EPA Drops Language that would have Banned Conversion of Street Cars to Race Cars
USMA thanks our Members of Racers and Industry Professionals who Provided Support and SEMA for Leading the Effort.
If you dug down deep enough you'd find it. Legislation from the EPA called Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium-and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles. It was a rule within that legislation that stated: Certified motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines and their emissions control devices must remain in their certified configuration even if they are used solely for competition or if they become non-road vehicles or engines.”
The United States Motorsports Association submitted a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to the Congressional Committee on Science, Space and Technology protesting the detrimental impacts of the EPA’s unfair overreach that could have outlawed the conversion of street vehicles into race cars used on tracks across America.
The language was discovered by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and several organizations including the USMA joined the effort to voice the huge negative impacts the issue would have on competitive racing and automotive aftermarket.
The EPA released a statement recently which says it, "supports motorsports and its contributions to the American economy and communities all across the country," the agency said it will continue to target companies and individuals who illegally modify vehicles used on public roads.
SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting released a statement thanking "Congress for pushing EPA to withdraw an ill-conceived proposal," but he still isn't completely satisfied. "The racing industry and public need a long-term solution to eliminate any uncertainty regarding how the Clean Air Act is interpreted." The long-term solution to which he refers is the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016. Read more about the RPM act here, and if you want to voice your support for it, click here. RPM BILL