in the racing industry and the opportunities it offers.

“I thought it was very informational,” said attendee Sarah Adams of John Force Racing. “We are very active in social media in the mainstream areas, but I learned a number of things here. The social media panel was number one for me, elaborating on a lot of issues. It was great to have three different opinions.  They were very thorough—I didn’t even have to ask a lot of the questions I had, as they covered almost everything.”

Meantime, the new MPMC Education Day offered participants direct, face-to-face product training from several top performance manufacturers, including product designers and engineers.

“The material at the SMD presentation was very good,” said Bill Floyd of Lucas Oil Centers. “It’s a rare opportunity to deal with the expert in technology rather than the salesman."

The 26th Annual PRI Trade Show features the latest products and technology from over 1200 manufacturers of racing and high-performance automotive components, as well as precision machining equipment. The show is expected to bring well over 40,000 racing professionals from across the US and 72 countries to the Racing Capital of the World. For more information, visit www.pri2013.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The debut season of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014 will include 29 prototype race cars across the Prototype (P) and Prototype Challenge (PC) categories as International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) officials today unveiled approved entries for all four TUDOR Championship classes.
 
The P class will include an intriguing mix of 17 race cars battling for overall victories. The class merges Daytona Prototype (DP) race cars, which previously competed in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, with P2 and DeltaWing prototypes from the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.
 
The PC class – which utilizes a spec ORECA FLM09 exclusively – will include a dozen entries in 2014. IMSA officials expanded the PC field by two entries after announcing a tentative cap of 10 entries from the class in October.
 
“Our Prototype class showcases the merger of the ALMS and the Rolex Series with a variety of terrific cars from both series – in addition to a few new entries,” said IMSA President and Chief Operating Officer Scott Atherton. “The Prototype Challenge class, meanwhile, not only will expand from our projection earlier this fall, but will include more cars than we saw at any point in the 2013 ALMS season.”
 
A field of 17 Prototypes is expected at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, with 12 P cars committed to competing in every TUDOR Championship round. The full-time entries include one DP car each from Action Express Racing, Wayne Taylor Racing, Marsh Racing, Michael Shank Racing, Spirit of Daytona Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Extreme Speed Motorsports and SpeedSource each will field a pair of LMP2 cars, with one DeltaWing entry and another entry to be announced shortly.
 
Part-time entries in the P class include second cars from Action Express Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing, as well as single entries from GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing and OAK Racing. The first alternate in the P category is the Corvette DP from 8Star Motorsports. A Starworks Motorsport Riley DP is the second alternate in the P class, with a Project Libra Radical listed as the third alternate.
 
The 12 PC entries accepted include two cars each from BAR1 Motorsports, RSR Racing, Level 5 Motorsports and Starworks Motorsport, and single entries from CORE autosport, 8Star Motorsports, PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports and Performance Tech Motorsports. Pickett Racing has the first alternate in the PC class, followed by JDC/Miller MotorSports.
 
Together with the GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD) entries announced earlier Friday, a total of 68 entries will open the season at the 52nd Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26. It will be the largest Rolex 24 field since 71 cars participated in the 2007 event. A complete breakdown of entries for all four classes follows below.
 
 
2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Accepted Entries
 
Prototype (P) – 17 Entries
Action Express Racing (2),Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (2), DeltaWing Racing (1), Extreme Speed Motorsports (2), GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing (1), Highway To Help (1), Marsh Racing (1), Michael Shank Racing (1), OAK Racing (1), SpeedSource (2), Spirit of Daytona Racing (1), Wayne Taylor Racing (1), TBA (1). First Alternate – 8Star Motorsports, Second Alternate – Starworks Motorsport, Third Alternate – Project Libra.
 
Prototype Challenge (PC) – 12 Entries
BAR1 Motorsports (2), CORE autosport (1), Level 5 Motorsports (2), Performance Tech Motorsports (1), PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports (1), RSR Racing (2), Starworks Motorsport (2), 8Star Motorsports (1). First Alternate – Pickett Racing, Second Alternate – JDC-Miller MotorSports.
 
GT Le Mans (GTLM) – 12 Entries
Aston Martin Racing (1), BMW Team RLL (2), Porsche North America (2), Corvette Racing (2), Krohn Racing/Risi Competizione (1), Risi Competizione (1), SRT Motorsports (2), Team Falken Tire (1)
 
GT Daytona (GTD) – 28 Entries
Alex Job Racing (1), Dempsey Racing (2), Fall-Line Motorsports (1), Flying Lizard Motorsports (2),  GB Autosport (1), GMG Racing (1), Horton Autosport (2), Level 5 Motorsports (1), Magnus Racing (1), Muehlner Motorsports America (2), NGT Motorsport (1), Paul Miller Racing (1), Riley Motorsports (1), Scuderia Corsa (2), SMP/ESM Racing (1), Snow Racing (1), Spirit of Race (2), Team Seattle/Alex Job Racing (1), TRG-AMR North America (2), Turner Motorsport (1), TBA (1). First Alternate – Konrad Motorsport, Second Alternate – Level 5 Motorsports, Third Alternate – Scuderia Corsa, Fourth Alternate – SMP/ESM Racing.

Audi has released the first image of its 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours challenger ahead of a private test for the new car at Sebring.

The image shows that the car built to the new LMP1 rulebook retains a close resemblance to its predecessor, whose R18 e-tron quattro moniker it retains, despite regulation changes that mean it is five percent narrower.

The release of the image 10 days ahead of the official launch of the car reflects the semi-public nature of the Sebring test. The 2014 Audi, which will contest next year's World Endurance Championship, has previously tested in secret. It has undertaken a series of runs since hitting the track at the end of September.

Audi Sport boss Wolfgang Ullrich said: "We've reached a crucial stage in this project. After building the first prototype, testing on various racetracks is now taking center stage.

"The tests are mainly focused on achieving high mileage, coordinating the highly complex hybrid drive systems and working out an efficiency-optimized total package that has never before been as complex as this one."

Audi is continuing the tradition of testing its prototypes at Sebring, even though it will not be racing at the Florida venue in 2014. It ran its R15+ TDI (LEFT) at the circuit the week after 2010 running of the race as part of its preparations for the Le Mans 24 Hours.A statement described the venue as "the track where all new Le Mans prototypes of the Audi brand have had to prove their worth."

The official launch of the car will take place in Ingolstadt on December 18.

US legend Roger Penske is looking at adding a V8 Supercars team to his American motor racing empire.

Penske has sent the chief of his front-running NASCAR stock car and IndyCar teams to the title-deciding Sydney 500 to look at buying an established V8 team.

Fairfax Media has learned that the factory-backed Ford Performance Racing squad has been a target of a takeover by Penske Racing, one of the most storied racing operations in the US. Penske, who heads a multibillion-dollar automotive and trucking conglomerate, has also had talks with Ford's Dick Johnson about buying his team.

They met at Penske's corporate headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, a suburb of Detroit, during a secret visit by Johnson last month.

Penske Racing president Tim Cindric has been Ford Performance Racing's guest since Friday at the Sydney Olympic Park street circuit, where the V8 Supercars championship will be settled on Sunday.

Also visiting is Ford's global motor sport boss, Jamie Allison, reinforcing speculation that Penske is negotiating to extend his racing ties with Ford to Australia.

For more than four decades, Penske has used his success in motor racing - especially at the Indianapolis 500 - to promote his business empire. He plans to acquire a V8 Supercars team to publicise his new Australian truck distribution business. At the end of July, Penske Automotive Group bought the Queensland-based Commercial Vehicles Group, which imports and sells Western Star and other leading truck and bus brands.

Penske has been secretly planning to buy a V8 team for three months. Johnson, whose Ford team has survived a series of financial crises since the end of 2005, led a consortium to meet Penske and discuss possibilities. Fairfax Media believes that Penske's preference is to buy FPR and that his interest in buying the team, which has confirmed backing from Ford Australia through to at least the end of next year, is backed by Ford chiefs both here and in Detroit.

The fact that the unheralded visit by Allison coincides with the presence at the Sydney 500 of Cindric is regarded as more than a coincidence by V8 racing insiders.

FPR team principal Tim Edwards has denied that there have been any takeover talks.

Chip Ganassi Racing is close to finalizing the identity of Dario Franchitti's replacement in its No. 10 IndyCar and expects an announcement before the holidays.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Franchitti announced his medically enforced retirement last month.

The team's managing director Mike Hull said: "We decided that the best thing for us to do, because we're not pressed, is just to get a good vision of the landscape. And yeah, we're getting closer -- finally. I guess we have been contacted by 40 to 50 people that you'd consider to be candidates to drive an IndyCar. I think [the announcement] will be before the holidays."

Interest in the seat has not been limited to US-based drivers, with ex-McLaren Formula 1 racer Sergio Perez among those to eye Ganassi. Hull said that the specific demands of IndyCar, coupled with limited testing, made series experience important.

"I think IndyCar experience is at more of a premium today than it was several years ago," he said. "The schedule is very compact, you don't get very much testing now, and the thing that is really difficult to get right when you're learning to drive an IndyCar is an oval.

"You just don't get anything like that in an intermediate-sized car—you have to drive an IndyCar on an oval in order to learn to drive an IndyCar on an oval. The second thing that happens is that an IndyCar runs two-hour races, and you need to have drivers who understand that physically. And that in turn controls the mental side of what you're doing. With wheel-to-wheel action non-stop for the pretty much the entire time, you can see how important that is."

Hull said F1's comparable race lengths would assist the learning curve for a grand prix driver moving across. But asked if Rubens Barrichello's tough IndyCar season in 2012 suggested a long F1 pedigree alone was not enough, Hull replied: "That's true. I agree with that.

"One thing that a Formula 1 driver does have is that they've raced for two hours under a lot of pressure. Barrichello didn't make a lot of mistakes [in IndyCar], did he? So I think that shows you where a driver from that would be in an IndyCar.

"He's not learning to drive a longer-distance race. He's just learning to drive an IndyCar. And that's one big step right there."

Ryan Briscoe has been strongly linked with the seat, while Alex Tagliani reprised his understudy spot from the Fontana finale when he drove the No. 10 in testing at Sebring on Wednesday.

According to Hull, Tagliani's primary role was to provide the team with an additional reference point on its debut with Chevrolet power and new arrival Tony Kanaan.