Big Things Coming out of PRI 2019: Tech, Trends, & Takeaways

In our industry, SEMA dominates trade show conversations. From tricked-out trucks and lifted Jeeps to sport compact mods, there’s literally something for everyone. It’s like a giant carnival atmosphere of automotive enthusiasm. And while it’s important (and fun) to know what the overall trends and industry happenings are, it can also be overwhelming—especially if you’re dedicated to one particular segment and just trying to settle into your piece of the show floor.

Honestly, if you’re a real performance junkie, SEMA can be a drag. You don’t care about mall crawlers, camping gear, or even work equipment. You want to see the speed industry because that’s your business. And if speed is your business, then it’s your business to be at PRI.

Featuring the latest advances in speed products, performance engineering, and all things racing-related, PRI is a wonderland for those who love go-fast goodies. The show wrapped up mid-December and boasted 3,000 booths with over 1,000 suppliers—drawing a crowd of 65,000! So, it’s safe to say there was a lot to see. From drag strip to desert, innovative gear, equipment, machinery, and even towing solutions were on display.

Here’s our round-up of some of the most exciting products and notable trends from PRI 2019, and what they mean for shop owners and enthusiasts alike.

PRI 2019 Trends

First, it’s worth noting that despite the overall auto industry being in a funk, thanks to skyrocketing new vehicle prices and a federal shove toward electric powertrains, the performance parts market is doing rather well. Worldwide sales continue to grow steadily and the number-crunchers project more of the same, with a CAGR of 4.5% over the next ten years—seeing the market reach the US$5 billion mark by 2029.

So, yea, there’s a lot of R&D dollars floating around.

Of course, there are consistent trends in the racing division—and there always will be, based on rules and standards. But for the enthusiast, performance preferences are a little less static. Here’s what we found:

Super Superchargers

If you walked the floor at PRI 2019 or rifled through pics and video from the event, you likely noticed that centrifugal superchargers were everywhere—particularly ProCharger superchargers. For drag racing, the big news is that these systems can now be used in NHRA’s Pro-Mod classes. And, honestly, the blowers produced are crazy, as they can serve up more than 3,500 hp on some applications, nearly dwarfing the engine itself.

“ProCharger recently introduced the first production supercharger offering a programmable/variable ratio design and touchscreen cockpit control and continues to lead the industry in both innovation and quality. Durability is also unmatched, as we can warranty our product at boost levels as much as three times that of our competitors.”-ProCharger

We are all familiar with the phrase, “What wins on Sunday sells on Monday” and ProCharger is taking this to heart. The brand already supports pretty much any performance application you can dream of, but to better serve its customers, ProCharger will soon be releasing systems for Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runners, as well as new GM trucks and SUVs.

Click here to learn more about emissions-compliant superchargers and the challenges of building fast cars in a green, new world.

Versatile Support

As mergers, acquisitions, and “strategic partnerships” seem to infiltrate the auto industry at every turn, it’s refreshing to see the performance parts market remain fairly independent. Plenty of small and medium-sized players remain active in the game, providing consumers with a huge variety of product both mainstream and niche, top-tier and economical.

Speaking of economical, there was a strong support of grassroots-style builds, as many enthusiasts begin to move away from traditional late-model engine swaps, choosing instead to beef up what they already have.

For example, Airflow Research displayed a number of new products, including cylinder heads and intake manifolds for SBC, SBF, and BBC applications. And while everybody and their brother seems to offer these kinds of products, AFR showed with its featured Renegade Econo 185cc aluminum heads that enthusiasts can get generations of quality development even when on a budget. As the folks over at Hot Rod Magazine wisely point out, “These heads can grow with your wallet, as funds allow for CNC-porting or other valvetrain upgrades.”

Additionally, the everyday enthusiast working on a tight budget often also works on a tight schedule. If you’re already burning the midnight oil to accommodate your installations, in the hopes you can save those weekends for the track, who has time to break in parts? We live in a world where we want what we want, and we want it now.

Eaton’s new isotropic “Super Finish” for ring and pinion setups doesn’t just make for a stronger, longer-lasting product with less friction—it also eliminates break-in periods. That translates to weekend warriors having more time to do what they love.

And take COMP Cams, who hit PRI swinging with some much-needed updates to the modern Hemi’s valvetrain.

Yes, they are correcting the premature wear issue—and they’re making more power with meaner cams, bigger valve springs, and hot new ignition coils. First are the stock-replacement lifters that allow Hemi owners to scrap the junk factory equipment for something much more stout and reliable.

COMP also offers a short-travel lifter for those looking to ring out the Hemi for every last bit of rev its bones can handle. Shorter lifters allow for the engine to climb up to higher rpms without floating valves or hurting the valvetrain. To make it even better, COMP Cams introduced application-specific pushrods to cut measuring out of the process.

COMP Cams also introduced stiffer valve springs and the new HRT Camshaft line for these engines. The valve springs are important for high-revving applications and those with an aggressive aftermarket cam. The new HRT line comes with three different cam profiles, the lowest being an entry-level cam that can still use the factory springs. The other two are much more aggressive, with the Stage 3 cam having turned an additional 170 hp out of a 6.4 Hemi.

Even a stock vehicle is going to see an increase in terms of drivability, performance, and even economy with a performance ignition system. And since high rpms can cause some issues for factory coils, COMP is matching the new valvetrain updates with ignition solutions. These coils hit over 40,000 peak volts which is 25% greater than the stock output.

BIG, BIG Power

Catering to the everyday man’s everyday needs and the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality doesn’t mean the heart-pounding desire for pin-you-to-the-back-of-your-seat power has disappeared. Quite the opposite, friends. If PRI 2019 showed us anything, it’s that manufacturers are learning that comfort and drivability can happily co-exist with massive horsepower gains.

As mentioned, ProCharger superchargers capable of supporting horsepower numbers in the thousands is indicative that big power preferences continue to dominate the market. Equally important though, is the ability to harness that power—something that Aeromotive addresses with its adjustable height, brushless fuel pump series.

If you’re already familiar with this line, then you know they are high-pressure pumps that supply a set fuel pressure in accordance with the position of the throttle. Now available in larger 7.5- and 10-gallon-per-minute versions, these pumps support pump gas, E85, methanol, and nitromethane on big horsepower applications, bringing even more versatility to drivers.

Product releases such as these show us that we are looking at a combined effort among suppliers to make huge numbers not only attainable but manageable. This may not be a “new” trend to emerge from PRI 2019, but it proves that what was once considered a massive feat is now becoming standard expectation.

The Overall Gist

So, what’s the big takeaway for an enthusiast? Basically, manufacturers are listening. They see what builders want—and don’t want—and are responding accordingly.

While premium go-fast parts will always be available, a lot of what’s being introduced is eliminating high-dollar installation or long hours in the garage, making it much more likely that the working class can get out and hit the track with the pros. And with street car racing on the rise, we’re excited to see suppliers hitting the drawing boards with ideas for speed parts that can be used and abused—without asking exclusionary prices. Here’s hoping the trend of horsepower-to-the-people extends past PRI 2019 and well into the upcoming decade.