With 2,500 vendors displaying about 2,000 new products in one million square feet of exhibit space in Las Vegas, the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association Show is an automobile candy factory for attendees.
INDYCAR drivers Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Ed Carpenter, Graham Rahal, Simon Pagenaud (video below), Tristan Vautier, JR Hildebrand and Zach Veach were among the celebrities greeting show-goers at displays of INDYCAR partners this week and taking in the sights, too.
Click it: Check out the Honda Power of Dreams Experience
Current drivers among Road Racing Drivers Club electees
Thirty-seven race car drivers and motorsports professionals have been voted into the Road Racing Drivers Club by current members, including IZOD IndyCar Series drivers Simona De Silvestro, Charlie Kimball and Conor Daly.
Others with Indy car racing ties joining the RRDC are Buddy Lazier and Steve Knapp.
Target Chip Ganaasi managing director Mike Hull, Andersen Promotions CEO Dan Andersen, race car designer David Bruns, PacWest Racing founder Bruce McCaw, Grand Prix Association of Long Beach CEO Jim Michaelian and PitFit Training founder Jim Leo, are among associate members joining the ranks.
The Road Racing Drivers Club was formed in 1952 as a way to give champion drivers a say in their sport, particularly in the areas of safety, and has evolved to serve the future of road racing by mentoring new drivers on both amateur and professional levels. Bobby Rahal is the president.
Iowa Speedway season ticket renewals available
Renewals for Iowa Speedway season ticket-holders began today and they'll have exclusivity to their current seats until Dec. 14. All other seats are available for purchase today at www.iowaspeedway.com or by calling 866-787-8946.
Of note
The IndyCars driven by reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, 2012 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay and race winners Will Power and Graham Rahal are part of the new Forza Motorsport 5 game developed by Turn 10 Studios. The game features realistic graphics and humanlike AI capable of leveraging the Xbox One cloud to analyze driving style and habits to challenge the player. Rahal checked out the game at the Turn 10 Studios display at SEMA. It will be published by Microsoft Nov. 22 exclusively for Xbox One. ... Jack Hawksworth, the 2012 Star Mazda champion who placed fourth in the Firestone Indy Lights championship this past season, participated this week in a GP3 test in Abu Dhabi. ... Daly participated in the GP2 test at the Yas Marina circuit.