Mike Cope has "done a little bit of everything" in motorsports, but what the veteran racer, racecar builder, and one-time track owner is doing now is Trans Am. He's doing it in the biggest way: building complete, turnkey TA2 cars while providing driver development and arrive-and-drive services. "We have the longest-standing team ownership in Trans Am," Cope reported, "and at every event for the past two years, Cope chassis have made up 50% or more of the field."

Cope's enthusiasm for the series reflects his commitment. "Trans Am was initially built for the blue-collar racer. Cheap racing is an oxymoron; there's no such thing. But in North America, there is no less expensive form of road racing—going to iconic race courses such as Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, and Mid-Ohio—than the TA2 division."

These versatile cars can also compete in SCCA GT classes. In fact, "they can run everywhere," said Cope. "They make over 500 horsepower, with 500 pound-feet of torque, on a 10-inch tire, with a power-to-weight ratio as close to an Xfinity [now NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series] car as you will ever get."

That kinship with a stock car makes Trans Am a viable path to NASCAR, too, and it's why, Cope added, "the car we build today is really similar to the perimeter car we ran in All Pro."

Short Track Origins

Cope described his deep roots in west-central Florida and in circle track racing. His grandfather helped build Sunshine Speedway in the late 1950s and served as mayor of Pinellas Park in the 1960s. "My grandfather, my father, my brothers—all of us raced," Cope recalled. In the early-to-mid 1990s, he ran the Slim Jim All Pro series, "with short-track greats Jody Ridley, Bobby Gill, and Jeff Purvis." He won the series championship in 1994 and 1996. In 1995 he became a team owner, purchasing the car he was driving from Bobby Labonte. He also "played around a little" with Hooters Pro Cup and ran a season in Busch.

Along the way, Cope bought the 3/8-mile Bronson Speedway in Levy County. "We were running ASA, but then the Twin Towers fell, and in 2006–2008 it was just really bad. I tell people we never really had a bad night, but I never worked so hard for $500 in my life."

Cope sold the track in 2011, but not before it led him to his next opportunity. "We had these ASA cars sitting around, and a couple of friends said, 'Hey, if you make those cars road-race cars, we'll buy them from you.'" Another friend, George Lutich, wanted to run the 2010 Petite Le Mans at Road Atlanta. "So we took a couple of our old ASA cars up there and had a good time. And as they say, one thing leads to another, and the rest is history. We built our first chassis in 2011, and now we're some 80 cars deep, and counting."

Fully Equipped

Some might consider 80 cars in a decade and a half rather modest, but Cope "never had a desire to build 100 cars a year." Instead, "we have attention to detail in every car we build." He noted how one customer "took a car out of this shop, took it to Sebring, and ran over 500 miles with it in one weekend. That's what we pride ourselves on. It's not about working on their race car half the time they are there."

"Streamlined" production helps control both quality and cost. "Our engines come from PME [Pro Motor Engines], so we don't have to mess with them. Our wiring—QuickCar does that. Brown & Miller does our oil lines. There's a car in our shop that just got back from powder coat Monday. The body is on it now, the engine is in it, and we will have that car built in 10–12 days."

Cope will "build them in any form anybody wants, from bare chassis to whatever," but he clearly prefers to produce turnkey cars, with "your seat in it, and everything done" so "you can take it right to the track and race it." And except for "driver comfort options, like your choice of a cooling system," he prefers to build them all the same, all fully equipped. "I don't believe in upselling. I want you to get a car that's capable of winning, the same car that we are racing. So when we go out and win with [team driver and coach] Tom Merrill, I don't want you to think you can't. I want him to be able to get in your car and show you how fast it can go."

To read the full article, plus hundreds of other articles like it 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 "Business Profile: Cope Race Cars" here and additional coverage in the May/June 2026 issue here.

Many functional changes in piston design go unnoticed—as intended, according to Eric Grilliot of MAHLE Motorsport in Fletcher, North Carolina. "Our engineers will implement small changes to the ring placement on the piston. Or even the spacing between rings can evolve as usage and applications alter the loading on the piston," he said. "When problem areas are identified, the 'fix' is often subtle changes in thicknesses or the relative position of features and the transitions between them."

This evolutionary, not revolutionary, concept is expressed by other sources for this look at small changes in piston design, from crowns to coatings, ring lands to skirts.

Durability Advantage

For years, CP-Carrillo had wrist pins with a maximum 0.230-inch wall thickness on its LS/LT series pistons for ultra-high-horsepower applications. The pins were tasked with increasingly higher stress.

"On some of our LS stuff, we were getting 2,000 horsepower or more on a shelf part," said Rick "RC" Canning. "It wasn't even really made for that, but we make [the pistons] so heavy duty they could actually handle it."

The 0.230 pins met their threshold, however, at 2,000-plus hp, where some flex occurred. With that, several years ago, the Irvine, California, manufacturer began offering a 0.260-wall pin thickness for its Ultra Duty Line. It has been successful in stabilizing the piston.

"I tell people the wrist pin is like the foundation of your house," Canning explained. "It has to be very stout to keep the rest of the piston together."

He pointed out that pin flex has not been a problem with its lower-power street-strip pistons, so nothing changed there. "We don't go across every line of pistons and make these" changes, he said. "We take a segment of what we're actually working on, and that's what we change."

CP-Carrillo has also made design changes in the pin boss area in response to wider aluminum connecting rods, necessitating a wider cut in the piston for very high-horsepower drag racing applications in the sport compact market.

The resulting heavy-duty turbo "T" forging pistons are "specifically designed with extra material contouring and supporting the pin boss area so that even if a big chunk of material is taken out for aluminum rods, it's still very strong in that area," added Tony Calvert.

Power-adder applications have affected the design of pistons sold by PBM Performance Products in Louisville, Kentucky. That includes lowering the top ring groove and upgrading to heavy-duty wrist pins. "In power-adder applications, if the top ring groove is too close to the deck surface, the increased cylinder pressure can collapse the area between the ring grooves," said Russell Byriel. "Heavy wall pins are a great upgrade to help with strength and reduce flex."

Reinforced pin boss design is also important on high-rpm, high-load engines, while thicker crown designs, thermal coatings, and ring gap design changes "all increase longevity," he added.

PBM Performance's own Forged Power Pistons, made from 4032 alloy, are designed for circle track, street performance, and drag racing applications in big block and small block Chevys and small block Fords. Byriel pointed out design features that include round wire locks that distribute side load over the entire pin area, thereby increasing piston strength, and slipper skirt design that reduces reciprocating mass but maintains the rigidity and strength of a full skirt.

Grilliot at MAHLE discussed design advantages promoted for its PowerPak piston and ring kits. These are used in high-horsepower engines, such as high-performance enthusiast and sportsman class racers, with or without nitrous. Among the features are anodized ring grooves to protect against micro-welding, which happens when aluminum particles of the ring-groove bore transfer to the ring.

"This often causes the piston ring to stick in the ring groove, causing ring-sealing issues along with excessive blow-by and loss of power," he said.

Micro-welding can occur when the top ring is moved closer to the top of the piston to make more power. "By hard-anodizing the ring groove in many PowerPak applications, the piston can see improved abrasion and wear resistance to micro-welding," Grilliot added.

To read the full article, plus hundreds of other articles like it 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 "Smaller Changes For Longer Life" here and additional coverage in the May/June 2026 issue here.

Katherine Legge will be the first female driver to attempt the "Double" of racing in the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Cup Series' Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 24.

Legge is driving the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet of HMD Motorsports with AJ Foyt Racing in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then will fly to Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina to drive the No. 78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports in the 600-mile NASCAR race.

"Very few drivers ever get the opportunity to attempt 'The Double,' and I do not take that opportunity lightly," Legge said. "This challenge is about pushing through perceived limits, betting on yourself, taking risks and trying to do something unique. I am so incredibly grateful to e.l.f. for believing in what this moment represents and for building a community around it."

"The Double" is one of the rarest feats in motorsports, racing 1,100 miles in one day. Legge is the sixth driver to attempt the grueling day, joining John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson. No driver has won both races on the same day, and Stewart is the only driver to complete every lap of both races, in 2001 when he finished sixth at Indianapolis and third at Charlotte.

NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson was the most recent driver to attempt racing at Indy and Charlotte on the same day. He missed starting the Coca-Cola 600 in 2024 after the start of the Indy 500 was delayed by rain, and he crashed in both races in 2025.

This is the fourth year of partnership between e.l.f. and Legge, 45, from England.

For more information, visit indycar.com or nascar.com.

Images Courtesy of Penske Entertainment | James Black and Mike Young

The Dakar Rally has revealed the full route for the 2027 Dakar Rally.

The 2027 event will feature the longest official route since moving to Saudi Arabia, with a total distance of 3,305 miles.

Beginning and ending in King Abdullah Economic City, the 2027 Dakar Rally will begin on January 1, 2027, with the prologue, followed by the 310-mile stage one from King Abdullah Economic City to Yanbu.

For a full look at the rally schedule, visit dakar.com or see the full route below:

Images courtesy of Dakar Rally

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum has broken ground on its new Restoration and Event Center.

The original plans for the new facility were announced in July 2023, when the IMS Museum shared its vision for the main Museum building renovation. The museum recently celebrated one year in the renovated space. This additional location, located just outside IMS in Speedway, Indiana, will allow a dedicated space for the full-time restoration department to continue preserving and caring for the vehicle collection. It will also have an event space, offering another option for meeting and event planners in the Indianapolis area.  

"This is a transformational investment in the future of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum," said Michael Good, president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. "The new Restoration and Event Center will be a world-class facility focused on preservation, restoration, education, and public engagement. This project strengthens the Museum's long-term sustainability while expanding its impact locally and globally."    

The new 87,000-sq.-ft. restoration and event center will include multiple restoration bays, detailing bays and dedicated vehicle storage space. Cars not displayed in the museum will be housed in the new facility, where the museum plans to have rotating exhibits and offer public tours.  

"With the growth of our restoration program, we need to increase our workspace and storage facility to allow for the constant preservation of vehicles," said Jason Vansickle, vice president of curation and education. "Our restoration team is unmatched in skill, and this new state-of-the-art facility will be one of the best museum restoration facilities in the country."   

The new facility will extend the IMS Museum's education program. Hands-on learning classes will be offered for students interested in pursuing automotive engineering and restoration careers. Additional full and part-time staffing will be added, increasing job opportunities within the organization.  

Work is underway with an anticipated completion date in May 2027.  

For more information on the IMS Museum, visit imsmuseum.org. 

Elgin Industries--the Illinois-based supplier of engine and chassis components and other products for the automotive, heavy-duty, industrial and performance markets--has appointed Chris Anderson as president and chief operating officer.

Bill Skok, grandson of Elgin founder Martin Skok, Sr., will continue as CEO, ensuring continuity of leadership and strategic direction of the 107-year-old company.

Anderson, who joined Elgin in 2000 as international sales supervisor, most recently served as chief operating officer and executive vice president. He also has served as executive vice president of Elgin World Trade, which distributes products to customers throughout the Middle East, Latin America, Europe and other regions. He will continue to oversee day-to-day operations, driving operational excellence, while leading strategic growth initiatives spanning the company's diverse product offering, including valvetrain components, steering and suspension parts, and precision-machined components, the company said. His 26-year tenure with the company, global perspective and background in manufacturing leadership, process optimization and team development will position Elgin for continued success in an increasingly dynamic marketplace, according to Skok.

"Chris is a proven leader with a deep understanding of our business and the industries we serve," Skok said. "His long career with Elgin reflects not only his commitment to the company but also his deep connection to our people, our customers, and our values.

"As a family-owned business, leadership continuity and trust matter, and Chris embodies both," he added. "His ability to drive performance, build strong teams, and execute strategic initiatives makes him the ideal choice to take on his new role."

"I am honored to step up to the role of President and COO," Anderson said. "Elgin's strength has always come from our people, our customers, our suppliers, and our longstanding commitment to doing things the right way. I am proud to help continue the legacy of this highly successful, family-owned company and to lead our talented and dedicated team in achieving world-class growth, innovation and customer success."

As CEO, Skok will continue to focus on long-term strategy, partnerships and overall corporate leadership, while supporting Anderson and the executive team in executing the company's vision.

For more information, visit elginind.com.

PRI is mourning the passing of former U.S. Representative Bill Posey (R-FL), a longtime racer, classic car enthusiast and champion of the motorsports industry and the millions of Americans who love to modify and customize their vehicles.

As the longtime co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, Rep. Posey fought on behalf of those who rely on their cars as a means for personal liberty, prosperity and economic freedom.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend, Rep. Bill Posey," said SEMA/PRI CEO Mike Spagnola. "His passion for racing and American car culture was matched only by his deep desire to stand up for common-sense policies during his eight terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Posey was a true friend of SEMA and PRI for over three decades, dating back to his days serving in the Florida State Legislature. Our deepest condolences go out to Katie and the entire Posey family." 

Rep. Posey was always there to help address the challenges facing the American car community and was a leading voice in Congress to protect Americans' right to modify their race cars with performance parts and to drive the vehicles of their choice. He will forever be remembered by PRI and its members for his public service, passion for racing and his classic cars, and devotion to his constituents.  

Read more about Rep. Posey and his deep connections to motorsports.

 Feed image background courtesy of Shutterstock

INDYCAR and INDYCAR Officiating have announced an operating practice and process update following a review of the on-track incident involving car No. 20 during the Saturday, May 9, race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

On Lap 21, car No. 20 lost power and stopped on the front straightaway on the drivers' right of the track off the racing line. Course marshals followed standard flagging protocol and deployed a standing yellow condition at Marshal Panel 14, with a corresponding waving yellow condition at Marshal Panel S/F (start-finish) to alert competitors to the stationary car. The escalation to a full course yellow (FCY) was made on Lap 22 as the driver began to exit the race car.

Following race control practice, the assessment of whether and when to escalate a local yellow to an FCY included the weighing of the following standard factors: driver egress, vehicle position, recovery vehicle access, safety team locations, laps remaining and the timing of approaching traffic to the incident. Additional factors on the timing of an FCY also included pit windows and the running order of cars on the track.

Effective immediately, INDYCAR Officiating will no longer take into consideration pit windows and the running order of cars on track before deploying an FCY. While there is no change to local yellow procedures, initiation of an FCY will be based primarily on: driver status, vehicle position and condition, the location and readiness of safety personnel, recovery access, and the speed differential between affected cars and approaching traffic.

"The Lap 21 incident on Saturday made clear that there needs to be a cleaner standard for how race control moves from a local to a full course yellow," INDYCAR Officiating's Independent Officiating Board chair Raj Nair said. "INDYCAR Officiating, with INDYCAR's full support, has made this change of approach to ensure that the only inputs to the full course yellow escalation are safety ones. Streamlining the assessment will also save time as competitive considerations are no longer a factor."

"The most important job in race control is to ensure the safety of our drivers, crews, safety workers and fans. Saturday highlighted that we must not waver from that central mission and aligning everyone on that philosophy was critical to discuss over the last 48 hours. The Independent Officiating Board, the new managing director of officiating, race director and INDYCAR are all in agreement and the metrics used to determine when to initiate a full course yellow will now ensure that when there is any risk to driver safety, race control will initiate a full course yellow," added INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles.

For the complete details, visit the INDYCAR announcement.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a final rulemaking that repeals the 2024 Public Lands Rule, signaling a major shift in the federal government’s approach to public land management. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior and BLM, the rollback is intended to restore a more traditional “multiple-use” framework for managing public lands across the West.

ORBA and SEMA strongly support the BLM’s decision to back a new federal proposal to repeal a Biden Administration-era policy that threatened recreational access to millions of acres of public lands.

The original 2024 rule--formally known as the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule--generated significant concern throughout the off-road recreation community because it expanded conservation leasing and mitigation mechanisms on public lands while elevating conservation as a standalone land use within BLM policy.

From the beginning, ORBA, SEMA and many other groups across the recreation, agricultural, motorsports and public lands communities questioned whether the rule shifted the balance Congress intended under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), where public lands are managed for multiple uses, including recreation, conservation, grazing, energy production and public access together.

In announcing the proposed repeal, the Department of the Interior stated that the 2024 rule created regulatory uncertainty and added planning and permitting burdens that could impact recreation, grazing, timber, energy and other traditional public land uses.

For the off-road community, this is a significant development, but the broader conversation around public-land access and management is far from over.

Many of the issues affecting motorized recreation occur at the local level through travel management plans, route designations, land-use amendments and project-specific decisions. Those processes will continue regardless of what happens with the national rule itself.

ORBA and SEMA will continue to follow the repeal process and engage on issues that directly affect responsible motorized recreation, public access and the businesses and communities connected to the off-road industry.

As always, long-term access depends on staying engaged, participating in public processes, and continuing to demonstrate that responsible recreation and stewardship can coexist on America’s public lands.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock | Brattain Productions

Hot Shot's Secret, the manufacturer of high-performance additives and lubricants, has announced a multi-tiered sponsorship agreement for the 2026 and 2027 seasons with the IHRA Pro Pulling Series.

In this renewed commitment, the Hot Shot's Secret has agreed to be the title sponsor of the Champions Tour, the official oil, fuel, and fuel additive of the IHRA Pro Pulling Series, and the title sponsor of the Super Farm Tractor class in the Fendt High Stakes Series. The Hot Shot's Secret Champions Tour covers more than 14 major Midwest events, with the first event beginning on May 15 at The Track at Holzhauers in Nashville, Illinois, and concluding in Terre Haute, Indiana, at the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza in August.  

"Pro Pulling continues to grow its audience, and we're especially excited to see how IHRA's involvement will expand the sport," said Hot Shot's Secret Director of Field Marketing and Partnerships Kyle Fischer. "The new Hot Shot's Secret Champions Tour is just one of many new developments that have many people excited for this year's season. With a new series and increased media coverage and greater social media presence, the future of the Pro Pulling is in good hands."

For more information, visit hotshotsecret.com.