It’s not clear if RPM will affect NASCAR Cup which uses semi-stock bodies with aerodynamics packages to make high-speed handling less treacherous and even competition so that fans might see some passing.
H.R. 5434, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2019 (RPM Act of 2019) has been introduced by Representatives Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) in the Democratically controlled House. The RPM Act allows the conversion of street vehicles into dedicated racecars and the motorsports aftermarket to sell products that aid racers.
The RPM Act reverses the EPA’s interpretation that the Clean Air Act does not allow a motor vehicle designed for street use – car, truck or motorcycle – to be converted into a racecar. In 2015 the EPA said that converted vehicles must remain emissions-compliant, even though they are no longer driven on public streets or highways.
The bill previously was cleared by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and went to hearings in the House and Senate. The bipartisan RPM Act included five other original sponsors: Reps. Richard Hudson (R-NC), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Bill Posey (R-FL), Gil Cisneros (D-CA) and Michael Burgess (R-TX).
H.R. 5434 is the House counterpart to the Senate’s version of the bill, S. 2602, which was introduced by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) and currently has 28 cosponsors in the do-nothing Republican-controlled upper house.
Retail sales of racing products comprise a ~$2 billion market annually. Most of the vehicles raced on the estimated 1,300 racetracks operating in the U.S. are converted vehicles that the EPA considers illegal.
SEMA is urging its members and racing enthusiasts to contact their members of Congress and ask for them to support the bill. To send a letter to members of Congress visit www.sema.org/rpm.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
RPM Act Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives
It’s not clear if RPM will affect NASCAR Cup which uses semi-stock bodies with aerodynamics packages to make high-speed handling less treacherous and even competition so that fans might see some passing.
H.R. 5434, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2019 (RPM Act of 2019) has been introduced by Representatives Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) in the Democratically controlled House. The RPM Act allows the conversion of street vehicles into dedicated racecars and the motorsports aftermarket to sell products that aid racers.
The RPM Act reverses the EPA’s interpretation that the Clean Air Act does not allow a motor vehicle designed for street use – car, truck or motorcycle – to be converted into a racecar. In 2015 the EPA said that converted vehicles must remain emissions-compliant, even though they are no longer driven on public streets or highways.
The bill previously was cleared by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and went to hearings in the House and Senate. The bipartisan RPM Act included five other original sponsors: Reps. Richard Hudson (R-NC), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Bill Posey (R-FL), Gil Cisneros (D-CA) and Michael Burgess (R-TX).
H.R. 5434 is the House counterpart to the Senate’s version of the bill, S. 2602, which was introduced by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) and currently has 28 cosponsors in the do-nothing Republican-controlled upper house.
Retail sales of racing products comprise a ~$2 billion market annually. Most of the vehicles raced on the estimated 1,300 racetracks operating in the U.S. are converted vehicles that the EPA considers illegal.
SEMA is urging its members and racing enthusiasts to contact their members of Congress and ask for them to support the bill. To send a letter to members of Congress visit www.sema.org/rpm.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.