Roger Curtis To Speak On VehicleTechnology Panel at SEMA

BROOKLYN, Nov. 1, 2010: Michigan International Speedway President Roger Curtis is a featured panelist at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this week, emphasizing the efforts to further research and development opportunities on the track’s road courses, skid pad and high-speed oval.

Curtis’ panel at SEMA’s Vehicle Technology Briefing seminar on Wednesday emphasizes the need to accelerate product development, deployment, acceptance and integration of automotive and consumer electronics. Curtis will highlight the speedway’s involvement with R&D, connected vehicle technology and its green initiatives that have taken place at MIS since 2009, thus making the track a hot bed for testing in the state and throughout the Midwest.

“As these initiatives continue to grow, this is a great opportunity to tell the experts in the industry that MIS is a great location for testing and development,” Curtis said. “Our goal is to become the independent closed-course testing facility that all manufacturers and after-market providers will use to test multiple technologies and, with it, bring jobs to the South Central Michigan area.”

Since MIS announced a partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) in early 2009, the track has served as the host for many test sessions and events, including the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competition, which took place over 31 days this past summer.

The competition was a tremendous opportunity to see multiple teams push the limits on how to make a more fuel-efficient vehicle. The goal of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE was to inspire a new generation of viable, super fuel-efficient vehicles that offered more consumer choices. Ten million dollars in prizes were awarded to the teams that won a stage competition for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceeded 100 Miles per gallon or energy equivalent (MPGe).

“The Progressive Automotive X Prize competition was a great way to show off our facility and how it can be used for different kinds of testing,” Curtis said. “From connected vehicle technology to emissions testing and beyond, our track can be utilized for many different kinds of things.”

Connected vehicle technologies allow cars to “talk” to one another and provide infrastructure to prevent collisions and improve mobility with fuel efficiency. Since 2009, MIS has hosted several connected vehicle test sessions. including TEAMLINC™, a product of Westlake, Ohio,-based Western DataCom and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development Center (TARDEC), which demonstrated connected vehicle capabilities with their secure Mobile Ad Hoc Networking (MANET) technologies for the U.S. Army National Automotive Center.

The use of MIS as a private road test facility is one of the final pieces that puts Michigan and Michigan International Speedway at the forefront of this industry-defining technology. Already home to more than 80 percent of the automotive R&D in the United States, the united effort between MIS, MDOT, Connected Vehicle Proving Center (CVPC), Center for Automotive Research (CAR), and others are under way to make Michigan the center for connected vehicle technology, development and testing. Studies have shown any state that successfully pulls together a fully functioning “lab to assembly line” system with connected vehicle technology, will create between 16,000 and 41,000 high tech jobs and contribute between $177 and $448 million in state income tax revenues.

This is the second year Curtis has been invited to be a SEMA panelist. The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, and RV markets.

Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.

The best, guaranteed lowest prices in 2011 will go to renewal customers and new customers who make a $30 goodwill deposit. Renewals are under way for 2010 ticket holders. New customers can log onto www.MISpeedway.com or call 800-354-1010 to leave a deposit. That deposit ensures race fans get the best pricing for 2011.