There maybe no more scenic area of the country than the Maine-New Hampshire region. From Mt. Katahdin to the White Mountains, from Moosehead Lake to Lake Winnipesaukee, and from the sun bleached sandy beaches to the manicured snow covered ski trails, the picturesque region has something to offer visitors and residents alike all year long.

    The same can be said for the motorsports enthusiast. From stock cars to snowmobiles, from drag racing to tractor pulling, from go-karts to motorcycles, from a mud bog in western Maine to a modern superspeedway in New Hampshire, nearly every type of motorsports activity can be found somewhere in the two-state region.

    It is this variety of motorsports entertainment behind the creation of the Northeast Motorsports Expo & Trade Show. In 1988, Tim Attaya solicited the trusted opinion of friends and of respected people in the motorsports industry as to their thoughts of an all season motorsports showcase to be held in January. Skeptics questioned whether an early-January motorsports exposition and trade show held in Maine would be successful or not.

    The ‘doubting Thomas’s’ were silenced when the first Northeast Motorsports Expo & Trade Show was held the first weekend of January in 1989 at the Augusta (Maine) Civic Center. The show was a big hit with the motorsports fans and exhibitors. The success of the inaugural "motorsports showcase for all seasons" has continued over the years to where the mid-winter exposition has become one of the most popular motorsports related events of the year in northern New England.

    Tim Attaya, the former president of T.A.K.A. Associates, Inc. of Fairfield, Maine, along with wife Kathy, the current T.A.K.A. Associates, Inc. president, have been the guiding force behind the all-encompassing mid-winter motorsports exposition and trade show. Kathy and Tim realized the thirst for motorsports entertainment did not go into hibernation when the weather turned cold and the first snowflake fell from the sky. The winter months offered snowmobile racing and stock car racing on frozen ponds, lakes and bays in the region. The Attayas also new the race fans wanted more…they wanted a preview of the upcoming season.

    Over the years, the show has featured a variety of race vehicles from the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Busch North Series, NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series, CART Championship Car Series, NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series, IMSA, SCCA, AMA Motorcycles and from the region’s short tracks as well as Monster Trucks, PRO Tour Trucks, 4 x 4’s, mud-run vehicles, tractor pullers, snowmobiles, mini-sprints, go-karts and soapbox derby cars. (See accompanying "Notable Race Vehicles List".)

    One of the popular features of the exposition and trade show has been the appearance of many special guests for the world of motorsports. Among the personalities who have appeared at northern New England’s premier motorsports showcase are NASCAR Winston Cup champions Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Benny Parsons, Ned Jarrett and team owner Richard Childress; NHRA Winston Drag Racing World Champion Don ‘the Snake’ Prudhomme; Indy Racing League champion Tony Stewart; IMSA and SCCA road racing champion Elliott Forbes-Robinson; NASCAR Busch Series or Busch North Series champions Jack Ingram, Jamie Aube, Dick McCabe, Dale Shaw, Kelly Moore, Dave Dion, Brad Leighton and Mike Olsen; NASCAR North Tour-ACT Tour champion Robbie Crouch; NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series champions Jeff and Rick Fuller; and ACT Tour champion Mike Rowe. (See accompanying "Guests Appearances List".)

    But there is more to the Northeast Motorsports Expo & Trade Show then race vehicles and racing personalities. There are also the many vendors who lease space for the weekend and are also a major reason for the success of the motorsports showcase. The businesses who take part in the show are varied - from race parts suppliers to apparel designers to collectable and memorabilia dealers to trade publications to graphic specialists.

    Join Kathy and Tim Attaya at the next Northeast Motorsports Expo & Trade Show.