Today would be my last day prowling the thousands of exhibits here. I boarded the the shuttle bus from the hotel to the conference center downtown and planned to gather as much of the show for you as I could.
It was early and still dark out. Today, as media, I would be able to have time in the exhibit areas without the crowds and so some easier photo opportunities. I do love all the people, but sometimes it just makes it impossible to get the photographs that I want to share with you folks.
Here is an example of the “new” NASCAR car, There are many changes so here are views of some of them.
Unlike the past years they will now resemble more closely what you would find in a dealership or see on the street instead of a clone of all the other cars with just a change of stickers.
Gone are the steel wheels with five lug nuts. They are replaced with alloy wheels and a central wheel nut that stays with the wheel. They are now 18” diameter that also resembles cars that you would see on the street.
The cabin is definitely that of a race car.
Under the rear is one of the big changes where rear diffusers will accelerate the air going under the cars and produce – DOWNFORCE!
Wings are kept clear and minimal in keeping with efforts to have them more closely resemble street cars.
This should allow NASCAR to race cars that are much closer to their roots of competing “stock” cars against each other. This is a good thing.
Do you think carburetors are dead? Not yet! APD has them to meet current racing needs…
Plenty of parts for tuning and tweaking.
Again, I took these before it was open to the crowds so only a few lights were on.
CHMS – Chassis Height Measurement System continues to advance their capabilities.
They have integrated alignment and weight balancing in with chassis height.
Yesterday we took a look at HAAS, but this quiet in the morning allowed me to focus in on their display without disturbing attendees.
This pedestal holds something very interesting…
It is an actual wheel from the HAAS Formula 1 race car. Regulations change next year and these smaller 13″ diameter wheels with all be replaced with 18” diameter ones.
Take a close look at the wheel nut shown above.
Mr. Haas should be applauded for investing in this team, the first American F1 team in decades.
Here is a look at one of the company’s 5-axis milling machines.
KW is one of the most chosen coil-over shocks for suspension upgrades.
BBS has earned their reputation with their forged aluminum wheels used on high performance street cars as well as the top echelons of racing.
Lucas can be found in the racing world as well as your local automotive store.
EVOLVE
How about a hydrogen powered hotrod truck?
Can you say WOW?
There is a performance fastener that is thought of perhaps more than any other in the industry – but this is another on gaining in reputation:
It is always a good sign as competition expands and keeps everyone on their toes.
This cutaway provides a great view of the fastener in action.
Being a Mitsubishi Evolution owner this 4G63 caught my eye…
They have a huge range of products and will also provide custom solutions.
Over the years you’ve probably heard of E3 spark plugs… …but they have not stopped there
The doors have been open for a while and the crowds were enjoying the exhibits…
When you think of racing how often do you think of EVs? Electric vehicles?
I know my feelings have ranged all over the map, but the reality is that they are not just coming, they are here and growing. Many track day fanatics have adopted Tesla cars for their track car simply for the performance they can achieve with instant torque. Now this PRI exhibit illustrates how much is going on and growing in this area:
Talk about resto-mod. This is an EV Cadillac resto-conversion!
Above is a view of the electric motor powering it.
There are many conversion companies out there and more everyday.
How about a C4 Corvette?
Not to mention the factory conversion to producing not only resto-EVs, but prototype of production EVs.
Something for us all to think about…
Now a flashback to the past… at least for me.
Back in the early 1970s I was hot on autocrossing. It was an opportunity to get my feet wet in racing and within a budget I could afford. I chose the air-cooled VW for its price, and simplicity, and I felt that I could make a winner out of it. So, the first place I turned to was a company called Scat.
It was great to see that they are still around and going strong, but so is the air-cooled VW!
Scat sells everything on this engine stand. What I would give to be able to go back in time with an engine such as this one.
Scat also makes options for seats!
Now we are probably all familiar with the drop-in air filter with the red color that has a long established reputation. Time to step back and take a look at the Green Filter.
It is not a copy of “you know who”. It is a big improvement in design AND performance. When Ford was looking for the best air filter for the Ford GT that they would use at LeMans, they chose the Green Filter over even their own Motorcraft brand because it gave them the best power gain of any they tried. I don’t know about you, but this is one I’m going to look at.
The crowds at PRI continued to be enthralled by all that is on display as well as all the representatives for them to talk with.
As the afternoon headed toward evening and I waited for the shuttle back to my hotel I reflected on these days at PRI.
This years’ PRI gave me a chance to take a measure of where the racing industry is and where it was heading. I had fun running into friends like the folks from Grassroots Motorsports magazine along with Race Tech and Racecar Engineering.
I found many new (to me) companies that were coming to PRI from all over the world and mixing with the American racing fraternity.
EVs are now a real part of racing and will continue to be.
Roger Penske supports PRI and I can’t think of a more dynamic leadership personality to be there.
COVID has impacted many things in America and the world, but clearly not the passion of the racing fraternity.
The news came today that we have lost one of the greats, Al Unser, Sr. In 2013 I visited his museum in Albuquerque, NM, and I would encourage everyone to do so, too. While there I talked with his wife about how much I was enjoying my time there and she went and got Al so that I could meet with him, and we could talk. It was such a great time.
I hope that you enjoyed the view I have provided of this important trade show. I wish that I could show you everything. Maybe next year.
JIM'S GARAGE 
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