Drag racing parts, equipment and solutions will play a prominent role in this year’s Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show, where scores of suppliers for all levels of competition will converge on Indianapolis for the annual epicenter of new racing technology.
Indeed, the segment that spawned some of the first performance parts will be well-represented throughout the floor of the PRI Trade Show, which takes place at the Indiana Convention Center December 8–10, 2016.
“Indianapolis is truly a hub of drag racing because of the US Nationals and the many major teams located nearby,” relayed Bill Miller, PRI Trade Show general manager. “We see all aspects of the sport at PRI, everything from the top professional teams to sportsman racers from across the country, to an ever-growing international presence. The business of drag racing definitely starts here.”
Sixteen-time Funny Car world champion John Force, owner of John Force Racing, is among the many prominent drag racers that regularly attend the PRI Show.
“We do a lot of business at PRI,” said Force. “I see a lot of our sponsors there, and I try to get with as many of them as I can. It’s a chance to meet up with sponsors like Chevrolet and Hurco, as well as get some one-on-one time with a lot of other vendors. They’re all here, and it gives our crew chiefs the chance to see the latest products first-hand.”
Straight-ahead racers and parts/service providers will find wall-to-wall offerings at PRI 2016, where exhibitors run the gamut from top OEMs like Ford and GM, to leading engine outfits like Jon Kaase Racing, Sonny’s Racing Engines and Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, to parts manufacturers like Dart Machinery, Edelbrock, Holley Performance Products, Precision Turbo & Engine, VAC Motorsports, and countless others catering to the drag racing market.
“We hit the Show every year,” said 2015 IHRA Pro Mod World Champion Dina Parise. “We love getting to see our marketing partners one-on-one and seeing new products. The Show is fantastic.”
For exhibitors, the PRI Show presents opportunities to not only display their latest products, but also to meet face-to-face with customers.
“For us to keep growing, it’s very important to attend the PRI Show and meet all of the racers who come to the Show looking for new products,” said Danny Vaca of LAT Racing Oils, which will promote a new, thicker automatic transmission fluid for Pro Mods and two new engine oils for sportsman racers at PRI 2016. “It’s been phenomenal. There are a lot of drag racers—a lot of sportsman, Pro Mod, and Pro Stock racers; just a wide variety of racers—that we want to know about our products.”
Activities connected to this year’s PRI Trade Show begin December 5 with the start of Race Industry Week, which includes more than 45 conferences, seminars and other special events in and around the Convention Center, offering unlimited business opportunities, as well as insight on the latest technologies and how to apply them throughout the racing world. To register, or for more on the Show, including hotel and travel information, visit www.pri2016.com.
This story was originally published on October 26, 2016. 
