Best in the Desert (BITD) has replaced the Nevada 1000 Invitational on its 2025 schedule with the Silver State 300, reducing the event from three days to one day.

The organization cited the current economic climate and the costs of hosting and competing in a three-day race as the reason for the change.

"This was not an easy call," said BITD Owner Bryan Folks. "We put a lot of effort into developing the Nevada 1000 because we believe it has the potential to become one of the premier off-road races in the United States. However, the timing just isn't right. The last thing off-road racing needs is an event that doesn't draw enough participation to justify the investment. Instead, we are returning to a proven favorite--the Silver State 300."

The Silver State 300 course overlaps with the first day of the planned Nevada 1000 and the $50,000 guaranteed purse will also transfer to the one-day event.

However, the race has been rescheduled for May 8-10.

For the full announcement, visit bitd.com.

ProCharger has received a California Air Resources Board (CARB) Executive Order (EO) for its Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray supercharger system, making the system 50-state legal.

The EO allows enthusiasts, including those in emissions-restricted states like California, to legally upgrade their C8 Corvettes with the ProCharger supercharger system.

"From day one, our goal has been to provide C8 Corvette owners with the most advanced, reliable, and high-performing forced induction system on the market," said ProCharger CEO Ken Jones. "Achieving 50-state street-legal status is a major milestone, reinforcing our commitment to both performance and compliance."

For more information, visit procharger.com.

TRD U.S.A. has unveiled a new Toyota Camry body that will compete in the Trans Am Series TA2 Series.

TRD worked with Five Star RaceCar Bodies—the official body manufacturer of the TA2 Series—and Trans Am officials on the design, development and production of the Toyota Camry body, which will debut at the TA2 event at Road Atlanta.

"We are elated to welcome the new Toyota Camry body to the paddock in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series," said Trans Am President Andy Lally. "The Trans Am Series prides itself as a proving ground for the future stars of stock car racing, and we've been fortunate to see many Toyota Development Drivers find success in Trans Am. We're thrilled to be able to pair their promising talents with manufacturer support in our series."

For more information, visit gotransam.com.

Eddie Jordan, the legendary F1 team owner, has passed away at the age of 76.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Jordan initially climbed the ladder as a budding racer in the 1970s and early 1980s in the Irish Kart Championship and categories such as Formula Ford, Formula 3 and Formula 2.

Jordan formed a single-seater team by the end of the 1970s, rising the ranks until he secured entry on the Formula 1 grid in 1991, overseeing Michael Schumacher's debut. Over the years, many other big-name drivers raced for Eddie Jordan Racing, including Rubens Barrichello, Martin Brundle, Damon Hill and Jean Alesi.

In 2009, Jordan began his media career with BBC Sport, and in 2016, he was selected as a presenter for Top Gear and Channel 4's C4F1. He later started the "Formula For Success" podcast alongside BBC and Channel 4 presenter David Coulthard.

Read more about the industry icon in the Formula 1 release here.

In other Formula 1 news, Formula 1 has announced that president and CEO, Stefano Domenicali, has extended his agreement with Liberty Media in a five-year renewal and will lead the business through 2029. Stefano became president and CEO on January 1, 2021.

Trick-Tools.com, the provider of high-performance metal fabrication tools, marks its 30th anniversary in 2025. Founded in 1995, Trick-Tools has built a reputation for providing innovative, top-tier tools that help fabricators and builders achieve precision and efficiency in their work. From its humble beginnings to becoming a trusted name, Trick-Tools remains committed to equipping craftsmen, small businesses, and manufacturing facilities with the best tools available. Its website, Trick-Tools.com, hosts more than 20,000 products from over 120 top brands in the metal fabrication industry.

"30 years is a testament to the trust and loyalty of our customers," said Bruce Van Sant, founder of Trick-Tools. "We've always been passionate about delivering the best and most innovative tools while helping fabricators succeed."

For more information, visit trick-tools.com.

CTEK, the provider in battery charging solutions based in Chicago, has announced the appointment of Steve Hayes as head of North American Operations. He will be tasked to spearhead the company's growth and market development initiatives across the U.S. and Canada.

"Steve's extensive experience in the automotive sector and proven ability to drive market growth makes him the ideal leader for our North American operations," said Fredrik Uhrbom, CTEK president of Consumer Division. "His strategic vision and deep understanding of the American market will be invaluable as we continue to expand our presence and bring innovative charging solutions to more customers across the region."

Hayes brings more than two decades of automotive and outdoor industry expertise to CTEK, most recently serving as managing director for Front Runner Outfitters/Dometic. 

For more information about CTEK, visit ctek.com.

Jim Kerr & Associates has announced its founder, Jim Kerr, has passed away. He was 91. Kerr was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1996 and had a long and illustrious career in the specialty automotive market. He formed Jim Kerr & Associates in 1967, the automotive parts and accessories-focused manufacturers' representative company in Holland, Pennsylvania.

"As a valued member of SEMA, Jim dedicated much of his life to advancing the high-performance automotive industry. He shared his knowledge and ability with those around him. This is what led to one of his most well-known accomplishments in the automotive industry while working for the pioneering automotive company Hurst Performance. Jim helped to develop the race support program known as Hurst Shifty Doctors, which provided repairs for racers at no charge.

"For many years, he helped run the SCCA races at Pocono and could be found helping his friends when not working or with family. Jim's contributions to the world of motorsports and car culture will be remembered by many," said Kerr's son, Kevin Kerr, in a written statement.

The SEMA Hall of Famer was also inducted into the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame in 2015 and was presented with the National Nostalgia Drag Racing Association's Legion of Honor Award.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Drag Racing Association of Women. This non-profit organization provides financial and emotional support to qualified individuals involved in drag racing accidents at a track. Readers can make donations in Kerr's name here.

A celebration of Kerr's life will be held where family and friends will gather to honor his memory, though the date is to be determined at publish date. Visit jimkerr.com or read Kerr's obituary for the latest information.

 
PRI Magazine is now available to everyone at no cost in a digital format. While previously only available in print to Champion-level PRI members, the publication is now available digitally across the globe. Whether you're an industry member staying on top of trends or a racing enthusiast interested in learning more about the industry, the digital magazine is available in current and past issues.

Below is a step-by-step guide to claiming your free digital subscription to PRI Magazine on your phone.

Visit the link below or scan the QR code to claim your coupon voucher:

Claim your free PRI Magazine digital subscription here.

Fill in the mandatory fields and questions regarding your motorsports background and interests.

Hit subscribe to claim your free subscription. Now, you're able to activate your account by downloading the SEMA Magazine app. Tap the IOS link for Apple devices and Google Play for others.

Once you sign up, you'll have full access to a year's worth of valuable industry knowledge and insights. Get to reading! Be sure to sign up for notifications on the latest issue coming in January, featuring highlights you might have missed from the 2024 PRI Show and so much more.

For any questions or assistance, please reach out to PRI's Customer Service Team at membership@performanceracing.com or call 949-499-5413. 

Be the go-to source for all the latest parts and services that enhance your customers' motorsports programs.

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Boneham Metal Products in Kenilworth, New Jersey, has introduced the Koenig Expander plug to the North American market. The Koenig Expander plug is a precision-engineered solution designed to...

To read the complete article for free, sign up for a digital subscription to PRI Magazine on Zinio here.    

Once you download the Zinio mobile app or are logged into Zinio on a desktop browser, you will gain immediate access to more than a year's worth of content, including "Race Shop: New Racing Parts and Products" here and more PRI Show coverage in the March/April 2025 issue here. 

Motorsports safety should be a priority across all racing venues. New products are helping by lowering costs and improving protection.

Promoting safety throughout all levels of motorsports is not just about sanctioning body rules or regulatory standards. It’s about stimulating and nurturing a proactive culture where drivers and crews respect safety as much as they value winning.
While professional race classes are often equipped with state-of-the-art safety measures and support systems, there may be limited resources in some amateur and grassroots ranks. All the more reason individual racers should take more personal initiative in supporting current safety practices.

“We recognize that most racers are sportsman, not professionals. Come the weekend, they want to enjoy racing, come home safely, and go back to work on Monday,” said Don Taylor of RacingGoesSafer.org, a non-profit affiliated with the Stand 21 Safety Foundation that raises awareness of safety issues in auto racing. 

“In the professional levels, such as F1, IndyCar, and NASCAR, they all heard the safety message some years ago,” Taylor said. “They’ve adopted better helmets, seats, frontal head restraints, and so forth. It’s at the sportsman level that we really need the education of how to select safety equipment, why it’s important, and how to use it.”

Reaching out to the sportsman and amateur racers is critical to ensuring safety in the sport, mostly because there may be a false sense of security due to the lower speeds of the cars or the shorter distances of the events.

“They may think the challenges aren’t as great. But when you crash, there’s still a lot of G-loading. By understanding head-and-neck and concussion injuries, we realize there are ways to prevent those,” said Taylor, who often leads safety presentations at the PRI Show and other events around the country. “Racers just need to be educated, and that’s why we like to do these face-to-face meetings.”

The Cost of Being Safe

What’s the biggest hurdle in convincing racers to examine their safety strategies?

To read the complete article for free, sign up for a digital subscription to PRI Magazine on Zinio here.    

Once you download the Zinio mobile app or are logged into Zinio on a desktop browser, you will gain immediate access to more than a year's worth of content, including "Race Smart: Improving Protection for Racers at All Levels" here and more PRI Show coverage in the March/April 2025 issue here.