Drag Racing Industry Turns Out In Full Force at 2010 PRI Trade Show

ORLANDO, Dec. 16, 2010: As the 2010 PRI Trade Show had three full days brimming with business, no form of motorsport was better represented than the drag racing industry. In addition to numerous drag racing-related businesses, numerous personalities from the sport were on hand, including Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, Pro Stock Motorcyle champion Hector Arana, Top Fueler Morgan Lucas and Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson.

“It’s important that NHRA is here as we represent the drag racing industry,” said Jeff Morton, of the NHRA. “PRI has all forms of motorsports, but drag racing is a large part of it. In the last few years we’ve been promoting drag racing heavily internationally. It’s always been popular in Australia and Sweden, but it’s growing elsewhere as well. There’s a large presence internationally here. Drag racers everywhere want to go fast and this is the biggest trade show in the world for them and they’re here to buy.” Drag racing businesses from around the globe were represented at the PRI Trade Show, both large and small.

“More than any other show, PRI attracts the Mopar brand’s core customers of racers, muscle-car owners and ultra-performance enthusiasts,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, which was launching the 2011 Mopar Challenger V-10 Drag Pak. Of course, one didn’t need to be a major corporate brand like Mopar to have a successful PRI Trade Show with the large drag racing contingent on hand.

“The PRI Show is an excellent forum for us to get to drag racers,” said Scott Weney, of S&W Race Cars. “It’s a diverse show and very good for the drag race crowd. Every year, the show seems to have gotten better for us. We’re finding more and more drag racing customers here every year. As the U.S. dollar gets weaker, foreign currency gets stronger and the international buyer finds it more affordable to buy direct from the people that created drag racing here in the U.S.”

Those thoughts were echoed by others exhibiting. “We have a lot of drag racing customers who come here and they’re asking about new product and what they can do out for next year,” relayed Ainsley Hyman, of Precision Turbo & Engine. “Given the current economy, business went surprisingly well. Product was moving and people were definitely buying.”

Then again, it should be no surprise that drag racing would play such a prominent role again in this year’s 23rd annual show. “Drag racing will always play a major role at the PRI Trade Show,” said Steve Lewis, show producer. “It’s the industry that spawned the first performance parts and after-market shows going back to the days when racers would take their street car to the local drag strip on Friday and Saturday night. And the passion of drag racers is still going strong today.”

Overall, nearly 40,000 racing business people from all 50 states and 65 countries worldwide attended this year’s show to get current with the latest in racing technology courtesy of the 1,000 motorsports companies introducing their new lines in racing products, machining equipment, motorsport engineering solutions and more. Next year’s 2011 PRI Trade Show will take place Dec. 1-3 at the Orange County Convention Center.