Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

David Vizard wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 10:49 am

kimosabi wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 6:45 am I'm not going I just wanted to say thats a big one! My dog team of Alaskans are bigger than most but they are dwarfed by that one.

I believe that is an arctic wolf you are looking at. May be part dog but Mike will fill you in on that.
DV

Yes that is Takoda one of our arctic wolves about 125lbs or so,,, hard to get him to stand on a scale
We have 4 now, lost one last month. Three are arctic wolves & one timber wolf/malamute mix

Ok, sorry, enough thread jacking, back to the PRI topic

Walter R. Malik wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:36 pm I wish those people who bring their wife, (unless she is a vital part of the business), and kids would leave them somewhere else.

It shows that they don't really want to be there and simply clog-up the isles for those of us who really have an interest.

As a PRI exhibitor for the last 29 years, the wife and kids don't bug me, because they don't really take any of my time. Give them a bag of popcorn, and maybe a decal, and they're on their way.
The issue, is all the tire kickers, that aren't in the industry. Nothing like having to talk to some guy for 20 minutes about his '73 Camaro, that he's thinking about hoppin' up next year, when he gets his tax return, while 3 or 4 professional engine builders wait to talk to me.
You're supposed to prove you're in the industry, to be allowed in, but PRI stopped checking years ago. I've seen guys get in, where their only proof of being in the industry, was a business card they made and printed on their PC. Now that SEMA owns PRI, I think it's going to get worse.

PRI started, because SEMA was no longer a good fit for serious racing/performance companies. Now PRI has become a smaller version of SEMA. Time for someone to step up, and start a new trade show, that actually focuses on racing again.

Bring it back to Florida also?

John Wallace wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 1:57 pm Bring it back to Florida also?

I like Orlando. It's the same drive time for me, as Indy, but I'd much rather drive South in December, then North.
Unfortunately, the show needs to be in Indy.
A lot of professional engine builders from the mid-west, stopped attending when they moved to Orlando. To keep up the numbers of attendees, that's when PRI started relaxing their requirements to attend.

CamKing wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 2:37 pm
A lot of professional engine builders from the mid-west, stopped attending when they moved to Orlando. To keep up the numbers of attendees, that's when PRI started relaxing their requirements to attend.

Yep ... Those people who don't really belong as "industry professionals" are usually the ones who meander through the isles with their family.

Bringing that family along on a mini-vacation seems to have started when the PRI went to Orlando.

Walter R. Malik wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 2:52 pm

CamKing wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 2:37 pm
A lot of professional engine builders from the mid-west, stopped attending when they moved to Orlando. To keep up the numbers of attendees, that's when PRI started relaxing their requirements to attend.

Yep ... Those people who don't really belong as "industry professionals" are usually the ones who meander through the isles with their family.

Bringing that family along on a mini-vacation seems to have started when the PRI went to Orlando.

It did for me. When they moved it to Orlando, I rented a condo, right behind the convention center, and brought the wife and kids. They would go to Disney world/Universal Studios, while I worked the booth. That got real old, after 2 years.

Indy is convenient for me (1hr drive), but I think the shows in Orlando were better all around. The chassis dynos running non stop outside was really cool.

In one of my trips, when leaving the hotel after checking in:
Front desk: "Sir, you may want to consider a jacket, it's cold outside"
Me: "How cold?"
Font desk: "50 degrees"
Me: "Thank you, but I should be OK, it was 11 degrees when I left Indy this morning"

CamKing wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 3:07 pm

Walter R. Malik wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 2:52 pm

CamKing wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 2:37 pm
A lot of professional engine builders from the mid-west, stopped attending when they moved to Orlando. To keep up the numbers of attendees, that's when PRI started relaxing their requirements to attend.

Yep ... Those people who don't really belong as "industry professionals" are usually the ones who meander through the isles with their family.

Bringing that family along on a mini-vacation seems to have started when the PRI went to Orlando.

It did for me. When they moved it to Orlando, I rented a condo, right behind the convention center, and brought the wife and kids. They would go to Disney world/Universal Studios, while I worked the booth. That got real old, after 2 years.

At least the rest of the family went to other places and you did not bring them to the show with you to get in the way of others who were there for actual business.

I will be there. I went to Orlando once. Stated going to the IMIS show when it started. It was a good show, just a little small.

I've spent a lot of time in booths in other industry shows. Easy way to tell who's for real. The professional very quickly wants to know what the guy in the booth can sell him to help his business or solve his problem. Those who want to tell the guy in the booth about their car, their engine, their project, want to show photos on the phone, are not in the business. Guess who takes up the most time? Guess who's angling for a discount or a freebie?

I sure hope that SEMA is not planning to turn the PRI Show into another SEMA circus. I attended one of the first SEMA Shows in 1968 or 69 (yeah, old guy), when the show was held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Probably 100 or so vendors there with simple table-top displays, each one manned personally by pioneers of the high performance industry of the time; Iskenderian, Engle, Crane, Erson, Schiefer, Hurst, Offenhauser, Edelbrock Jr, Weiand, Thompson, Hays, Summers Bros, Hrudka, Crower, Hooker, Hedman, Casler, etc., etc. At that time SEMA stood for "Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association".

Then the show was moved to Anaheim Convention, but was still primarily a high performance oriented show. At some point SEMA was changed to "Speed Equipment Market Association", as many members were not manufacturers, but warehouse distributors, speed shops, etc.

In the late 70's the show was moved to Las Vegas and that is where it went out of control. Many booths rented to organizations that are only very loosely connected to the high performance industry. That was also about the time that SEMA name was change to the more politically-correct Specialty Equipment Market Association.

randy331 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:14 am I was planning on going, but I'm just a hobbyist, so I guess I'm out.

Randy

Not a problem.Find someone with a team who's going....or make up a name for one of your own ..... maybe ABC Racing and get your name in.
It's not hard to do.

The Radius Kid wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:02 pm

randy331 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:14 am I was planning on going, but I'm just a hobbyist, so I guess I'm out.

Randy

Not a problem.Find someone with a team who's going....or make up a name for one of your own ..... maybe ABC Racing and get your name in.
It's not hard to do.

What you refer to as "not a problem" IS the very problem with the PRI.

Walter R. Malik wrote: ↑Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:23 am

The Radius Kid wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:02 pm

randy331 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:14 am I was planning on going, but I'm just a hobbyist, so I guess I'm out.

Randy

Not a problem.Find someone with a team who's going....or make up a name for one of your own ..... maybe ABC Racing and get your name in.
It's not hard to do.

What you refer to as "not a problem" IS the very problem with the PRI.

I've found that if you can break away and attend the show on Thursday that it seems to be easier to get around to the booths that you want to visit. Normally I do that and then come back for a little on Friday morning before heading home. I don't know if I'm going to go to the show or not this year I can't decide.

The Radius Kid wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2017 11:02 pm

randy331 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:14 am I was planning on going, but I'm just a hobbyist, so I guess I'm out.

Randy

Not a problem.Find someone with a team who's going....or make up a name for one of your own ..... maybe ABC Racing and get your name in.
It's not hard to do.

I kind of ashamed to say that's what I did this year.

The other years I went I was in the promoting biz at dirt and asphalt ovals... quit all that in 2013. Now I'm just another old guy trying to make one last lap around the local dirt track... but I am bringing along a friend who is in the retail parts business.

I'll try to keep the mini-van at home...