Back in 1970, Congress exempted race vehicles from regulation under the Clean Air Act. But in 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made it illegal to convert a motor vehicle into a racecar if the vehicle’s emissions system no longer remains in its certified configuration. In the EPA’s view, the exemption only applies to purpose-built vehicles, like those used for NASCAR or Formula One, etc.

For tire dealers who sell to race enthusiasts, this threatens the “addition of under-hood performance parts, sales of products such as racing tires, wheels, brakes, suspension equipment, roll cages and netting, spoilers, fuel gauges and sensors.” That is, unless the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act is enacted into law.

The RPM Act of 2017 is a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Congress that would clarify the EPA interpretation of the law. According to SEMA, it would protect the right to modify street vehicles into dedicated racecars and the industry’s right to sell the parts that enable racers to compete. It also would help to protect the retail sales of racing products, which is a $1.4 billion annual market.

If you’re interested in learning more or letting your representatives know what you think about the RPM Act, you can contact your lawmakers here: www.sema.org/rpm.