EPA drops proposal to ban race car converstion

[SMWS6TA]

Racers, feel free to keep starting your engines…for now.

The EPA has removed a paragraph from newly-proposed automotive emissions regulations that critics complained would make it illegal to modify the pollution controls of street legal cars to convert them into race cars.
The language was included in a rules package primarily aimed at regulating medium and heavy duty truck emissions and read:
“Certified motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines and their emission 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 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), which represents the automotive aftermarket parts industry, raised the issue with its members and the racing community in February. Over 168,000 people signed a petition asking the White House to withdraw the proposal, and a bipartisan, though largely Republican-supported bill called the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 (RPM Act) was introduced in Congress that would expressly permit street to race car conversions.
Earlier this month, the House Oversight Committee was briefed on the topic by the EPA, which followed up on Friday by announcing that it was dropping the section from the proposal.
The agency wrote to the Committee that it “EPA’s focus is not on vehicles built or used exclusively for racing, but on companies that don’t play by the rules and that make and sell products that disable pollution controls on motor vehicles used on public roads.”
SEMA, however, is not satisfied with the change. It says the EPA is attempting to “assert new-found authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate modification of vehicles for use in competition,” and continues to urge it supporters to write their Senators and Representatives to press for passage of the RPM Act or similar clarifying legislation.

EPA proposal to regulate race car conversions dropped after outcry | Fox News

[raynor139]

Good to see. I think every forum I'm part of had links to sign the petitions to get rid of the rule.

[Whamhammer]

Thank God. I really need to get a membership to SEMA, if they have a non-merchants membership. If it wasn't for guys like them, we'd all be driving Yugo's to work.

If these Deutchbags at the EPA want to reduce America's "carbon footprint", how about stopping "environmentalist" celebrities from taking thier jets all around the world while complaining about global warming. While they are at it, get rid of the "Congressional Air Force" while they are at it too. And how many jets does the Presidents family take with them when they go on trips without the President?

I swear that the EPA are the modern equivalent of the Keystone Cops.

[wileyCoyote]

...getting rid of the EPA would be the next best thing...

[SMWS6TA]

Yes to a point. There are some things they do that I can agree with.

However when the Earth1st tree huggers go to the extreme then it's out of hand.

[Whamhammer]

Yes to a point. There are some things they do that I can agree with.

However when the Earth1st tree huggers go to the extreme then it's out of hand.

Same here. I can see the stopping of pollution, especially the dumping of chemicals and trash, etc (look at Baltimores Inner Harbor for an example) air gross polluting of the air but we have already cut emmissions from cars by a great deal while at the same time as we improved thier crashworthiness.

Most of the guys who modify thier cars, have them tuned and running very clean. Hell, I bet with what I have on my car now, plus a head and cam set , with a new tune after installation, my car will be just as clean, if not cleaner than 60-70% of cars built in 2010 that are daily drivers. Lets face it, most people don't take good care of thier cars until something breaks, and half the time they just get a new car.

[SMWS6TA]

Adding on to that...look at E85 and alcohol builds....some great power builds and yet emissions friendly. Not because of the EPA, but because of enthusiasts looking for more power...