Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

Guy,

Just read something about this. Don't tell me this is also happening to you guys on the other side of the pond?

I've never heard of it. Tell us more.

the epa has been pushing lately at aftermarket makers of items that eliminate or bypass emissions equipment.

The EPA believes that under current legislation, it is illegal to use any vehicle that was manufactured for street use, to be modified for racing. This is not new legislation, it's just the EPA's translation of what's been in the books for years.
This is headed thru the courts,
The RPM-ACT would protect our rights to use vehicles that were once street legal, to me modified for racing. Problem is, the Dems won't vote for it, so it will die a slow death.

What I've heard from it was that it was going to be prohibited to use regular street cars for racing or modify them for racing.

Belgian1979 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 12:57 pm Guy,

Just read something about this. Don't tell me this is also happening to you guys on the other side of the pond?

The government keeps trying ... most have not become law but, they do keep trying.

The act is to prohibit companies from selling equipment that actively defeats emissions equipment for road legal vehicles. Their target is really the diesel crowd, I think the Harley thing has died off enough. This is already on the books, you could never remove emissions equipment, but it was never enforced.

SEMA is conflating the two issues. There are exemptions for other types motor vehicle types to not meet emissionsc dirt bikes for one. SEMA could be lobbying for that, but they’re not, and roping off highway motorsports activities with the performance aftermarket street industry. Most have gotten away with selling this stuff under the guise of “for off highway only”, but manufacturers and shops were knowingly selling and installing this equipment on street vehicles that had emissions equipment. Those goofball diesel guys did it on national tv. This is what the EPA is taking issue to.

The risk is that by seeking a blanket legislation, you risk blowback on something that would pass pretty easily (exemption for off highway vehicles, just like there is with motocross bikes).

SEMA has also come under fire before by trying to weed out non-member / foreign competition by making themselves the defacto aftermarket org. to help companies develop emission compliant aftermarket offerings. Think of it like SFI for emissions, instead of safety. Remember, SEMA is an industry group, not a racing lobbying group.

Lastly this act has been under debate since 2015 which covers a Republican President and a Republican lead Congress. I don’t know how much traction it has, but SEMA tends to “rally the troops” so often to boost its standing.

I really don’t have a problem with aftermarket street performance parts meeting emissions, I recognize I am probably the minority on this site with that opinion, bur you need to recognize people interested in hopping up cars is a minority interest group as a whole, and bad actors (rolling coal, street racing / hooning) doesn’t really help the cause. I don’t think motorsports / racers who have no stake in the street world should be used as pawns and risk getting roped in themselves.

If you want to be politically active, it’s wise to understand what it is that is being legislated, by whom, what their angle is, and not just blindly repeat things you see on social media.

I really don’t have a problem with aftermarket street performance parts meeting emissions,

Agreed.
A vehicle, sold for street use, should be allowed to be modified for competition use and to and from the track.
That would include aftermarket components as well.

I would not object to requiring any modified vehicle used on the street to meet emissions. It can be done quite easily.

Having investigated the composition of exhaust gases of race cars, I found they contain some very
undesirable components; benzene being one of several bad actors. Methanol and ethanol emissions included.

The obvious solution would be to use properly sized and designed catalytic converters.
Even without their use (which is often impractical), avoiding excessively rich mixtures would improve
track side safety considerably.

David Redszus wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 7:24 pm

I really don’t have a problem with aftermarket street performance parts meeting emissions,

Agreed.
A vehicle, sold for street use, should be allowed to be modified for competition use and to and from the track.
That would include aftermarket components as well.

I would not object to requiring any modified vehicle used on the street to meet emissions. It can be done quite easily.

Having investigated the composition of exhaust gases of race cars, I found they contain some very
undesirable components; benzene being one of several bad actors. Methanol and ethanol emissions included.

The obvious solution would be to use properly sized and designed catalytic converters.
Even without their use (which is often impractical), avoiding excessively rich mixtures would improve
track side safety considerably.

With your background in chemistry and myself having had enough org. Chemistry and biology to be dangerous, we both know this.

Anecdotally, a lot old timers I know in this sport have neurological problems or have / have died from blood cancers. It’s hard to prove statistically, but my observation is a life time of being around these things does have an effect, which the science says it should.

Let’s also recognize the EPA is pretty much a non-issue for motorsports. Urban sprawl is the biggest. The irony, is that many of the people I know who have the money for racing are successful real estate people and successful contractors.

It can be done quite easily.....Methanol.... Mark H.

It's the lumping of racers in with coal rollers that concerns me. I fear that if the EPA gets a win on enforcing restrictions on emission delete companies, they'll get cocky, and start going after more.

RPm -act in Europe, Belgian? Something new the EU is trying to pull through?

I have read about the rpm- act in the US, several threads in different forums. But can’t remember hearing about it over here in Europe.

it is not just diesels they are after. im into wrx's, and they have gone after retailers who sell TGV delte's recently. i am sure they will go after other stuff too. way too much money for them to make off of fines. now they have smelled blood, i doubt they will stop. not to get political, but be careful who you elect.

The other day I was going down the highway behind a lifted Dodge with a trash can exhaust tip spewing black smoke just cruising. I can't imagine why the EPA is pissed off.

It's like the open carry A holes in CA that got us more restrictive firearm transportation laws. You poke the .gov bear and you're going to get slapped. If you fly under the radar you get away with a lot more.

I fear that all the youtubers are going to bring more stuff down on us next. If you look at Cleetus et al they get away with a lot in FL that would be a lot tougher to get away with in CA. But then there is the Hoonigans that seem to motor swap just about anything so they must have a smog guy that looks they other way.

I had an issue buying a crankshaft for my 383 a while back because of CA's stupid CARB laws. For some reason Speedway had the crank flagged as not to be sold in CA rather than reading you the standard spiel about how you can't use this on an emission controlled vehicle. I had to have it sent to a friend in AZ and he smuggled it over the border for me on his next trip back to CA.

This doesn’t help SEMA’s argument either:
https://sentinelcolorado.com/news/metro ... -gridlock/

Business groups are now decrying it because it’s effecting their bottom line.

Then you have shows like Street Outlaws and the myriad of Youtube channels glorifying it. Car people are their own worst enemy most of the time.