Performance Racing Industry

Performance Racing Industry magazine was started in 1986 by Steve Lewis, owner of Laguna Coast Publishing, based in Laguna Beach, California. The magazine is a monthly business publication for entrepreneurs in the auto racing industry. In 1988, Lewis started the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show to provide an annual opportunity for racing business people to preview new racing products.

Performance Racing Industry is also known in the racing industry as PRI. The PRI Trade Show grew to become the world's largest racing trade show. It is now presented in Indianapolis, Indiana, every December. Tens of thousands of racing industry buyers from all 50 states and 65 countries come to the PRI Trade Show to view the latest new product introductions of approximately 1200 companies. The PRI Trade Show is not open to race fans; a person must demonstrate they are part of a racing business in order to be admitted.

Readers of PRI magazine and attendees at the PRI Trade Show are involved in such businesses as selling racing products in a retail store, building race engines professionally, building race cars professionally, operating professional race teams, warehouse distribution, operating a race track, promoting auto races and manufacturing racing components.

Racing components debuted at the PRI Trade Show each year are for all forms of auto racing and karting, including drag racing, stock car racing, open wheel racing, road racing and off-road racing.

Longtime editor John Kilroy was named publisher of PRI magazine in 2012, when the company was purchased by the Specialty Equipment Market Association. He is also vice president of the company. Dan Schechner has been editor of PRI magazine since 2012.