PRI and SEMA will support the reception at the Road Racing Drivers Club (RRDC) Evening with Derek Bell MBE on April 16, 2026, at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. This is the RRDC's 16th banquet honoring auto racing's most influential leaders.

SEMA and PRI are the leading organizations advocating for the automotive aftermarket industry, as well as the nation's 70-million automotive enthusiasts. Yaamava' Resort and Casino at San Manuel is also supporting the event.

"We are pleased to have Yaamava' Resort & Casino and SEMA/PRI returning this year to sponsor the reception at the RRDC Evening with Derek Bell MBE presented by Firestone," said RRDC President Bobby Rahal. "Their support will help benefit the RRDC's longtime initiatives, and we are grateful for their support."

This year's gala will be held at the Westin Long Beach Hotel at 333 E. Ocean Blvd., on Thursday, April 16, in advance of the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the fifth race of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. It will honor Derek Bell MBE, whose racing career is one of the most successful, diverse and wide-ranging of any British racing driver. Bell has enjoyed one of the most successful, diverse and wide-ranging racing careers of any British racing drivers which spans more than 40 years, and is best-known for winning the Le Mans 24 Hours five times, the Daytona 24 Hours three times and the World Sports Car Championship twice.

Proceeds of the dinner will benefit The Mark Donohue Foundation, which supports the RRDC's SAFEisFAST initiative. Tickets may be purchased on the RRDC web site rrdc.org/events. The event is open to the public. This event is expected to sell out, so early reservations are recommended.

The RRDC was formed in 1952 as a way to give champion drivers a say in their sport, particularly in the areas of safety, and has evolved to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. The Club's membership includes leading industry professionals, race officials and motorsports journalists, in addition to prominent racing names.

In 2011, the RRDC launched a free online training seminar--www.SAFEisFAST.com--featuring RRDC members and other industry experts in high-quality videos covering subjects from physical and mental preparation to driving techniques, driver safety to car setup and sponsorship. The videos are updated regularly. Each week, a professional from the world of motor racing answers readers' questions on the site in a feature called 'Ask a Pro.' 

For more information, visit rrdc.org.

I-beams, H-beams, and hybrid connecting rods are consistently being refined by manufacturers that have debuted exciting products in time for the 2026 racing season. Experts in this field test numerous alloys and design concepts to determine the most effective approach for a given application.

With technological advances at the forefront of component creation, some manufacturers are reinventing how parts are designed and produced. For others, refining a proven product is all that's necessary to keep a race engine running in top form.

Drag Racing

Covering the shortest distances at the highest speeds, drag racing engines endure some of the harshest internal conditions. This makes connecting rods critical to keeping these engines intact as they power down the drag strip.

Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Molnar Technologies provides racers with connecting rods built to withstand heavy doses of power. Molnar's PWR ADR and PWR ADR Plus series have been available for nearly a decade, and Tom Molnar summed up why the company continues to refine these rod series.

"With the higher boost and nitrous levels, stronger connecting rods are needed. We are adding to our list of PWR ADR and PWR ADR Plus rods." He pointed out that the latter rods have more cross section in the beam to support higher combustion pressures.

Molnar Technologies utilizes 4340 billet steel for its H-beam-style connecting rods. Beyond its championed alloy, increased tensile strength is a result of its heat-treating and shot-peening process, which Molnar said, "increases fatigue life.

"Our PWR ADR Plus rods have even more cross section in the beam, plus they have a larger footprint at the parting line, pads around the bolt heads, and even stronger rod caps. This all helps stabilize the big end bore and keep it round at high rpm when heavier pistons and wrist pins are used."

Its rods come standard with resistant bronze bushings for long wrist pin life and utilize ARP2000 material bolts, which Molnar said are custom-made for its shop by ARP. "We are constantly adding new connecting rods to our line." And if an option isn't currently available, he said, "if someone has a need for rods we don't currently make, call us. We can help."

Announced prior to the 2025 PRI Show, CP-Carrillo in Irvine, California, and Brian Crower, Inc. (BC) in El Cajon, California, have partnered to serve a broader market for CP-Carrillo's customer base. The roles of the partnership are simple: CP-Carrillo designs and BC manufactures the product. The new connecting rod line will be available through CP-Carrillo's distribution network.

"We found a way to come up with a product that's more affordable, while still having the same features, strength, and reliability," said Pete "Snake" Calvert of CP-Carrillo.

The partnership includes forged 4340 steel rods, which are "for the domestic market," said Richard Batchelor of CP-Carrillo. "We're not going to be stepping into his sport compact world, so we're working with him, and it's going to be a middle-cost rod."

Batchelor explained that the dimensional tolerances of the housing bores, length, and thickness of each end remain consistent, stating it is "dependent upon the product, but it ranges anywhere from 1,500- to 2,000 horsepower for a drag racing application."

The machined and forged 4340 alloy steel rods are offered with ARP2000 or ARP Custom Age 625+ bolts, which Calvert described as offering "exceptional performance at a competitive price."

"What we've done is taken a lot of our popular combinations from Carrillo and duplicated that with the 4340 alloy," he said. "Not everybody can afford a Carrillo rod--and there's a lot of competition out there with other brands people can afford--so we're going to go play in that sandbox."

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 this article here and additional coverage in the March/April 2026 issue here. 

The gravitational pull that the annual PRI Show exerts on the racing community draws a number of competition-related conferences and seminars to Indianapolis every December. Among them is the International Council of Motorsport Sciences (ICMS) Annual Congress.

"It's two great days of incredible presentations, case studies, and panels," said Tom Weisenbach, the ICMS's executive director. "Leading experts from around the world come to discuss how we can improve safety and medical care. The Annual Congress attendees like discussing how we can make our cars better. Not necessarily faster, but safer."

Weisenbach said the topics for each year's Congress are based on feedback the ICMS receives from the previous gathering. What they heard after the 2024 Congress was a desire to learn more about subjects that don't always get top billing when racing safety is discussed--things like concussions, hearing loss, and overall driver health. So the 2025 Congress included presentations and roundtable discussions with physicians and other health professionals, university professors, race track medical directors, and even drivers to discuss the latest research findings and treatments for these sometimes overlooked conditions.

During the run-up to the Congress, we spoke with several of the panelists about how the racing community continues to improve ways to protect drivers (and their crew).

Concussion

"Sanctioning bodies are taking a much more serious look at drivers who make contact with a wall," Weisenbach said. "They're doing a much better job of doing basic tests at the track to see if the driver may be concussed."

"IndyCar is probably at the forefront in the different ways that we measure or proactively look at our drivers to try and avoid concussion, in the different diagnostic tools that we use to identify concussions early, and then in the use of tools to assist our drivers to get back in the cars," said Dr. Melissa McCarthy. An assistant professor at the Indiana University (IU) School of Medicine and an emergency medicine physician at the IU Methodist Hospital, McCarthy is also part of a team of doctors and other safety personnel who travel with IndyCar.

"The unique thing about IndyCar is, we have the same physicians at every race," she said. "We get to know the drivers pretty well over time, so we can identify when someone's just not acting right." That familiarity is reinforced by baseline tests of each driver's neurocognitive functions that the doctors perform during the drivers' annual physicals.

Concussions in motorsports are very different than those sustained in sports like football or soccer, McCarthy pointed out. "Those concussions are more like impact injuries. Our drivers experience significant G forces when they have a crash, but they may be more rotational versus a head impact injury. I'm referring to the spinning and the flipping that can cause diffuse axonal injury in the brain."

For those of us who don't speak medicine, she explained, "Imagine your brain is a big spider web. You have all these little neurons that connect your brain to your skull. When you have significant G forces in a spinning or rotational axis, many of those can break, and that's the diffuse axonal injury."

Mitigating the risk of concussion requires "a combination of multiple things," McCarthy said. "In the car, we do as much as we can to limit head movement. We have the head surround in the car, which plays a key role in protecting our driver's head movement. We have the helmets and the HANS devices."

Among the diagnostic tools IndyCar uses to predict concussion in the wake of an accident is an accelerometer that the drivers wear in their earpieces. "We can look, in six axes, at their velocities and G forces when they have an incident." McCarthy said IndyCar has also started a trial in which the drivers wear a small gyroscope in their ears "to measure what their head is actually experiencing and what that rotational energy is."

Fortunately, "we don't have that many concussions every year," McCarthy added. For those who do suffer a concussion, IndyCar takes a "step-wise approach" to recovery that starts with a period of rest and evolves into "a period of light activity, and then more rigorous activity. Some of that is physical training to get them back to the level they were. We also want to see them perform in a simulator-type environment."

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.    

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 this article here and additional coverage in the March/April 2026 issue here. 

Dayco, a provider of high-performance drive system solutions, has joined the NHRA Contingency Program for 2026.

Dayco will post $17,000 for racers competing at the NHRA level in specific classes who run Dayco blower belts and earn win or runner-up finishes.

This initiative reinforces Dayco's commitment to high-horsepower performance and grassroots-to-professional motorsports racing, company representatives said, as the contingency program was designed by the NHRA to create a direct connection between manufacturers and racers by rewarding superior performance with tangible financial incentives.

For 2026, Dayco will award NHRA racers competing in Pro Mod, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes. Eligible racers who run Dayco's 8mm blower belts, display the required Dayco decals and meet NHRA Contingency Program guidelines will qualify for payouts when finishing as event winner or runner-up in these classes:

• Pro Mod ($500 to win, $100 to runner-up per event)
• Top Alcohol Dragster ($300 to win, $100 to runner-up per event)
• Top Alcohol Funny Car ($300 to win, $100 to runner-up per event)

For more information, visit dayco.com.

Details on eligible categories, payout levels and decal requirements will be available through NHRA's official contingency portal: NHRA.com/Competition/Contingency.

2013 Indianapolis 500 winner, current Arrow McLaren Team Principal and former PRI Show Grand Opening Breakfast Speaker Tony Kanaan will speak at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum on Thursday, May 7, at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

"An Evening with Tony Kanaan" will feature an in-depth discussion about his current role, his racing career and more. Following the discussion, the audience will engage in a Q&A and meet-and-greet autograph session. The program will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the museum's atrium, with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. 

"Tony Kanaan embodies the passion, perseverance and connection to fans that define the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. From delivering one of the most emotional Indianapolis 500 victories in history to now leading at the highest level as a team principal, his story continues to inspire the entire motorsports community," IMS Museum President Michael Good said. "We're thrilled to welcome Tony back for what promises to be an unforgettable evening." 

In his first season as Arrow McLaren Team Principal in 2025, Kanaan led the team to its best-ever season results. He guided the team to an impressive two wins, 12 podiums and three pole positions, capped off by Pato O'Ward's second-place finish in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. 

Tickets for "An Evening with Tony Kanaan" are on sale now for members. General public tickets will be available Monday, March 23, at imsmuseum.org/tickets.

Image courtesy of IMS Museum

A historic moment in American motorsports will unfold March 28 at Hickory Motor Speedway when professional racer Dystany Spurlock becomes the first Black woman to compete in the ARCA Menards Series.

Spurlock, originally from Richmond, Virginia, will make her debut in the ARCA Menards Series East, one of NASCAR's developmental divisions and a traditional launching pad for drivers pursuing the sport's highest levels, the series said.

Her breakthrough start in the Cook Out 200 marks both a personal milestone and a significant step toward her goal of competing in a national ARCA Menards Series event this spring, with plans to run additional races throughout 2026, she said. Ultimately, Spurlock hopes to fulfill a lifelong dream of racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

"This moment means everything to me," Spurlock said. "Since I was a little girl, I've dreamed of racing in NASCAR. I've worked so hard for this, so many opportunities that have come and gone, but now I'm really here, and I'm ready. I'm excited to build my race craft and learn, and hopefully make it to the Cup level."

Before transitioning to stock cars, Spurlock built her reputation in motorcycle drag racing, becoming the first woman to win the Real Street class in the XDA Motorcycle Drag Racing Series and setting a world record in the process. In 2025, she also became only the second Black woman to compete in the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle category and is finalizing plans to race again this season.

Spurlock will pilot the No. 66 Ford Mustang for MBM Motorsports and Garage 66, led by former NASCAR driver and longtime team owner Carl Long. Based in Statesville, North Carolina, MBM also fields cars in all three of NASCAR's national touring series.

Supporting Spurlock off the track is veteran motorsports performance coach Phil Horton, Director of Athletic Performance, who has trained NASCAR drivers, pit crews and teams for years in strength, conditioning and reaction skills.

Spurlock's journey is being documented by her management team and primary sponsor Foxxtecca in a docuseries titled "Driven by Dystany: The Road to NASCAR." Based in Detroit and co-founded by Chris Harris and Kellie Crawford, Foxxtecca is an experiential media and events company.

For more information, visit arcaracing.com.

Image courtesy of ARCA Racing

IMSA has announced the IMSA Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

The latest group of inductees consists of six legendary drivers alongside four memorable race cars that competed across five decades of IMSA racing.

"Every year, the IMSA Hall of Fame gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the people and the machines that shaped who we are," said IMSA President John Doonan. "But this 2026 class reaches straight to the heart. These drivers didn't just win races; they inspired generations. These cars didn't just break records; they changed the way we felt about what was possible in our sport.

"Each inductee represents a moment when someone pushed a little harder, dreamed a little bigger, and left a mark that will outlast all of us. Their stories are woven into IMSA's history and honoring them reminds us why we all fell in love with this sport in the first place. It's a privilege to celebrate their impact, and to carry their legacy forward."

Launched in 2023, the IMSA Hall of Fame celebrates more than 50 years of North American sports car racing excellence and lives digitally at www.imsahalloffame.com.

Inductees are selected by a nomination committee that includes past and present IMSA executives and members, as well as a rotating group of media members with intimate knowledge of IMSA's rich history. The 2026 class will be officially enshrined in the IMSA Hall of Fame at the WeatherTech Night of Champions, which celebrates the accomplishments and great moments from the season after the Motul Petit Le Mans season finale in October.

IMSA Hall of Fame Class of 2026

• Bill Auberlen
• Butch Leitzinger
• Roger Mandeville
• Brian Redman
• Lyn St. James
• Hans-Joachim Stuck
• Audi 90 Quattro GTO
• Riley Daytona Prototype
• Greenwood Corvettes
• Mazda RX-3

Click here for more information on the full Class of 2026.

IMSA has revealed its 2027 schedules for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

The WeatherTech Championship again features an 11-race season with some subtle changes, while the Michelin Pilot Challenge again features 10 races but will include a second headlining event in 2027. All 11 venues that have hosted the series for the past several seasons are returning in 2027.

The season will start with the 65th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, slated for the weekend of January 28-31, on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway circuit. Daytona again kicks off the "36 Hours of Florida," and will be followed by the milestone 75th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 17-20.

Both races again will be part of the five-race IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup season and will include all four classes--Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD).

The 30th Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, will close out both the 2027 WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Endurance Cup seasons on October 6-9.

The two-class IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge---featuring the Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR) classes--will be the weekend headliner for two of its 10 event weekends in 2027 as the series tops the bill in a return to Lime Rock Park in addition to being the main attraction with its annual four-hour race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

For more information, visit imsa.com. See the full 2027 IMSA schedule below:

Images courtesy of IMSA

Bob Tullius, a pioneering figure of American road racing and member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, IMSA Hall of Fame and SCCA Hall of Fame, has passed away. He was 95.

In 1964, he captured the SCCA D Production National Championship at Riverside Raceway, driving a Triumph TR4. In 1975, Tullius claimed a second SCCA National Championship. Competing in SCCA's Trans Am Series, Tullius amassed 21 victories and 27 podium finishes in just 62 starts, securing the drivers' championship in 1977 and 1978 in the series' top category.

Tullius co-founded the Group 44 team, earning 10 IMSA GTP class wins as a driver in the Jaguar XJR-5 and XJR-7 in the mid-'80s. In its 25 years, Tulius' Group 44 combined for 14 national titles and more than 300 wins in the IMSA GTP endurance races, SCCA Club Races and SCCA Trans Am Series.

"Bob Tullius was one of the true originals in American sports car racing," said IMSA President John Doonan. "He was a visionary competitor, a gifted team leader and a gentleman whose presence elevated every paddock he entered. His success with Group 44 and his decades of innovation and excellence left an unmistakable imprint on IMSA's history and on the countless people he inspired along the way.

"We mourn the loss of a Hall of Famer, a pioneer, and a dear friend to our community. On behalf of everyone at IMSA, we extend our deepest condolences to Bob's family, friends, former teammates and the many fans who cherished his remarkable legacy."

"Bob Tullius leaves behind an amazing legacy of innovation, leadership and competitive excellence that helped shape modern sports car racing," said SCCA President and CEO Mike Cobb. "It's an honor to be part of the same Club that Bob called home for so many years. What an incredible life lived."

Tullius was inducted into the Sebring Hall of Fame in 2014, the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2015, the British Sports Car Hall of Fame in 2017, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2018 and the IMSA Hall of Fame in 2025.

For more information on Tullius' career, visit mshf.com.

Image courtesy of Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Facebook

PRI continues advancing "Right to Race" efforts nationwide to protect race tracks and the racing community. Here's the latest, straight from PRI's Washington, D.C.-based Advocacy team: 
 

Virginia: State Lawmakers Launch PRI-supported Motorsports Caucus

PRI participated in the inaugural meeting of the Virginia Motorsports Caucus on March 12 at the state Capitol in Richmond. The caucus, chaired by Sen. Bill Stanley and Del. Israel O'Quinn, brought together lawmakers and leaders from across the motorsports community to discuss the issues facing racing facilities, teams and related businesses, and how policymakers can help ensure the long-term success of the industry.

Representatives from Richmond Raceway, Langley Speedway, Dominion Raceway and South Boston Speedway joined NASCAR and other stakeholders to share perspectives on challenges facing race tracks and the broader racing ecosystem.

During the meeting, PRI highlighted the growing national momentum behind "Right to Race" legislation and shared economic data demonstrating the industry's significance in Virginia, where motorsports generates $907.02 million in annual economic output, supports 5,555 jobs, provides $362.15 million in wages and benefits and contributes nearly $110 million in state and local taxes.

Wisconsin: PRI Provides Policy Update at POWAR Motorsports Coalition Meeting

Members of the Promoters and Operators of Wisconsin Auto Racing (POWAR) at their bi-annual industry meeting at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, received updates from PRI on motorsports policy efforts to protect racing in the state and across the country. The meeting brought together race track owners and operators, sanctioning bodies, insurance providers and manufacturers from across Wisconsin to discuss issues affecting the motorsports community.

Wisconsin is home to one of the most vibrant grassroots racing communities in the country, with race tracks serving as economic and tourism drivers for local communities and gathering places for motorsports enthusiasts across the state.

During the meeting, PRI presented an overview of the growing national momentum behind "Right-to-Race" legislation and discussed the importance of proactive engagement with state policymakers to protect long-standing racing facilities from nuisance-based legal challenges.

Attendees also received updates on legislative activity in Wisconsin and on the role the motorsports community can play in educating lawmakers about the industry's economic and cultural contributions.

Michigan: PRI Gives Motorsports Policy Update at MSPA Meeting

PRI and met with more than 85 industry leaders at a recent gathering to provide updates on legislative efforts affecting race tracks and the broader motorsports ecosystem. The meeting, hosted at Lane Automotive, brought together race-track operators, promoters, manufacturers, distributors and other industry stakeholders to discuss challenges facing motorsports and opportunities to strengthen the industry's voice with policymakers.

During the presentation, PRI highlighted the growing national effort to advance "Right-to-Race" protections to safeguard long-standing race tracks from nuisance-based lawsuits brought after surrounding development occurs.

The discussion also focused on the importance of collaboration between industry leaders and lawmakers to ensure that motorsports facilities and stakeholders can continue operating responsibly while supporting local jobs and small businesses.

Michigan's deep automotive heritage and strong motorsports culture make the state an important leader in the performance racing industry, with race tracks serving as key hubs for competition, innovation and community engagement.

How You Can Get Involved and Support a Good Cause

For more information and to get involved in race-track nuisance protection efforts in your state, contact PRI Government Affairs at governmentaffairs@sema.org.

For state-specific questions, contact one of the senior managers for state government affairs:

• Tierra Hubbard (East Coast) at tierrah@sema.org
• Victor Muñoz (West Coast) at victorm@sema.org

Lead image courtesy of NASCAR | James Price