More than 1,000 of the world’s premier motorsports companies—including iconic brands, race sanctioning bodies and emerging manufacturers—are planning to showcase their newest products and technology at the 34th annual PRI Trade Show on December 8-10, 2022.

Taking place at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis, the motorsports industry’s annual trade gathering is the premier destination for businesses and professionals from all segments of automotive racing. With more than 50,000 attendees at the 2021 Show, last year’s event marked the motorsports industry’s largest and most successful in-person event since the pandemic and was recognized as one of the Top 100 Trade Shows of the year by Trade Show Executive Media Group.

The 2022 PRI Show will continue the momentum and expand on that success.

“With the racing industry gathered together in Indianapolis this December, we will be able to discover new opportunities, identify solutions, and take the industry to levels otherwise not possible,” said PRI President Dr. Jamie Meyer. “We’re committed to growing the racing community.”

Among 2022 Show features is the acclaimed PRI Education program, also held at the Indiana Convention Center. Encompassing 20 sessions—including individual presenters and panel discussions—across Business, Tech and EV tracks, the educational program promotes engagement and connectivity between race teams, retail shops, warehouse distributors, e-commerce sites, engine builders, fabricators, dealers, installers, jobbers, and media who attend PRI to learn about emerging industry trends and the latest racing technology.

Also included for attendees of this year’s Show:

• Opportunities to network and engage with the industry’s thought leaders and game changers.
• Complimentary access to the PRI Grand Opening Breakfast, featuring three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and team owner Tony Stewart interviewed by Speed Sport’s Ralph Sheheen.
• Complimentary access to the PRI Happy Hour & Save Our Race Cars (SORC) Rally featuring industry VIPs, food, drinks and more.
• Unlimited access to new and returning Show features including the world-famous Machinery Row, the EV Performance Zone, Content Creation Zone, Track Operators, Promotors and Sanctions (TOPS) Workroom and Lounge, Trailer Exhibits, and more.
   

“The PRI Trade Show is where dedicated racing professionals go to further their businesses and careers,” said Meyer. “Attendees are able to accomplish a great deal over three days at the Show, from finding new products that will make them winners to discovering new opportunities and making connections that you can only make at the Show. Real results come out of PRI.”

PRI Individual Membership, which debuted in 2021, is required to attend the Show. While a complimentary trial membership was offered to all Showgoers at last year’s event, nearly 3,000 individuals who are invested in the racing community and support the industry’s advocacy efforts upgraded their memberships. The program will expand in the future to include money-saving discounts for members on items such as auto parts, travel and more.

To learn more about the 2022 PRI Trade Show, including how to register to attend and sign up for PRI Membership, visit PerformanceRacing.com.

Four NASCAR fans dedicated to providing resources and support to children have been recognized by The NASCAR Foundation as finalists for the 12th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Each volunteer represents an organization committed to improving the lives of children in racing communities across the country. 

The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award, named in honor of the foundation’s late founder and chairwoman Betty Jane France, recognizes NASCAR fans who volunteer for children’s causes in their local communities. Each finalist receives a minimum $25,000 donation for their organization, with the overall winner receiving a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to further their efforts. 

The 12th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award finalists include:

• Dan Majetich of Tempe, Arizona, a co-founder and volunteer with Nick and Kelly Children’s Heart Fund of Arizona, an organization that assists Arizona families of children with congenital heart disease and acquired heart disease. After losing their sons, Nick and Kelly, to congenital heart defects, Dan and his wife, Margaret, founded the Nick and Kelly Children’s Heart Fund in 1985. Since then, Dan has become a leading advocate for families of children with heart disease, helping to provide financial assistance and hosting annual camps for children to experience activities that normally may not be accessible to children with heart defects.
   
• Ralph Maccarone of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, a co-founder and volunteer of Who We Play For, a nationwide organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in young people through affordable heart screenings. After losing his 15-year-old son to SCA, Ralph helped to co-found Who We Play For and over the last decade has dedicated his time to volunteering at heart screening events, fundraising and advocating for policy changes and serving as the chairman of the Board of Directors.
   
• Tammy Garrett of Mobile, Alabama, a volunteer with Rapahope Children’s Retreat Foundation of Alabama, a non-profit organization that provides opportunities to families on the childhood cancer journey through recreational support programs. A volunteer for 17 years, Tammy is involved in all aspects of Rapahope, including involvement on the organization’s fundraising and planning committees. She is also a regular attendee of the Camp Week, Sibling Weekend, Teen Weekend and Family Day programs, often volunteering her time to cooking meals and helping campers learn to fish.
   
• Tracy Williams of Jacksonville, Florida, a volunteer with the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports families that are tackling childhood cancer. For the past 17 years, Tracy has played an integral role in delivering support and raising funds for families affected by childhood cancer. A chairperson to the organization’s signature fundraising event, The Celebrity Golf Classic, Tracy has helped raise over $7 million dollars, coordinating program content and logistics to assure the event’s success including its transition to a virtual environment during the pandemic.
   

The overall winner of the $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation will be determined by an online vote, which is open now. Fans can vote once a day, every day through November 9 at 5 p.m. ET on NASCARfoundation.org/Award. The overall winner will be announced on NASCAR’s YouTube channel on November 17.

Ultra4 Racing—the national race series featuring unlimited 4-wheel drive race vehicles—has released its eight-race schedule for 2023.

“New places, new races, it’s going to be a hell of a year,” Ultra4 Racing Race Director JT Taylor said.

More than $815,000 in series payouts will be on the line on the 2023 schedule, which begins with the legendary King of The Hammers in Johnson Valley, California, on February 2–11, and ends with the annual Legends of the Fall race, now taking place at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on October 24–29. 

Classes participating in 2023 will be the 4400 Unlimited, 4800 Limited, 4500 Modified, 4600 Stock, Pro Modified SXS, Stock Production SXS, Open SXS, 170 Modified SXS, and 170 Limited SXS.

For more information, visit ultra4racing.com.

Image courtesy of Ultra4 Racing

The fourth installment of the Engine Performance Expo has been confirmed for January 13–14. The live, virtual, educational event will be streamed on YouTube for the first time. 

“The online format of the Engine Performance Expo makes it accessible to anyone in the world with an interest in engine technology. However, the previous model relied on those enthusiasts knowing about the Engine Performance Expo and registering to watch the event. By moving the broadcast to YouTube, over a billion people could discover the event just by accident. The Engine Performance Expo YouTube channel has been growing steadily, so this move turns on the Nitrous Oxide for the live event,” said Lake Speed, Jr of Total Seal, a founding partner of the Engine Performance Expo.

The Expo aims to provide unique technical information for high-performance engine machinists, builders, and enthusiasts in a virtual setting. 

“From the legends of engine building to the latest machining technologies, the Engine Performance Expo brings the best methods and brightest minds to engine professionals and enthusiasts around the world, so YouTube provides the perfect platform for doing just that,” said David Bianchi of Rottler Mfg, also a founding partner of the Engine Performance Expo.

To attend, subscribe to the Engine Performance Expo channel at youtube.com/c/EnginePerformanceExpo and turn on notifications to be alerted about the January event.

Founded in 2004 by partners John Morris and Brad Rambo, Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club is a 933-acre state-of-the-art racing facility and exclusive motorsports country club located just 55 miles west of downtown Las Vegas. With now over nine (9) miles of challenging race track and an array of resort-style amenities, Spring Mountain boasts not only the longest road course in North America, but also delivers a world-class motorsports experience to driving enthusiasts of all levels.

The newest addition to the track is the 3.2-mile premier racing circuit called Charleston Peak. Located on a 230-acre parcel of property just north of the facility (but connected through an interior road), this configuration and facility extension was designed to accommodate members, track days, and sanctioned racing and will also include full hot pits, new pit buildings, a 230-acre paddock, and convenient garages. The track has several significant elevation changes throughout, producing fast blind sweeping sections, and some more technical, fast-changing elevation complexes. This mix of styles, as well as four main straights ranging in length from 1,000 feet to 1,240 feet, produces one of the most unique and challenging courses in the US.

Charleston Peak was designed in accordance with the requirements of an FIA Grade 3 race track with plans to seek official certification in the future. Additional expansions for member facilities are already in place, including a new luxury clubhouse with a view of the Charleston Peak track, along with commercial and track developments to come, proving that now is the best time to become a member!

That’s not all! As the home of the new and improved Radical Racing School, which is set to begin in 2023 and feature the new Radical SR3XX, Spring Mountain continues its trusted relationship with Radical Motorsport, solidifying nearly 19 years of history between them. Designed much like their renowned Ron Fellows Performance Driving School, the Radical Racing School will cater to not only the aspiring racers that want to experience a fully prepared race car on a track, but it is also great for broadening even the most seasoned drivers’ skill sets. Spring Mountain’s Radical Racing School will host the largest fleet of Radicals across the nation and, to top it all off, students will be able to obtain their SCCA license upon completion of their course. So whether the student’s goal is to purchase a Radical Sportscar, become a future Spring Mountain member, or simply up their racing game, this is an unmatched program tailored to perfecting their driving skills! Be on the lookout for classes starting next year!

No need to keep searching for that thrill-seekers’ paradise—Spring Mountain truly has it all! Come visit the Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club Booth #3042 at the PRI Show, December 8—10, 2022, to learn more. We cannot wait to see you there!

For more information, visit racespringmountain.com or call 800-391-6891.

NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc.—the manufacturer of ignition parts and sensors based in Wixom, Michigan—has announced Kirt Denman has joined the company as the Director of Aftermarket. Denman has specialized in the automotive aftermarket and retail market for over 35 years, the company says.

NGK says Denman will serve as a leadership team member and be responsible for developing a strategy to drive the aftermarket forward and achieve established company goals. In addition, he will be responsible for the oversight and shared strategy of all sales and marketing programs, product launches, and excess and obsolete inventory that provide growth and profitability. 

For more information, visit ngksparkplugs.com.
 

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the seven-round 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) calendar, shown below, with the 6 Hours of Portimão a new addition to the schedule.

The eleventh season of FIA WEC will kick off with the Official Prologue at Sebring International Raceway on March 11–12 and conclude with the 8 Hours of Bahrain on November 4. 

The first-ever 6 Hours of Portimão at Algarve International Circuit will take place on April 16. This will be the second time that FIA WEC has run at this track which previously held an 8-hour race at the Portimão, Portugal venue back in 2021.

“I am very pleased to see the FIA World Endurance Championship growing in strength. I would like to thank everyone involved - the FIA, the ACO and the promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Owing to the efforts of the promoter, the championship enjoys a strong and stable calendar. Looking forward, 2023 cannot come soon enough,” FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.

For more information, visit fiawec.com/en.

Image courtesy of FIA

The eNASCAR International iRacing Series will return with a five-race schedule, including a virtual race livestreamed at the ADAC SimRacing Expo in Nuremberg, Germany, on December 6.  

Drivers across the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series, and NASCAR Driver for Diversity Driver Development program are all scheduled to compete on iRacing.com, which provides one of the top online racing simulation portals and features officially-sanctioned, laser-scanned replicas of race tracks around the world.

Round 3 of the DBOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series presented by Digital Motorsports championship will be part of the ADAC SimRacing Expo program, as the livestream will be featured to close out the event, meaning visitors can watch on-site.

In addition, the eNASCAR iRacing Coca-Cola Series Championship trophy will be renamed in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s honor beginning this race season. JR Motorsports, Earnhardt Jr.’s NASCAR Xfinity Series team, has held an eNASCAR franchise since 2019.

For more information, visit enascar.com.

2022 eNASCAR International iRacing Series Schedule
November 15 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV
November 22 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
December 4 – Daytona International Speedway (9 a.m. ET), Daytona, FL
December 13 – Circuit Zolder, Heusden-Zolder, Belguim, Germany
December 20 – Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC

Total Seal Piston Rings—the manufacturer and provider of high-performance and racing piston rings based in Phoenix, Arizona—has announced two new hires. 

Kent Croutcher has been named the Vice President of Finance. As a senior accounting and operations professional, Croutcher has extensive experience creating and executing financial strategies to allow companies to expand and manage their growth. 

Scott Diehl, meanwhile, was named the head of Business Development. He brings years of experience with Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush Racing, and Driven Racing Oil. As the head of business development, Diehl will open up new areas of growth for the company.

“At Total Seal, we take a team approach to everything we do. Having these two talented people join our team will strengthen our position and open new avenues for growth. We welcome them aboard,” said Total Seal CEO Matt Hartford.

For more information, visit totalseal.com. 

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has hired Karen Bailey-Chapman to lead its Washington, DC, office as Senior Vice President, Public & Government Affairs. SEMA represents the $50.9 billion specialty-automotive industry and created the position to strengthen and grow the industry’s legislative and advocacy program.

Bailey-Chapman will oversee all government affairs efforts for SEMA and the Performance Racing Industry (PRI). She will lead programs related to legislation, regulations, and government policies on issues affecting climate change, consumer choice, business opportunities, and more.
 
“As the automotive aftermarket is increasingly impacted and threatened by government actions, it is critical that SEMA continues to represent and protect the industry in Washington, DC,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA President and CEO. “Karen will be instrumental in raising visibility of the specialty-equipment market. She is a highly experienced legislative strategist who will elevate SEMA’s advocacy efforts.”
 
Bailey-Chapman has a proven track record of success in local, state, federal, and global government affairs and advocacy campaigns. Most recently, Bailey-Chapman served as senior vice president of external affairs for American Beverage Association. Previous experience includes senior roles with casino company Penn National Gaming and the D.C.-based public affairs firm DCI Group.