EPA trying to shutdown motorsports again

[Dzimm]

They are back at it.  

https://www.sema.org/news-media/enews/2021/09/sema-challenges-epas-motorsports-regulations-court

 

 

SEMA has the auto populated support form on their website if you want to back the RPM act and stop the EPA from making it illegal to build a racecar.  https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/SEMA/campaigns/45394/respond

 

[Pete M]

generally speaking I support the EPA, but this whole thing was super confusing to me last time they brought it up.  from a legal standpoint I don't see how they can tell me what I can do with my non-registered car on private property, and the percentage of cars that go down this path is insanely small so... what's the point exactly? what they are contemplating would just kill the whole grassroots motorsports industry. 

 

my gut tells me they are actually after the go-fast parts that end up on street cars but this is a weird way to do that. 

[Dzimm]

19 minutes ago, Pete M said:

my gut tells me they are actually after the go-fast parts that end up on street cars but this is a weird way to do that. 

This is more than likely a large portion of what they want.  As you mentioned grassroots motorsports would be basically killed or severely crippled along with some larger organizations such as the NHRA.  I don't see how this would be enforced beyond making it illegal to sell parts to modify a car and showing up at racing events to check the cars but if people are caught I'm sure the fines would be rediculous.  Nothing would change for the average guy cutting off his exhaust in the driveway.

 

The big picture item though is that if this goes through, it not only kills the majority of motorsports but it opens the door for more changes that further restrict vehicle modification and usage. 

[gogmorgo]

This came up in the 24hrs of Lemons groups, because of course it did. The vocal ones don’t really seem to care, many voices actually support the new EPA legislation. Why? Because they and the rest of motor sports aren’t the target, despite what SEMA wants you to believe. The EPA wants to be able to go after manufacturers and installers who are knowingly installing “competition-only” parts on street vehicles, which if you think about it is most of SEMA’s audience. In particular they’re trying to stop people deleting diesel trucks, especially commercial vehicles. We’re seeing the same thing happening up here.

 

As far as LeMons goes, installing a bunch of cheaty race parts is against the spirit of the thing anyhow, and the new legislation isn’t going to stop anyone from dropping a Packard straight-eight into a Civic anymore than the existing regs prevent Joe Blow from cutting his cats off in his driveway between inspections (if he even has any).
Most low-level racing series other than backwater circle track stuff have spec preventing fancy $#!& because they want the racing to stay competitive, not to mention adding power is generally going to increase danger. And like LeMons, any removing of emissions equipment on an otherwise stock motor is going to be done with block-off plates and chunks of pipe that are always going to be available, and they’re not really going to gain any power doing it without tuning that will be in violation of series regs anyhow.

In fact most spec racing series probably would welcome having to sniff test all the cars as an opportunity to help keep things even more competitive.