Officials with the National Speedway Directory have announced that the 2024 Race Track Business Conference (RTBC) will take place on Wednesday, December 11, at the PRI Show in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The annual RTBC event, a full-day format, provides a platform for industry leaders and race track professionals and sanctioning body professionals to collaborate, analyze and conceptualize around the business of motorsports.

RTBC will return to the Racing Capital of the World ahead of the three-day PRI Show, which opens on Thursday, December 10 and continues through Saturday, December 12.

Note: There is a $250 fee to attend this event. Additional information and speakers will be announced in the coming months. For more information, visit racetrackbusinessconference.com or call 847-778-9475.

PRI Associate Editor A.J. Hecht attended the IMSA Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Read some of his thoughts and observations from the six-hour endurance race below:

Walking into the track on Friday--my first exposure to the IMSA world--I immediately noticed the manufacturer presence. You can't go a minute without seeing a Ford-branded jacket, an Aston Martin polo, an Acura hat. It makes sense, given so many of the OEMs have or support their own programs, and so many of the cars are based on their production counterparts. It feels omnipresent here in a way I haven't experienced at other events.

It's encouraging to see that manufacturer support, especially in an era when fuel economy is king, with automakers dedicating so much time, effort and funding to exploring new propulsion technologies and alternative fuels.

In my mind, that support signals two things:

1. The racing industry is still at the forefront, driving innovation that impacts the simplest of road cars. That these giant corporations, some of the biggest in the world, find motorsports to be a worthwhile investment, a worthy proving ground and promotional tool for these new technologies, shows that racing is the best, fastest way to push the boundaries of what is possible. This industry, and the people in it, are regularly entrusted with this responsibility, and almost always deliver.  

2. No matter what is under the hood, the manufacturers still want to be the fastest, the most efficient, the best. They could be racing pedal carts and BMW would still want to get the best of Mercedes, Chevy would still want to beat Ford. That's never going away, whether the cars are powered by a full-throated V8 or a "whirring" electric motor. The future of motorsports is as bright as ever.

Late in the morning, the headlining WeatherTech SportsCar Series took to the track for their first session of the weekend, crowding the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with 56 GT cars and prototypes, all looking for speed and a little bit of clear track.

It was my first time seeing multi-class racing in person, and it was every bit as chaotic as I imagined. The difference in speed between the GTD and GTP classes is obvious, even to the untrained eye. Watching these drivers carve through traffic was mesmerizing and even a little bit unnerving. Those prototype drivers did not waste a second getting by the slower GTD cars. They'd follow as close as possible through the tighter corners, then power by on the straights, gapping them quicker than you can say "excuse me."

In spite of the staggering number of entries and the near-constant hum of engines, several cars started to stand out from the others. The roar of the Cadillac is unmistakable, louder and deeper than everything else, save maybe the low, guttural drone of the Mustang GTD cars. You can hear them both long before you see them. Other marques have different characteristics. Some produce more of a hum, a whistle even, like the speedy Penske Porsche 963s and the chromed-out Wayne Taylor Racing Acuras. Each has something of its own, a defining trait, that helps it stand out from the crowd. It symbolizes the wider diversity in thought, approach and efforts not just in sportscar racing but across motorsports.

Saturday started in anger, with early morning qualifying for the Michelin Pilot Challenge, followed by another practice session for the WeatherTech Sportscar Series. As chaotic as it is on track, it might be even crazier on pit lane, especially in the cramped confines of IMS. Somehow the series finds the space for all 56 entries and their teams, as well as the massive pit carts—outfitted with two levels of seating, numerous monitors broadcasting live telemetry and dozens of camera feeds, and all the equipment needed to service a car through 6 hours of racing (Not to mention multiple drivers). The narrow walkway behind the pit wall is littered with spare parts, huge pieces of carbon fiber and the nearly ubiquitous blue barrels filled with VP Racing Fuel.

You can't miss the blue barrels. There are usually at least two, sometimes three in each stall, with more lined against the catchfence. Meanwhile, a fleet of ATVs tow them to and from pit lane, stocking them back in the paddock alongside hundreds of other barrels. It is one of several herculean efforts from series suppliers over the course of the weekend. Three tire manufacturers provide support for the weekend: Michelin brings the rubber for the WeatherTech and Michelin series, while the Porsche Carrera Cup utilizes Yokohama and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series runs on Hankooks.

The fuel and tire suppliers aren't alone. There's a large number of industry manufacturers represented on track over the weekend. Walk through the paddock or pit lane and you'll see so many of the same names you'll see on the PRI Show floor. Brembo, Forgeline, MPI, Bell, Xtrac. It's impossible to list them all. You name it, they're here.

It might seem like we at the PRI Show talk a big game, but it's true. It really is the world's largest gathering of motorsports professionals. It really is the one place—other than the race track—where all of the industry's top manufacturers are represented. It's an unrivaled experience for the racing business.

An IMSA event, however, is an unrivaled experience for the motorsports enthusiast. The atmosphere all weekend has a very personal touch, especially for a top-level series. The paddock is open to all, free for fans to rub shoulders with drivers, team members and even the cars. Stroll from Pagoda Plaza down to the far end of Gasoline Alley, and you'll see no less than 100 race cars and throngs of drivers, crew members and IMSA officials.

Then, just an hour or so before the drop of the green flag, the two IMSA series welcome any ticketholder onto the grid, free of charge, to get up close and personal with the cars, teams and drivers. What typically carries a hefty price tag, or requires a well-connected individual, is open to everyone. My passion for racing stems from early, memorable encounters with race cars and their drivers, mainly at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and it's encouraging to see a series fully embrace that.

It becomes even more memorable when, just minutes later, you're watching those same cars charge into Turn 1, fighting for position on track. Once the fight starts, it doesn't stop, and as it turns out, it's against more than just your competitors. Less than an hour into the race, the field dealt with an early afternoon deluge that created hazardous conditions, ending at least one team's day. It's miraculous that it didn't end more.

The bravery, precision and care it takes to lap the circuit in those conditions is superhuman. Even my field of vision, standing along the catchfence near Turn 12, was clouded by the spray from just the first few cars. I can't imagine what it's like from the cockpit. Luckily, after about an hour run mostly under yellow-flag conditions, the sky cleared up and the race was back on.

Going into the weekend, I expected the six-hour race to feel like forever, but I couldn't have been more wrong. As the time ticked away, I found myself wishing it were an 8-hour race, a 12-hour race, maybe even 24. I spent the majority of the time bouncing around to different spots on the track, taking in the various viewpoints and snapping photos to accompany this article, and it was fascinating to see how the cars performed in each section of the track.

The GTPs looked like spaceships on the straights and in the high-speed turns, carving around corners and darting through high-speed traffic jams. The GTD cars looked like beasts, screaming and squirming through the braking zones and sliding out of apexes. It is truly spectacular to see in person, a sensory experience unlike any I've had before.

It must also be said that the reliability of these machines is remarkable. Of the 56 that rolled off the grid, 46 completed the full six hours. That these complicated, cutting-edge machines can survive the stress, wear and abuse of a day full of all-out racing is a testament to the work put in by this industry. The automakers and the race teams, of course, but every manufacturer that plays a role, too. From the fasteners to the fuel pumps, the tires to the timing and scoring transponders, everything must work on its own and in concert with all the other pieces, the tiniest details, for the day to be successful.

A lot of the work required to make that happen was completed long before the first hauler showed up for the weekend. These results are months, years, in the making and show what this industry is capable of. And when it needs to, it can not only survive but excel in the toughest of conditions.

INDYCAR has confirmed the establishment of a charter system across the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. In total, owners of 10 teams have accepted charters for 25 entries competing in North America's premier open-wheel racing series, beginning immediately.

"This is an important development that demonstrates an aligned and optimistic vision for the future of our sport," Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. "I want to extend my sincere appreciation to our team owners for their collaboration and ideation throughout this process. Ultimately, we're pleased to have a system in place that provides greater value for our ownership and the entries they field."

This is the first charter system to be introduced in the history of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. A chartered entry is guaranteed a starting position on the grid at all NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, excluding the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. An entry also must be chartered to qualify for the annual NTT INDYCAR SERIES Leaders Circle program--an annual award program that compensates the 22 top finishers in the prior year's NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. The terms of the initial, long-term charter agreements are committed through the end of 2031.

Charters were extended to team owners based on full-time entries over the previous two seasons, with a maximum of three awarded per team. For the complete details, visit the INDYCAR announcement here.

Chartered 2025 INDYCAR Teams

Toyota is joining the Australian Repco Supercars Championship in 2026 with its GR Supra.

The Japanese manufacturer will field a minimum of four GEN3 GR Supras. Two will be run by Toyota's homologation team partner Walkinshaw Andretti United.

Joining the Supercars Championship extends Toyota's support of Australian motorsports, which already includes its one-make Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia Scholarship Series, GR Cup and the TGRA Rally Team that competes in the Australian Rally Championship.

Toyota Australia has already begun initial design work on the GR Supra racecar with its in-house design team. The GR Supra will use Toyota’s 2UR-GSE all-aluminum, quad-cam V8 which has been featured in a range of performance production cars, as well as the 2019 Dakar-winning HiLux, as its baseline engine.

For more information, visit supercars.com.

Lola Cars has appointed Peter McCool as its new technical director.

McCool, who previously worked for Lola between 2009 and 2012, rejoins the British brand to lead its team of engineers and designers to develop Lola's range of offerings.

Having led Mercedes to two Formula E Drivers' and two Constructors' championships, McCool will play an integral role in Lola's entry into the series later this year, the company said in a statement announcing the appointment. He will also lead the company's development of wider motorsports technologies, including the areas of hydrogen, electrification and sustainable fuel.

Former Technical Director Mark Tatham will remain with Lola as a technical consultant.

For more information, visit lola-cars.co.uk.

The Trans Am Series has revealed its 2025 schedule for its National Championship, which will visit 12 unique venues across the United States, and the Western Championship, which will include nine rounds at five different tracks.

The National Championship will begin at Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Florida, on February 20-23, and concludes at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, October 30-November 2.

The national series will return to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Sonoma Raceway in California and will also make its first-ever visit to Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama.

For more information, visit gotransam.com.

See the full schedule for both the National and Western Championship below:
 

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) has announced the schedule for its 18-event 2025 season.

The 2025 SVRA season will begin in February at Sebring International Raceway in Florida, culminating in the year-ending event at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, October 30-November2.

For more information, visit svra.com.

See the full schedule below:
 

Maserati Corse is making a change in senior management effective October 1 with the appointment of Maria Conti as the head of the brand's motorsports activities. She replaces the outgoing Giovanni Sgro.

Conti will report directly to Maserati CEO Davide Grasso and Jean-Marc Finot, senior vice president of Stellantis Motorsport. She has more than 20 years of experience in communication in the automotive and lifestyle industries and most recently held the position of chief communication officer for Maserati.

For more information, visit maserati.com/us/en/corse.

The three USF Pro Championships, run by Andersen Promotions, have confirmed their schedules for 2025.

Comprised of USF Pro 2000, USF 2000 and USF Juniors, the USF Pro Championships are a scholarship-funded, driver-development ladder system that allows rising talents in the open-wheel ranks to showcase their skills. Run by Andersen Promotions, the three series will run a combined 52 races in 2025, 36 in support of INDYCAR. The series will also provide support for IMSA, USAC and the GRIDLIFE Festival Tour.

For more information, visit usfpro2000.com.

See the full schedules for all three series below:
 

Tracking legal, legislative, and regulatory developments impacting the racing and performance industry.

PRI’s Washington, D.C.-based legal and advocacy teams work continuously to protect and support motorsports venues, sanctioning bodies, and businesses around the nation. We are tracking several topics this month, including filing a federal amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to stop California’s ICE vehicle ban, a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal to partially ban a solvent chemical found in degreasers, and industry-relevant information about 2024 election vice presidential candidates.

PRI Files Federal Amicus Brief for Lawsuit to Stop California’s ICE Vehicle Ban

PRI and SEMA filed with the Supreme Court of the United States an amicus brief in the case of Diamond Alternative Energy, LLC v. Environmental Protection Agency. The brief outlines PRI’s support for a review of the lawfulness of the EPA’s decision to grant California the authority to limit the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles.
“It’s important that the Supreme Court consider the perspective of the grassroots racing community in this potentially landmark legal case,” said Karen Bailey-Chapman, SEMA and PRI’s senior vice president of public and government affairs. “By filing this ‘friend of the court’ brief, we’re able to highlight the significant potential ramifications to California’s actions, and beyond that, the excessive economic damage that would be caused to an entire industry.”
Using its EPA waiver, California—and by extension, the 16 states that opt into California’s regulations—seeks to adopt Advanced Clean Car II regulations that would limit the sales of ICE vehicles from model years 2017 through 2025, culminating with a complete ban on the sale of ICE vehicles by 2035.
In requesting the court grant review of the case, PRI argues that California’s non-technology-neutral decision to limit sales of ICE vehicles will have a devastating impact on the automotive aftermarket industry, effectively killing, rather than fostering, innovation that can help produce cleaner, safer automobiles.

EPA Proposes Regulation for Partial Ban on Chemical Found in Brake Cleaner, Degreasers

The EPA announced a proposed rule that would ban most uses of a chemical called 1-bromopropane (1-BP) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 1-BP is a solvent commonly used in automotive care products such as engine degreasers, brake cleaners, refrigerant flushes, and spray adhesives.
If finalized as drafted, the proposal would ban all consumer use of products that contain 1-BP except when used in building and construction insulation materials. The ban on consumer use would go into effect within six months after the final rule is published. The proposed rule would also require extensive worker protections for industrial and commercial uses of 1-BP.
“This is important information for anyone who uses these products, and we encourage those members to review the proposed rule and consider its impact to their daily operations,” said Tiffany Cipoletti, SEMA and PRI’s federal manager for governmental affairs. “PRI and SEMA will continue to explore this issue and update our members with relevant information as it emerges.”
The EPA will require any non-federal workplaces that continue using the chemical in industrial or manufacturing settings to implement a Workplace Chemical Protection Program that includes exposure limit monitoring, recordkeeping, and educating workers on safety when working with or near the chemical within 12 months of the finalized rule.
The proposal would also require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as respirators and chemical-resistant gloves within six months to protect workers from exposure to 1-BP. The agency acknowledges that many workplaces already have stringent safety controls to reduce exposure to 1-BP, and these safety measures may reduce exposure concentration limits proposed in the rulemaking.
The proposed risk management rule is based on the EPA’s August 2020 TSCA section 6 risk evaluation, as amended by the December 2022 final revised risk determination for 1-BP.
For more information, contact Cipoletti at tiffanyc@sema.org.

Things You Should Know About the Vice Presidential Candidates

Former President Donald Trump selected US Senator JD Vance (R-OH) as his nominee for vice president. Here’s what PRI members need to know about Sen. Vance, 39, as it relates to our industry:

• Vance is an EV skeptic. In the Senate, Vance has actively sought to protect the nation’s market for gas-powered motor vehicles, arguing that Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles (EVs) represent a risk to the American workforce, seeking to repeal the $7,500 clean-vehicle tax credit. Sen. Vance introduced the “Drive American Act” (S. 2962), a bill that would provide tax incentives for US-made vehicles that run solely on gas or diesel. He’s regularly sparred with the Biden administration on environmental and energy policy and is expected to align closely with Trump’s positions on ethanol and biofuels.
• He’s a political newcomer. Vance first ran for elected office in 2022, winning a seat to represent Ohio in the US Senate after gaining Trump’s endorsement. Sen. Vance has developed a reputation for occasional bipartisanship, particularly on manufacturing and transportation issues.
• Blue-collar roots. Sen. Vance rose to prominence as the author of the New York Times bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” the true story of his upbringing in poor, working-class America. His background surrounded by divorce and substance abuse in Rust Belt Ohio gives him first-hand perspective into the people of that area and the challenges they face and informs his self-described populist views on jobs, manufacturing, and the economy. Sen. Vance served in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007 and is an Iraq war veteran. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and Yale Law School.

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris made her highly anticipated selection of a running mate, tapping two-term Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Gov. Walz is a veteran and previously served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Here’s what PRI members should know about the pick:

• He led Minnesota in becoming a CARB state. Climate policy is a core issue for his administration. During his tenure as governor, Minnesota became a “CARB state,” a state that has adopted California’s vehicle emissions standards. This plan has been subject to litigation by the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association, which opposes Minnesota’s clean cars plan and asserts that the state is not allowed to delegate its authority to CARB regulators in California.
• Walz knows cars. Walz, a former public school teacher, once delivered an impromptu lesson in auto repair while on the campaign trail, in the process going viral online for his folksy, clear explanation of the problem and fix.
• Walz is a Midwesterner. Walz was born in Nebraska and entered the public eye as representative of a significantly rural congressional district in southern Minnesota. His Midwestern appeal is seen by some as a counterweight to Harris’s California roots—particularly as she attempts to win over rural and working-class voters who largely lean toward Donald Trump.
• While Walz as governor did sign "right to repair" legislation, the bill did not include language supporting the automotive or farming industries.
   

California Legislature Passes Manufacturing Equipment Sales Tax Credit Legislation, Support Still Needed

The California legislature passed PRI-supported legislation (AB 52), introduced by Assembly Member Tim Grayson (D-Concord), which would provide businesses with a state tax credit equal to what they pay in local sales tax for qualified manufacturing equipment. The bill now goes to Governor Gavin Newsom for approval or veto.
Manufacturing is a vital industry in California, accounting for more than 10% of the state’s GDP and employing nearly 8% of the state’s workforce. The automotive aftermarket alone employs nearly 150,000 people and contributes more than $40 billion to the state’s economy. Thirty-eight states already offer sales-tax exemptions on manufacturing equipment and R&D. By failing to do the same, California risks losing businesses to these states, which can provide a more attractive business environment. In addition, providing incentives for manufacturing and R&D can help the state attract new businesses and create jobs.
The bill’s progress to date shows the importance of SEMA and PRI’s champions in statehouses nationwide. Assembly Member Grayson is a SEMA State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus member and was the 2019 winner of SEMA’s Stephen B. McDonald Legislator of the Year award. In addition to being a lawmaker, Assembly Member Grayson, along with his wife Tammy, is also an enthusiast, with two classic Ford Mustangs in their collection.
For additional information, please contact Christian Robinson, PRI’s senior director for state government affairs and grassroots, at christianr@sema.org.