Christmas is definitely a very special time of year. It's the time when people who normally wouldn't give the time of day to each other miraculously change into loving, gift-giving fools. It's also very near the same time of year that the giant Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) put on their big trade shows. What's so big about the SEMA and PRI shows you ask? Parts! It's the high-performance holy land where gearheads like us (sorry, neither show is open to the public) wander the aisles recklessly in search of the hottest new power and appearance parts so we can snap pictures and tell you, the reader, what's in store for next year. So take a look at these two giant shows as seen through our camera's eye and perhaps you'll see something that you'll want under next year's tree.
SEMA 2000
Each year between Halloween and Thanksgiving, Las Vegas is literally run over by the racing aftermarket. Hundreds of thousands descend upon sin-city for a week of reveling at the largest automotive aftermarket show in the world. And, once again, we were there with cameras in hand, to bring you some spy shots of things to come in 2001.
Forged Performance
Weld Racing already has a sizeable share of the performance wheel market covered. Now they're going BIG! The new line of EVO forged one-piece aluminum wheels designed specifically for the larger-than-life, and still growing, SUV and pickup markets is going to be the biggest you've ever seen. Sizes approaching that of wheels from the landing gear on a 747 will be available for your truck. The biggest to come yet will be Weld's 22x9.5-inch beasts, available in February 2001. Folks, it doesn't get any bigger than this. Information: Weld Racing, 1220 Union, Dept. SC, Kansas City, MO 64101, (800) 788-9353, www.weldmotorsports.com, www.weldracing.com.
PRI 2k
Indianapolis is not someplace we'd normally choose to leave our warm coastal climate for early December. But, that's when the Performance Racing Industry Show rolls into town and we're willing to give up a few days in the warm sun for something this cool. The show took over the downtown Indianapolis Convention Center, which is linked directly to the RCA dome where the Indianapolis Colts usually kick their ball around. But the PRI Show was so huge that the Colts had to give up some floor space as it overflowed the convention hall and several of the larger displays were set up surrounding the 50-yard line.
Total Top Rings
Total Seal has moved its gapless ring design a step up. Gapless ring technology was first experimented with in the top ring groove way back in the '60s. Metallurgy then was not what it is today and the gapless ring was moved down to the second groove because the top rings kept breaking. Total Seal now offers its gapless top rings made from the best materials currently used in all top racing engines, including hi-tensile ductile iron, HF479, and tool steel. This new top ring technology doesn't mean there will no longer be gapless second rings. Total Seal still offers its gapless second ring packages as well as standard gapped top and second ring packages, because they know that there's more than one way to seal an engine's bore. Information: Total Seal, 22642 North 15th Ave., Dept. SC, Phoenix, AZ 85027, (800) 874-2753,(602) 678-4977, www.totalseal.com