RPM Act: Join SEMA in Challenging the EPA’s Attempt to Ban Race Cars

Calling all racecar drivers and automotive enthusiasts. This is not a drill. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is threatening to outlaw race cars. Now is your chance to tell Congress to pass the very important RPM Act (Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports) to stop the agency from destroying motorsports. It is crucial that you take action and tell Congress that you are against their agenda. Skip to the bottom of this article for a link to write to your local members of Congress. But first, let’s delve a little further into this issue and talk about how SEMA continues to challenge and fight to protect motorsports, parts businesses, and racers alike.

SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association is currently fighting this battle both in Congress and in federal court. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is involved in a lawsuit with Gear Box Z, Inc., contending that the Clean Air Act (CAA), doesn’t allow you to convert a street car into a competition-only race vehicle. SEMA recently filed an amicus brief in the lawsuit between the EPA and Gear Box Z, which is currently before the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. 

SEMA says that “the [EPA’s] interpretation breaks from the plain language of the CAA, the legislative history, and EPA’s regulations and guidance.” SEMA adds, that the agency previously stated itself that it “has no interest in vehicles that begin their existence as normal, EPA-certified production vehicles used on public roads and are then permanently converted to sanctioned competition-use only vehicles.”

The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act) was first introduced back in 2016 and reverses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) interpretation that the Clean Air Act (ACC) does not allow motor vehicles designed for street use to be turned into racecars. This would include cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

At this time, SEMA’s top federal legislative priority is passing the RPM Act, which specifies that it is in fact legal to make emissions-related modifications to a street vehicle with the intention of converting it into a dedicated racecar. The RPM Act also confirms that it is legal to manufacture, sell, and install race parts for this exact purpose. After all, the EPA considered all of these to be violations and also announced that enforcement against high-performance products is a top priority.

The motorsports world involves tens of thousands of participants and vehicle owners annually, both novice and professional. SEMA notes that retail sales of racing products make up a nearly $2 billion market each year. And of the vehicles racing on the more than 1,000 racetracks all across the United States, most are converted ones that the EPA would consider to be illegal.

The famous American tradition and beloved pastime remained virtually unquestioned for 50 years until 2015 when the EPA decided that vehicles must remain emissions-compliant even if they are no longer driven on public roads or freeways. So now, SEMA is working with some of the RPM Act’s strongest supporters to try to reintroduce the bill and maximize its chances of getting turned into a law. Such would not only save the motorsports world, but also help keep countless jobs in our community.

How You Can Help: 

The EPA’s unwillingness to pull back from its regulatory overreach is the reason why it is so important to get the RPM Act to pass. SEMA will continue to fight the EPA’s flawed interpretation in court while it continues to urge the U.S. Congress to end this debate by enacting the RPM Act. You can do your part by contacting your elected officials below. The link will send you to a page that has a pre-written letter to your local representatives based upon the address you input. You may also edit the text or add your own personal touch to further get the point across. 

Republican and Democrat members of Congress have expressed a desire to provide certainty to racers and the motorsports parts industry. Even so, there is much more to be done before the RPM Act can become a law. Apart from signing the petition below, you can also utilize the assets found in SEMA’s digital toolkit: www.sema.org/rpmtools. Also, don’t forget to join the conversation online using the hashtag #SaveOurRacecars.

CLICK HERE TO TELL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SUPPORT THE RPM ACT

Important Notes: 

• Street vehicles—cars, trucks, and motorcycles—can’t be converted into racecars, according to the EPA.
• The EPA has announced that enforcement against high-performance parts—i.e. superchargers, tuners, and exhaust systems—is a top priority.
• Even if you are among the thousands of enthusiasts who contacted Congress in the past, your support is needed again!
• Tell the bureaucrats in Washington that racecars are off-limits and the importance of the sport.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Vivid Racing team. You can reach us by phone at 1-480-966-3040 or via email at sales@vividracing.com.