Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) drivers Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, Leah Pritchett, Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan, and Tommy Johnson Jr. will help kick off the 2019 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show as special guests for the Grand Opening Breakfast on Thursday, December 12.
Offered exclusively for PRI Show attendees, the event features a live talk show-style program served up alongside a catered breakfast to some 3,000 industry professionals in the Indiana Convention Center’s Sagamore Ballroom just prior to the start of the three-day trade-only Show.
Emcee Ralph Sheheen of SPEED SPORT will lead a lively and entertaining discussion with the DSR team that is expected to include personal stories and accomplishments on and off the race track.
“It is an honor to have all seven Don Schumacher Racing drivers join us at the Breakfast and help kick off another amazing PRI Show,” said Karin Davidson, PRI Trade Show Director. “The drivers, along with new host Ralph Sheheen, will make for a very entertaining and unique Breakfast.”
DSR team members scheduled to appear at PRI are among the most accomplished drivers in drag racing today:
- Tony Schumacher: The legendary Top Fuel driver has recorded 84 wins in 153 career final rounds. He has won eight championships, including six straight from 2004 to 2009.
- Antron Brown: The three-time Top Fuel world champion has scored 66 wins in 123 finals rounds during a professional career that began with a successful stint in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
- Leah Pritchett: The talented competitor closed out her second full season as a DSR driver in 2018 with the Factory Stock Showdown Series championship and a top-five finish in the Top Fuel class.
- Ron Capps: The 2016 Funny Car champion ranks second in the class with 63 event wins. He has also scored a victory in Top Fuel, becoming one of only 16 drivers in history to win in both classes.
- Jack Beckman: The Funny Car racer scored a Super Comp championship before moving up to the professional classes, where he has 28 wins and earned the 2012 Funny Car championship.
- Matt Hagan: A two-time Funny Car world champion (2011, 2014), he has 31 career victories in 58 final rounds. He also was the first Funny Car racer to break the 3.8-second barrier and reach 335 mph.
- Tommy Johnson Jr.: He has competed in seven NHRA categories, including Top Fuel and Funny Car, recording 19 wins in 52 career final rounds.
Doors to the Sagamore Ballroom will open at 7 a.m., and the program will begin at 7:45 a.m. PRI attendees are admitted to the Breakfast free of charge, but guests are advised to arrive early, as seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Held December 12–14 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, the 2019 PRI Trade Show will feature over 1,100 companies exhibiting in more than 3,300 booths and showcasing the latest products, services, machinery, simulation and testing technologies, and trailers for the racing industry in a single location. Now in its 32nd year, PRI encompasses all forms of racing and attracts attendees from all 50 states and all over the world, including professional race teams, retail shops, warehouse distributors, engine builders, fabricators, dealers, installers, jobbers and media.
Known as Race Industry Week, the days leading up to and including the Show will offer a range of motorsports-related activities in and around the Indiana Convention Center beginning on Monday, December 9. Numerous conferences and seminars, among them the Race Track Business Conference and International Council of Motorsport Sciences’ Annual Congress, offer unlimited business opportunities and provide invaluable insight on the latest technologies and how to apply them throughout the racing world.
To register for the 2019 PRI Trade Show, secure hotel reservations, and sign up for free business seminars, log on to prishow.com.
This story was originally published on September 3, 2019. 
