Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA) announced the purchase of Performance Racing Industry (PRI) this week. The deal is set to be finalized at the end of March. This joins two of the industries largest trade shows.

Each November in Las Vegas, SEMA represents the industry and people who make up the aftermarket auto parts business. It has grown over the years to encompass billions of dollars worth of business. This is the world’s greatest of automotive car shows.

PRI was launched by Steve Lewis almost 25 years ago as an entity dedicated solely to the racing industry.  PRI is held annually in Orlando, Florida. The 25th Annual Show takes place November 29 – December 1, 2012 in the North/South Building of the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. It features exhibits by 1,100 racing companies in 3,100 booths, requiring 700,000 square feet to house the event. 38,000 buyers will attend from across the US, and 72 countries.

SEMA President Chris Kersting said, “The Performance Racing Industry Trade Show and magazine are great complements to the SEMA mission: they help their customers’ businesses to succeed. SEMA looks forward to providing the PRI team the resources and support to continue delivering great value to the racing and performance segment.”

With the joining of the two largest automotive trade shows together, the bar has been raised in competition and creativity. This is going to be a fantastic year for the automotive aftermarket industry.