We just returned from the very successful and largest motorsports-focused event in the world, the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show 2022. Every December, the racing industry comes together to reflect on the past year and look forward to the future. Manufacturers meet with potential customers to show off their new products and discuss business. Education seminars and other featured events add to the aura of the show. Throw in the incredible cars and fantastic personalities, and you get one heck of a spectacle. The Edelbrock Group has one of the most visited booths, but we thought we’d bring you the sights from around this industry-only trade show.
Indianapolis, Indiana, hosts the PRI Show annually at the Indiana Convention Center in the downtown area. With Indianapolis’ central location and deep ties to racing with the Indy 500, U. S. Nationals, and loads of other racing events in the state, there is no better place to host such a show. Even Indiana native Tony Stewart kicked off the show at the Grand Opening Breakfast.
The PRI Show Layout
The PRI show officially starts on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. and runs through Saturday at 4:00 p.m. with other side events taking place after hours, but set up for the event begins earlier in the week for some of the more elaborate booths. The show takes place in two large halls (Green and Yellow) at the Indiana Convention Center and even utilizes Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Colts play. Though not as big as the SEMA Show, you will definitely need some good walking shoes to see it all.
There are over 1,000 exhibiting companies between the two main halls, including parts manufacturers and those who support them. Machinery Row is where most of those companies are located. You can see everything from hand tools to water jets, dynamometers, and giant CNC machines slowly machining heads. Be careful in this area; you could get mesmerized by flying aluminum chips.
Specialty Areas
Outside the three large venues, many little ballrooms host featured seminars, events, and areas. PRI 2022 had several of these areas set aside: the EV Performance Zone, Street Outlaws, the Goodyear Experience, Featured Product Showcase, a Content Creation Zone presented by Speed Sport, multiple breakout rooms for PRI Education seminars, and the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow competition (more on this later). There is a lot packed into three days!
EV Performance Zone
Much like the SEMA Show back in November, the push for electrification was a feature in the EV Performance Zone. Electric vehicles of all sorts were on display, demonstrating the growing sector of the performance and racing industry. Standout vehicles included the Avalanche Andretti Formula E Gen2 vehicle, the 2019 Chevrolet eCOPO Camaro, the Turn 14 Distribution x Evasive Motorsports Tesla Model 3, and Big Daddy Don Garlits SR38 Electric Dragster that set a world record in 2019 of 189.04 mph @7.325.
Street Outlaws
It’s no secret that the Street Outlaws television show has provided a renewed interest in performance vehicles. A room dedicated to the popular Discovery Channel show explored the world of street and no-prep racing. Attendees could get up close and personal with their favorite TV stars with scheduled stage appearances. There were also several cars on display.
The Goodyear Experience
Goodyear curated an incredible collection of vintage and racing cars that began with the hanging car display at the front entrance and went all the way down the tunnel to the Lucas Oil Stadium. Once there, it only got better! Two Goodyear rigs were parked back to back with John Force’s funny car, Billy Glidden’s Foxbody Mustang, a Ford GT40, and the NASCAR Garage 56 test car that will run in the 2023 Le Mans 24-Hour race.
Featured Product Showcase
This “must-attend” PRI Show feature offers the latest in motorsports technology, racing products, engine components, services, and much more in the Featured Products Showcase display at Lucas Oil Stadium. It is a place for manufacturers to show off their latest products.
An esteemed panel of racing industry professionals — consisting of Track Operators, Sanctioning Bodies, Social Media Influencers, and Media — selected their favorite products on display and named Product Category Winners in the exclusive Featured Product Awards.
Content Creation Zone Presented by Speed Sport
With the rise of social media influencers, new technologies, and new ways to showcase your brand, PRI presented the Content Creation Zone. Here, speakers covered several topics to help people become successful content creators through their success stories and insider tips. Introductions to the latest gear, technological innovations, and hands-on demonstrations took place all three days. Even Edelbrock Partner and European Top Fuel driver Ida Zetterström got some facetime on stage.
Hot Rodders of Tomorrow National Championship
One of the most rewarding and endearing features at the PRI Show is the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow National Championship. This is the culmination of a year-long competition where teams of five high school students from across the U.S. take apart an engine and put it back together the fastest (without penalties). The Top Eight teams meet at PRI to compete for scholarships and industry recognition. The Edelbrock Group family of brands is a sponsor of the competition, and the Edelbrock team made it to the finals. Sponsors are assigned randomly, so there was no help from the company, but we got to meet with the kids.
The Edelbrock HRoT team is a first-year team from York, Pennsylvania. Some teams have been together for three or four years before they graduate. It was a testament to the coach and the tenacity of these students to make it as far as they did. If you have never been to a competition, we strongly recommend finding one nearby, considering volunteering, or starting a team if you’re young enough!
Familiar PRI Show Faces
There are two things you can always count on at the PRI Show — cars and stars! From TV stars to racing stars, it’s not uncommon to pass an NHRA driver or any one of the Street Outlaws characters as they run to get to their next autograph signings. Unless you are a racing superfan, it is virtually impossible to know if you just passed an SCTA world record holder at Bonneville or one of the racing-sanctioning bodies that don’t get much TV coverage. Then, of course, there are people that everyone knows.
The Edelbrock Group had an autograph signing with most of its partners from 3:00-4:00 p.m. on Friday. Ron Capps, Clay Millican, Ida Zetterström, Amanda Sorensen, and Branden Sorensen signed approximately 200 posters for fans.
The Cars of PRI
Even though PRI is a trade show, there is no better way to show off your products than putting them on a car. The PRI show is a virtual car show of racing-centric cars. It’s not as big as SEMA, but there is definitely more horsepower on display in Indy. If you like big engines, turbos, superchargers, and nitrous, PRI is a smorgasbord of everything to make a car go fast. Here is just a tiny sampling of some of the cars!
