North Carolina has included PRI-supported amendments in its annual budget (H.B. 259) that would prohibit the state from adopting and enforcing a ban on the sale of new ICE vehicles. H.B. 259 has passed the House of Representatives and awaits consideration in the Senate Appropriations/Base Budget Committee.  

It's still possible for industry members to voice their support for this bill—contact state lawmakers with a pre-written email at https://p2a.co/zq92FkP. 

For more information, contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed into law PRI-supported legislation (S.B. 1017) to ensure consumer choice of vehicle powerplants and fuel. As a result, the new law will prevent a county or other local government in the state from limiting access to certain types of power sources, including the internal combustion engine (ICE). This action will go into effect on September 1, 2023. 

Remember, the fight to protect ICE technology across the country is far from over. Get involved by subscribing to the weekly PRI eNewsletter at performanceracing.com and visiting semasan.com/join.

For more information, contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org.

The iconic Big Machine Music City Grand Prix is returning to the streets of Nashville, Tennessee, on August 4-6--and PRI Business and Individual Members can save big on tickets for being a valued part of our community (more details below).

The three-day event is just one of five street course races on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule. It will also feature five additional series--Indy NXT, SRO GT America, SRO GR Cup, Trans AM TA2, and Stadium Super Trucks--for back-to-back racing action. 

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix holds the title of the longest straightaway in IndyCar racing (3,578 ft.) and is the only race that crosses a body of water as part of the 2.17 mile, 11-turn course across the Nissan Stadium property, the KVB Bridge and Cumberland River, and around downtown Nashville. 

Of course, Nashville's Music City event features live music and will culminate with a headliner concert on Friday and Saturday nights. 

PRI Business and Individual Members can access these exclusive discounts for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, valid through May 31, 2023, with a unique code on the Membership portal. 

• 20% Off 3-Day Grandstand Seats
• 10% Off East Club Tickets
• BOGO (buy one, get one free) 3-Day General Admission Tickets (Limited number available).

Visit your PRI Membership portal to claim your benefits and unique promo code today! Three-day packages are limited, so take advantage of this opportunity before they're gone!

For more information, follow the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix social media platforms at @musiccitygp (links on their website) and visit musiccitygp.com. 

For more information on this exclusive benefit, contact membership@performanceracing.com.

Officials with Extreme E--the off-road racing series featuring electric SUVs and founded by the same team behind Formula E--have announced the promotion of Ali Russell from chief marketing officer to managing director.

Having been part of the founding team behind Formula E, Russell will now assume broader responsibilities in his new role, overseeing all aspects of the series' structure, including commercial, operations and race logistics and stakeholder management.

"Ali's strategic vision, combined with his passion for sports, sustainability and equality, will undoubtedly lead to an exciting new chapter for Extreme E," said Alejandro Agag, Extreme E founder and CEO.

For more information, visit extreme-e.com.

Holley—the platform for performance automotive enthusiasts based in Bowling Green, Kentucky—has announced Matthew Stevenson as its new president and CEO. On June 6, he will replace Interim President and CEO Michelle Gloeckler, who will remain with Holley as a board member.

Stevenson joins Holley from Blue Bird Corporation, where he served as president and CEO and led a comprehensive operational and financial turnaround of the iconic, nearly 100-year-old American bus manufacturer. 

Stevenson has nearly 25 years of experience transforming organizations and leading large industrial and consumer company growth and turnarounds. His experience includes senior leadership roles with companies like Daimler, Bridgestone and Terminix. He also helped found and currently serves on the board of a consumer home services company backed by Imperial Capital, a Toronto-based private equity firm.

In addition, Georgia Trend Magazine has also named Stevenson one of Georgia’s most influential business leaders for the last two years.

For more information, visit holley.com.

SRI Indy--the Brownsburg, Indiana-based provider of high-performance racing parts and accessories and a subsidiary of SRI Performance with headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina--has announced that it has acquired the exclusive distribution rights for SPA Technique fire suppression systems in the US, Mexico and Canada.

As part of the agreement, SRI Indy will be North America's exclusive distributor of SPA Technique fire suppression systems, which is also based in Brownsburg. As a result, customers can access SPA Technique's fire suppression systems designed to meet the most demanding racing conditions.

SPA Technique's sales, administrative and production staff will operate from SRI's Brownsburg location. 

"We are excited to partner with SPA Technique and offer their world-class fire suppression systems to our customers," said Greg Fornelli, President of SRI Performance. "Safety is our top priority, and we believe that SPA Technique's products are among the best in the market."

For more information, visit sri-indy.com and spatechnique.com.

Jasper, Indiana-based Meyer Distributing has announced the addition of its Bellingham, Washington, cross-dock. The facility will have access to a direct feed from Meyer's Hermiston, Oregon, distribution hub.

"The Bellingham dock will be our access route to Vancouver," said Jeff Braun, CEO of Meyer. "This new dock will improve service to both Northwest Washington as well as providing regular delivery to one of the major population centers Meyer was not servicing on its own trucks. Meyer is now Canada coast to coast."

Meyer Distributing is an automotive specialty products marketing and distribution company with numerous warehousing facilities. It serves customers nationwide via Meyer Logistics direct shipping.

For more information, visit meyerdistributing.com.

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile has announced two new safety devices will be introduced to the FIA European Drag Racing Championship (EDRC) beginning with the series' 2023 season.

The FIA will provide an Impact Data Recorder to every FIA EDRC competitor participating this year. Launched in 2021, the FIA IDR is a lightweight, low-cost electronic impact data recorder developed in collaboration with AiM Technologies.

The device, fitted in the vehicle's cockpit, is designed to collect incident impact data, thus allowing the FIA to better understand the causes of different incidents. In addition, the device is easy to install and requires no maintenance during its two-year lifespan.

To improve track safety, the FIA has also introduced a grip measuring device (KEG) for data collection this season. This device, designed to measure the grip level of drag strips, will gather valuable traction data during the 2023 season. 

The collected data will define minimum traction and track standards for the FIA EDRC from 2024 onwards. The data will also be available to the competitors to provide them with additional tools to find the proper car set-up, allowing them to safely enhance their performance on the track.

For more information, visit the FIA announcement here or visit fia.com.

MAHLE Motorsport--the performance division of Fletcher, North Carolina-based MAHLE North America--has announced the addition of former HOT ROD editor Rob Kinnan as the company's marketing manager. 

Kinnan has also worked as the editor of MotorTrend Group's Mustang Monthly, among several other titles. He most recently served as the marketing director for ATI/ProCharger.

With 30 years of experience in the performance and racing industry, Kinnan will be responsible for all marketing decisions, including media buys, print and digital content, creative, sponsorships, budgets, PR and events.

"Rob is an incredible asset to our marketing team. We look forward to initiating his strategic ideas to build the MAHLE Motorsport brand," said MAHLE Motorsport General Manager Brad Green.

For more information, visit mahlemotorsports.com.

Photo by Isaac Affolter

Twin Branch Drag Strip--the 1/8-mile track in Mingo County, West Virginia formerly known as Almost Heaven Motorsports Park--is available for lease. The state-of-the-art facility includes a 54-foot by 100-foot burnout area, a concrete drag strip surface, concrete safety walls, a shutdown area, a safety trap, a paved return lane, a staging area, and an emergency vehicle staging area. 

The facility has the potential to attract racing enthusiasts to southern West Virginia on a weekly basis and to create a significant economic impact as a result of this unique tourism development project. 

The Mingo County Redevelopment Authority (MCRA) seeks an operator to continue the lease under International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) sanction. 

For more information, including how to submit a proposal to MCRA, visit here.