RPM Act Hearing
 

This is a link to todays hearing in Washington. Part of the discussion is the RPM Act. Antron Brown is scheduled to speak on our behalf.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjZCDkKso8o

As a reminder, the RPM Act is a bill that will protect owners of VIN cars that have been converted to race cars from the EPA.

Re: RPM Act Hearing
 

Antron is on now!!

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Antron well spoken
Let’s hope this gets done but it doesn’t stop the government from coming down hard$$$ on companies producing high performance parts .
Antron spoke about us being able to modify our race only cars at the same time saying it’s ok to punish companies selling products deemed environmentally unfriendly.
Who’s to judge what’s wrong and right politicians?
We are doomed as these idiots push environmental doom and gloom
Sandwich this Bill in between forest fires and food supplies
We better start praying 🙏
These politicians haven’t forgot about the support of racers for TRUMP
We are hated in that fishbowl they live with n

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I hope that at least a few of you watched this. All those VIN race cars are in serious jeopardy. Listening to the discussion on farming and smoke made it clear how determined some officials are to fundamentally change our lifestyles.

ALL RACING WILL BE NEXT!!

I encourage everyone to get behind the RPM Act before it's too late.

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Mostly Dems on the panel. They have (many) agendas. History shows- DON'T ever give in, even once, because they will NEVER stop!

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The Country has never been cleaner with all the regs over the years. Cleaning up old practices, cleaner more efficient vehicles(lighter and more dangerous) and knowledge have done great things. Real problem is countries (China, India, etc.) that don't give a damn. YET (we) buy way too many goods from them. Net change? WE PAY!

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Actually, the Bill has bipartisan support....

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Yeah, but like most bills - they rarely READ THEM!

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They should take a look at how much carbon is put into the air for one professional game like football. With 50 thousand plus traveling to a game.
How many private Jets with teams and all the equipment they need. How many corporate Jets with VIP's, TV crews and all media. I'm sure one football game pollutes more than a drag race. BP

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Today car burn very clean.
The worst polluters is the houses around the world that burn oil and the commercial building that burn oil. they don't have catalytic converters!!!

Bob Lasko

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MADE IN THE USA should've never gone away to China like it did in 2008! Too many products we use from American companies are built over there, when we should've continued making what we consume, like we used to!

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This is way off topic. While I agree with you on this, as someone who both sells and buys on the "global economy", I can tell you that it would be a long painful process to return things to how they used to be.

We have a real opportunity to stop Government overreach. Instead of crying over a boat that has already sailed, maybe participate in saving VIN numbered race cars?

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shhhhh, psssst. not supposed to talk about that. (pay no attention to the man behind the curtain)!

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Smart industries are putting in plans to be "carbon neutral". I believe that, if we want racing to survive, we have to get with the program.

https://news.delta.com/delta-spotlig...on-earth-month

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Darren, we should have had a plan already, that could have been presented with all of the other material. You could help some of the people in Washington who are on the right side of this, but their peers ask them
"What can they do about their carbon footprint?" Some may have their mind made up already, based solely on our footprint.

J.R.

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Congress has incrementally abdicated it's power and authority to this huge, autonomous, bureaucratic agency (and others) which makes up crises, and the solutions to fix them, to justify it's existence with little oversight or accountability.

Then, citizens have to go back to Congress, and beg for protection from the monster they created, the monster that has no fear of Congress, lies and manipulates in order to retain and increase it's power.

Maybe Congress will get around to allowing us to keep our toys.

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Gump
Can you summarize what this RPM act would do if passed?
What if its not passed into law?
I am out of touch with the aftermarket legislation in the modern auto world.

Is this legislation all about new cars that are made to be emissions compliant?
What about the pre 1970s cars and engines?
Does any of this apply to Carbs, intakes, pistons for 1967 Camaros that don't get emission tested anywhere?

I don't think the street legal type racing, that is popular and all over TV, cable, youtube, etc... Is good for the racers / rodders cause in this type legislation.
There are plenty of people crossbreeding new cars and trucks, with turbos etc... and drawing attention to themselves on Motor Trend TV and wondering why there is a problem. The hot rod drag week is passing my area soon, does the legislation affect this type car from being used, or just the parts makers?

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The RPM Act deals with the 1970 Clean Air Act as it relates to race cars. The Clean Air Act prohibits the removal of any emission control device. My understanding is that the original text has wording that exempts cars modified for racing.

On a couple of recent occasions, the EPA has tried to get the wording changed to include the conversion of VIN numbered cars for racing in their policing. This would obviously be a disaster for us!

The RPM puts it in clear language that VIN numbered cars modified for racing are exempt.

The street car thing is a different subject. I'm not sure that we could win that battle. Right now they are going after manufacturers and not end users. I have heard of some States blocking vehicle sales due to "illegal modifications".

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Sadly this may all be a losing battle with pr like this':
EPA Hits Two More Diesel Tuners With $10 Million Fine For Defeat Devices
https://www.yahoo.com/now/epa-hits-t...160400802.html

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SEMA is kind of taking the lead on this looking out for its members and the industry.

At what point do NHRA, and other motorsports sanctions and organizations, get involved in lobbying state and federal governments and agencies to protect their interests and the interests of their members and tracks?

Sucks to be that way, but they need to get on the ball.

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$10,000,000 fine (civil penalties) for breaking a rule no elected legislators voted on, no one proposed in a bill. Just make it up, and dare them to come fight the government.

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It’s difficult to win a battle against IDIOTS . California for instance , record heat wave pushes power grid to the brink…..yet these IDIOTS insist on ELECTRIC VEHICLES and are banning the sale of new gas powered vehicles by 2035. How is that gonna work out ???

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Well I did a quick search and found the SEMA site pretty informing.
In making sense of this, the small guy will probably never get chased down by the EPA, even if the act doesn't get passed. No custom built drag car is going to be fined, no custom off road racing engines are going to be targeted, and the off road stuff is unlikely to get banned.

On the street it could be different.
There are some pretty obnoxious diesel guys on the street, that could get some quick attention.
Common sense would tell me the EPA can't enforce local cases of a cheat device installation on a subtle tuned car here and there. I have yet to see an EPA car with red lights stopping anyone, maybe they are out there?
Can the police possibly be trained nationwide to nab a single car? Doesn't sound possible to me.

But if Larry Larson pulls out of the drag week gate with a big turbo Pro-Line engine, in a new Caddy, while acting like its really a street car, with a VIN and title, well he would be pretty game. Still they are not going to be able to police single cases, and prefer to stop the selling of defeat devices, mostly for diesels.

The SEMA argument
https://www.sema.org/epa-news

The clean air act has been around since 1963. In 2015 the EPA took the position that converted vehicles must remain emissions-compliant, even though they are no longer driven on public streets or highways. Although the EPA abandoned efforts to make the policy a formal regulation, the agency still maintains the practice of modifying the emission system of a motor vehicle for the purpose of converting it for racing is illegal. Manufacturing, selling, and installing race parts for the converted vehicle would also be a violation.

===========

The other side of the argument, this site says the bill has come up, every year, the last 4-5 years.
Its a very good read, and has good info on the tug of war.
Its complicated so read before blaming one party or person (below are exerts - not my words):

https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-cooke/t...-ruin-our-air/

EPA enforcement under the Clean Air Act has found that about 1 in every 10 diesel trucks has had their emissions controls tampered with.
and
Why the RPM Act keeps coming back
As with most tiny, obscure bills like this, the reason why the RPM Act keeps on being introduced year after year is money. The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is the trade association for aftermarket equipment manufacturers, including the companies manufacturing defeat devices, and they have been fighting with EPA for the exemption for at least 5 years.

On the left (SCCA corvette) is what SEMA wants you to think the RPM Act is about. However, less than 5 percent of EPA tampering actions have been for anything related to cars, and there is no evidence of EPA targeting the amateur racing industry. On the right (obnoxious diesel) is what SEMA is actually protecting with the RPM Act by shifting the burden of enforcement from the product to the use of that product.

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So that last site I mentioned, showed an ebay example of something targeted.
A diesel particulate filter defeat tuning device kit.

I went and looked for H & S MiniMAXX tuner sales on ebay, and other sites.
Are these devices still legal?
I would say the EPA is working on them as indicated by other people who have been fined before.

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If the EPA doesn't have their eyes on us, then why the 2015 wording?

The gentleman from the EPA at the hearing never said that they would consider converted VIN numbered cars as exempt. He just said that they were yet to go after them.

To my knowledge, the RPM Act would not protect any street driven vehicle. As a PRI Founding Member I have been in a couple of conversations about this.

If the EPA was on our side, they wouldn't be fighting the PRI....

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We can be as polite as we want but that won't stop the madness. Livestock is a target for crying out loud. They want to decide what we can eat because, you know, carbon. I guess nobody explained that carbon is EVERYWHERE.

People who believe what the government says are the same people who can be sold the Brooklyn bridge by a NYC panhandler.

How can you defeat what's already been pushed way too far with no end in sight?

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I will agree to disagree with it being way off topic (especially with what BG56 wrote). The government overreach happened in 2008 when Made in the USA went to China! It sucks that I have to look at parts from American companies to be sure they're made by North Americans who are allies instead of adversaries....Thank You JEGS & SUMMIT for posting American made products you sell! I look at many of my fellow racers who have the big rigs and the fast cars, and am quite certain that many of those of us who are nearly my age or older (64), benefitted somehow from products we enjoy that were made by our neighbors (if not us ourselves), than foreign adversaries! I bet those who lost their manufacturing jobs because of 2008's overreach wouldn't care about the "long painful process to return things to how they used to be" (where our manufacturing prowess is concerned! I will agree in "saving VIN numbered race cars, but as for that "boat that has already sailed" comment, as long as I'm breathing, I'll be an advocate for what made America the greatest nation on earth....MADE IN THE USA!!!!

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Gary, I started working in the textile industry when I was 18. I have traveled a lot of the World installing machinery. I would gladly discuss international trade with you. Just know that the problem started with NAFTA.

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I would join Gump in discussing the subject with you Gary.
Do you know that every Boeing airplane you fly with the airlines has a big percentage of structural parts made in China? If you are flying in an Airbus airplane, there are even more!
It is part of a global enterprise for competitiveness. Boeing airplanes do not only have parts made in China, but also in Taiwan, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and many other countries.

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With all due respect, I have learned to never say never when it comes to the government. Especially the alphabet agencies (the 4th branch of government not mentioned in the Constitution), which are essentially who control most of our daily lives now. None of those people need to worry about being re-elected.

Current initiatives and expansion by several of them only serve to re-enforce my misgivings about the whole mess.

That said, we still need to contact our elected representatives and let them know our positions.

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Off topic, maybe.
I worked at an appliance manufacturing plant for 30 years. One of the BIG ones. Not gonna mentions name because it's not really important. This manufacture has it's corp offices in Louisville, KY. and also it's biggest facilities located there.
They use to make water softeners in the USA but it all went to China. I, one day happened to see a water softener in the warehouse. I stopped to look at the box and noticed on the box " A product of XYZ appliance company, Louisville, KY. USA."
Looked everywhere else on box and nothing about made in USA or China or ??
I guess this is legal but it sure is misleading and I'm sure they're not the only company doing it.

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I disagree, Here is a link on the PRI site about a company selling stand alone ECU's to race cars specifically off road vehicles.

https://www.performanceracing.com/ma...'s%20sales.

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Thugs and bullies, engaged in intimidation tactics. Pick on one little guy who looks like easy pickings, make up some crap, destroy his business. How many other little guys are going to fall in line or quit out of fear. Not because they are doing anything wrong.

I may be misinformed, but I understand it is BS like this that was a big part of the decision of the Coughlin family to unload the family business.

They harass people into submission. It's their MO. All of these agencies operate out of the same playbook.

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We aren't supposed to get political on this site but politicians are seeking to end our liveliehood. Find out who the politicians are beholden to and replace them with people who aren't.
If companies are forced to stop selling 90% of their parts for street cars do think they can still make a business case for the 10% of their sales that are for racing? We'd be like like the 1940's where you cast your own cylinder heads.

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Didn't JEGS get sued by the state of California not too long ago. I vaguely remember reading that over the winter. I'm sure someone reading or contributing to this thread has better info than my not so good memory?
Thanks
Ron

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This sport is dying on its own, there is nothing from the outside pushing it out of business.

All motorsports are dying.

Enjoy it while it is still here.

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There is too much money in the High Performance Parts industry for SEMA and it's members to let this happen. FJB!

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Ca is running all motorsports and industry out and trying to push their green agenda nation wide. They are out of touch with reality here. They have ruined so many small and large businesses here its scary! The smart ones already moved and many to follow. They are using global warming to their advantage even though science does not support what they are pushing. Newsome (The Teflon Don) and the Blue Crew here think they have the all the answers. NOT! My guess is Gavin never had a cool car! Auntie Nancy would not let him!

Thank you Antron for your efforts.

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Blaming a politican might make you feel all warm and fuzzy, but the proof is out there.

Drag racing has evolved in the wrong direction.

Detroit is not making cars, mostly trucks now.

What does the classification guide have for 2023.

Forget about nascar too, half empty grandstands,
Removed grandstands.


Wait until nhra decides to allow camrys in SS, with a nascar type toyo (chevy) engine, and who will be the first fool to switch to a camry in P/S.


Also wait until nhra allows fwd conversions is SS for camrys.

Who will be the first fool in P/S to run a camry?

The youth of 'merica do not attend the right vocational classes in high school to make new racers.

The closest 1/4 mile track is 200 miles from my home now.

Thats what is killing small race shops, not politicans and gvmt. rules.

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Trust me I hated that too, but 2008 affected more American workers (I know of one personally who worked for Nike), none of it is/was good, and it's a MAJOR BUMMER for the families who were affected directly by it!