EPA To Prohibit the Conversion of Street Cars into Race Cars

[CMcAllister]

EPA Administrator hearing? You mean the same administrator who stated that no EPA regulation has ever caused a single job to be lost in this country?

EPA is not going to show up at the drive-in on Saturday night and look under the hoods of every car built since 1967 to inspect for factory emissions. Typically they blackmail the states into enforcing their regs. Most states have emissions inspections for road vehicles because they were told they had to. We never thought DOT cops were going to chase down every guy with a pick up and a trailer with a lawn mower on it or hobby racers to check for compliance. But they do. Those are state employees.

Given the task of enforcing an EPA reg and the authority to do so as they see fit in order to satisfy the EPA's desired results or face the loss of federal funds, do we really believe that state enforcement people won't eventually find their way to car shows, drive ins, race tracks, etc.? Do we really think they won't eventually show up and start handing out fines, penalties, repair orders? Do you think they will not exploit the potential revenue source this represents? There are plenty of examples and precedents to demonstrate that they will.

EPA maintains that it is illegal for any vehicle, emissions certified for use on public roads which began in the late 60's, to have it's emission devices tampered with or removed. Congress specified that vehicles converted to off-road use ONLY, (i.e. race cars) be exempted and that is what a lot of this conversation seems to be focused on. EPA will probably accede that point. But that leaves a lot of older vehicles that are not dead nuts original and complete running around with tags on them. No one is talking about those. These vehicles, the parts and pieces sold for use on them and the companies that make those parts and pieces are what I'm most concerned about.