Peter Palmer: EPA Proposes Banning Street Car to Race Car Conversions

On Feb 8th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a regulation that would prohibit the conversion of street cars into race cars. The regulation would also make the sale of certain aftermarket products for use on such vehicles illegal.

The proposal was included within a non-related proposed regulation entitled “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards for medium and heavy-duty engines and vehicles – phase 2.” The proposed regulation will impact all types of vehicles including sports cars, sedans, and hatchbacks converted for track use.

The EPA does not monitor emissions from vehicles specifically built or modified for racing, but under the Clean Air Act, it regulates emissions from those intended for street use.

“These proposed regulations represent overreaching by the agency, runs contrary to the law, and defies decades of racing activity where the EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting.

The EPA indicated that the regulation would prohibit the conversion of vehicles into race cars and makes the sale of certain emissions-related parts for use on converted vehicles illegal. SEMA met with the EPA to confirm the agency’s intentions and said that it will continue to oppose the regulations as it affects many organizations, including professional and hobbyist racers and fans. SEMA will fight the proposal through the administrative process and will seek congressional support and judicial intervention as necessary.

“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,” Kersting said.

After evaluating all of the comments from SEMA and other impacted parties, the EPA expects to publish its final regulations by July.

*Rahul Raman is the Founder of CARS 360 Mke, an automotive news outlet. He is a regular contributor to Automoblog.net and the author of our First Look series.