After a massive groundswell of grassroots support and the hard work of SEMA, the EPA’s misguided and potentially devastating proposal to essentially ban the conversion of street cars into race cars was squashed. That was a great win for all of us and the entire aftermarket industry but the fight is far from over. Legislation was introduced to effectively protect your right to be a hot rodder and it NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!

The RPM Act of 2016 is a potentially powerful and vitally important part of our future and the future of hot rodding for generations to come. If you think stopping the EPA once means that they can be stopped again, you could be right…or you could be wrong. Let’s not leave the door open for our beloved hobby and way of life to be threatened again.

Make your voice heard again, make sure your kids will be having fun with cars when they get older. Support the RPM Act of 2016 by clicking the link below. It takes literally two minutes or less and it is hugely important to show your legislators that you are paying attention and that you care!

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE RPM ACT OF 2016!

SEMA Applauds New Congressional Legislation to Protect Modified Motor Vehicles
Bill Seeks to Overturn Threat to Modified Racecars and Parts Suppliers

SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting today praised Congressional members for their introduction of a bipartisan bill that would protect thousands of American racecar enthusiasts from overreaching U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.

“The EPA’s new interpretation of the Clean Air Act would essentially rewrite the law and 46 years of policy and practice,” said Kersting.  “Without congressional intervention, the racing community and racing parts manufacturers would be operating outside of that new law and could be targeted for enforcement.” The language in H.R. 4715 makes clear Congress’ intent to exclude competition-only cars from the scope of the Clean Air Act, including converted street vehicles.

H.R. 4715, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 (RPM Act) was introduced by U.S. Representatives Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Bill Posey (R-FL) and Lee Zeldin (R-NY) to ensure that converting street vehicles to racecars used exclusively in competition does not violate the Clean Air Act. The practice was unquestioned until last year when the EPA published draft regulations that would make vehicle and engine conversions illegal and subject to the law’s tampering penalties.

Motorsports competition involves tens of thousands of participants and vehicle owners each year, both amateur and professional. Retail sales of racing products make up a $1.4 billion market annually.  According to the National Speedway Directory, there are over 1,300 racetracks operating across the U.S., including oval, road, track and off-road racetracks.  If the EPA regulations were to be finalized, the impact on racers, racetracks and businesses that cater to the racer community would be substantial.

The EPA recently re-opened the proposed regulations to receive additional public comment.  However, allowing public comment does not resolve the issue because the EPA has not withdrawn the problematic language in its proposed regulation, nor has it conceded that motor vehicles may be modified for competition use.

“SEMA thanks Representatives McHenry, Cuellar, Hudson, Posey and Zeldin for introducing this bill,” Kersting added.  “We intend to work closely with our congressional allies to ensure that the Clean Air Act continues to allow the conversion and use of street vehicles as racecars.”

The RPM Act has been assigned to the House Energy and Commerce Committee for consideration.  The EPA proposed regulations are scheduled to be finalized this summer.

Supporters of legislation to overturn the EPA regulation may contact their member of Congress and urge them to support the RPM Act by clicking here.

For updates and additional information:
– visit www.sema.org/epa-news
– facebook/sema.org
– twitter/semamembers
– Instagram/semashow
– use #saveourracecars, #rpmact2016
About SEMA

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $36 billion specialty automotive industry of 6,633 member-companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market information for the specialty auto parts industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. For more information, contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765, tel: 909-610-2030, or visit www.sema.org.