Of note; for anyone who harbors an interest in cars, and their more performance oriented siblings, i.e. racecars, SEMA has been trying to gain national traction related to a proposed law entitled ‘Recognizing The Protection Of Motorsports Act of 2021‘ (RPM).
As the leader in the auto aftermarket’s political lobbyist, SEMA would seem to be the most logical group to handle such a challenging effort. However, it can only get the job done unless consumer/racer’s are properly energized enough to push our vehicle across the finish line.
PRRACEwire is committed in doing that. Consequently, as a practical matter, it might be useful to understand just what is at stake. Unfortunately, there are no particular metrics available that directly compare the proportion of stockcar-based racecar development, versus purpose-built racecar development; nor are there any numbers available that suggest just what would happen, should the fascists at EPA ultimately get their way.
So, we’ve established some metrics of our own, simply based on the class structure set out by NHRA, since the grassroots racer would be impacted first and foremost.
To begin, lets review what RPM is trying to protect against (with list attribution to Colby Martin at SEMA):
Near Past Action By EPA
” In 2015, the EPA proposed rulemaking that included language suggesting that once a vehicle has been certified as a street vehicle, that it cannot be converted into a racing vehicle even if that vehicle is trailered to the track and is never driven on public roads.
Following a huge SAN-led public outcry, the EPA withdrew the draft provision in April 2016 and noted that they had “no interest in vehicles that begin their existence as normal, EPA-certified production vehicles used on public roads and are then permanently concerted to sanctioned competition-use only vehicles.”
However, the EPA continues to assert that the Clean Air Act (CAA) does not allow a motor vehicle to be converted into a racing vehicle used solely for competition.
The agency has created a national compliance program and announced that enforcement against high-performance parts—including superchargers, tuners, and exhaust systems—is a top priority for this year and beyond”.
The Clean Air Act:
“Introduced in 1970, the CAA regulates, among other things, motor vehicles on streets and highways throughout the United States.
The CAA’s anti-tampering provision in Section 203 of the Act prohibits selling parts intended for use with, or as part of, any motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine, where the principal effect of the part or component is to bypass, defeat, or render inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine in compliance with regulations.
For 45 years, the CAA’s anti-tampering provision applied only to motor vehicles driven on public roads, and street vehicles were allowed to be converted into dedicated racecars that were never driven on the street again”.
Now, lets think about the impact of this for a moment, and particularly in the case of NHRA competition. First, there are currently 17 classes involved, during a typical event schedule. Within those classes only 6 involve purpose-built racecars, and even in those classes, many aftermarket (or dealer performance-based components) are involved at various sub-assembly levels.
Consequently should the EPA be able to do their worse, and should the RPM Act not become law, from a NHRA perspective alone, its rulemaking will surely kill the sport, along with killing the enjoyment of millions fans, racers, and builders across the country. Along with that, and more importantly from a business perspective, EPA’s draconian thinking will also kill whole segments of the auto aftermarket, and with that, virtually eliminate a good part of a trillion dollar industry segment.
So, here’s what we need to do, beat our national representatives about the head and shoulders on a regular basis until they do the right thing. The first way to do this is by signing the RPM petition at SEMAs Save Our Racecars. Then, contact any media personalities and engage them as well. Finally, get the word out with your peers, since the EPA is really targeting you. Once that’s done, do it all over again until we win, and they don’t.
It’s time to stand against the Federal Government, the EPA, and its minions in the climate-change, EV, and alternative fuels lobbies, by reminding politicians and industry apparatchik that the auto and racing segments don’t exist for their purposes alone, but for the buying, racing, and fan demographics as well – and there’s another thing, there’s more of ‘us’ than there are of ‘them’, so we’re entirely capable of getting this job done right the first time.
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