Hot Rodders of Tomorrow 2016 Engine Challenge Begins Feb. 20-21 with RP Expo +VIDEO

ST. CHARLES, IL - February 10, 2016: Each year the Race and Performance Expo grows in response to increasing demand from the industry. The 9th Annual RP Expo, held Feb. 20-21 in Schaumburg, Illinois, is slated to be the biggest yet with over 100,000 square feet of high performance products. "We've increased our size 28% and sold out a month earlier. It'll be the biggest and best consumer Race & Performance Expo show in the Midwest," said Tom Stockenberg, the show€™s director.

While the Expo is built upon the same idea as the SEMA and PRI Shows, the Expo stands out by allowing entry to the general public, providing even the Shadetree mechanic the opportunity to purchase parts at discount prices and browse the Car Builder€™s Showcase while still affording more invested enthusiasts the opportunity to attend educational racing seminars and network with retailers, engine builders, sanctioning bodies and more. The Expo will also feature a Swap Meet in which consumers can buy, sell and trade parts.

A key feature to the Expo is the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge. The Engine Challenge is entering its 9th season as well, and has also experienced tremendous growth over the last eight years. The RP Expo will set the backdrop for the Engine Challenge season kickoff in which 32 high school teams will compete against each other in performance engine rebuilds.

Last year€™s Engine Challenge Champion, Team Weld Racing from Eastern Oklahoma County Tech Center, completed four engine rebuilds in an average time of just 18 minutes and 19 seconds. Five high school students work together to tear down and rebuild a performance engine quicker than what€™s required of most professionals. The teams competing at the Expo will be looking for times of 35 minutes or better, without penalties, in order to qualify for the Dual Championships held at the SEMA and PRI Shows later this year.

After outgrowing its old location, this will be the first year in the RP Expo’s new location, the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois. Admission is just $15 for both Saturday and Sunday. Sunday only tickets are $10. Kids 12 and under are free. For more information, including hotel reservations, visit http://www.raceperformanceexpo.com/.

About Hot Rodders of Tomorrow
From humble beginnings in 2008 with just five teams competing against each other, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow <http://www.hotroddersoftomorrow.com/> and its Engine Challenge program has exploded into a national phenomenon dedicated to inspiring the next generation of hot rod enthusiasts. In 2015 a total of 153 teams, 504 high school students, competed in 12 qualifying events across the United States. Each year Hot Rodders of Tomorrow and their growing partners award millions of dollars in scholarships to secondary education in the automotive industry. Hot Rodders of Tomorrow is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.