Posted on 02/09/2016 6:46:50 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
An EPA proposal to slash greenhouse gas emissions by medium and heavy duty vehicles would also ban the conversion of street cars into racecars, with far-reaching effects on auto racing and the aftermarket parts industry.
The Specialty Equipment Market Association, a trade group representing automotive aftermarket companies, said in a statement late Monday that the EPA's proposal would also make the sale of certain emissions-related parts used on racecars that were originally street cars illegal.
SEMA says it and other affected stakeholders will work to oppose the EPA's proposed ban.
"This proposed regulation represents overreaching by the agency, runs contrary to the law and defies decades of racing activity where EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles," SEMA CEO Chris Kersting said in a statement. "Congress did not intend the original Clean Air Act to extend to vehicles modified for racing and has re-enforced that intent on more than one occasion."
Catalytic converters and other emissions equipment are often removed from road cars that are converted for auto racing competitions.
The EPA's proposal would thwart those modifications by prohibiting the removal or tampering with emissions equipment on passenger cars, even if they are intended to convert a road car purely for racing. Those who make such modifications would be subject to penalties under the proposal.
(Excerpt) Read more at autonews.com ...
Not a good deal on this is it?
I wonder what the policy would be on purpose built racing vehicles (ie Nascar, Indycar, etc where the chassis has never had a federal VIN)
The good news is that we will finally get to see real “stock car” racing once again!
I could see state regulations, for sake of pollution mitigation, that cars modified in this manner are not allowed to run outside of race courses. There’s a reason our air does not look like Beijing’s even though a glorious smoky burnout is a sight to see in judicious circumstances and what would any redneck be without at least one on his lane.
HOWEVER, this sounds like overreach, of dubious legality, but with Obama’s wild EO writing, America has lost a sense of the “deal” that was its constitution.
Kill NASCAR. Cause only White Republican Rednecks like it anyhow.
Black Democrat rednecks should learn its joys too.
The goal here is to put all of those saturday night racetracks out of business. You can’t have a race if nobody can field a car.
Sure the “modified” classes where they are built by specialty maker would sill exist, but not everyone can afford to get into that. The street stocks and pure stocks would be gone, and at most racetracks that’s half of your show and 70% of your car count.
But wait - then ALL fedgov agencies would be named the same thing!
This is the current law. You can modify a new car all you want and take it "off-road." However, you must return it to street-legal, emissions-compliant mode before driving it "on-road" again. Note, most states define "on-road" or "highway" as any publically-built/maintained road (including dirt roads). Off-road is usually private property and designated recreational areas.
I should modify my original statement. You can modify any car, not just a new car, for off-road use.
Drag racing would be out of business.
Talk about HANDING TRUMP AN ISSUE for the NASCAR bunch...
But now for fear that some redneck might get away with air murder because of too much freedom...
Well, the EPA should be told to go pound sand. Tell it that most of these controls hurt gas economy anyhow so it makes the CO2 worse. They need to make up their minds.
They gave kit car manufacturers and exemption to produce something like 350 cars a year - safety regs ( aka build a serial redo of a Cobra or a Cheetah ) and use a new engine but no airbags bumpers etc.
My guess is this is quid-pro-quo.
They are controlling everything else, like the R/C model guys now having to "register" any model over .5 lbs and pay a $5 fee.
And supposed relaxation of Gen-Av Medicals but you need to still do a check up every 10 years, and that could fubar you instead of staying "Light Sport" which is was not what Paul Poberezny intended IMHO.
Gov't continues to federalize everything....
Reeeeeeeed neeeeeeeeeeck!
We need a fundamental paradigm shift.
Both of our leading hopefuls (Cruz and Trump) need a goodly poke to get them towards this realization.
Trump lurches down the road more irregularly than Cruz does, but when he gets going on something, MAN watch out. He’s on fire.
I see a problem.
Yup, it’s we who should be “allowing” EPA to do whatever it will do. By all means ding the dickens out of illegal dumpers and polluters (to which we might flirt with the idea of adding whoever foisted gratuitous mercury filled CFLs on us) and clean up the major oopsie here and there... but otherwise, please figure out how to fit into a phone booth, dear EPA. We are sick and tired of your scope creep.
I've never known logic to impact a bureaucrat's decisions. Agendas, yes. Logic, no.
Like, maybe, EPA idiots who dump tons of liquid mine waste into a river?
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