SEMA challenges EPA's interpretation of the Clean Air Act | Hagerty Media

[Hagerty]

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is fighting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's contention that the Clean Air Act (CAA) does not allow a motor vehicle to be converted into a racing vehicle used solely for competition.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/sema-challenges-epas-interpretation-of-the-clean-air-act/

[RokemRonnie]

I'm shocked, shocked, I tell you that denizens of the Deep State believe they have the power to overrule an act of Congress that tries to reign in their power. It's quite clear that we currently live in a caste system wherein a privileged class of unelected government employees determine how the rest of us should act, regardless of the will of the people and Congress. Unfortunately, half of the body politic is cool with that because they think it will keep them in power perpetually.

[MajorTomB]

I was about to write a post that started exactly the same way. Everything that is happening was easily predicted last fall. Obama era nonsense was clearly coming back in style. Executive order changes that fought tooth and nail in court during the previous four years, were re-signed and put into effect quietly, and with no fanfare over the last 6 weeks. Fascism is ok when it is your side in charge. Ditto for unnecessary regulation. Don't you be making no race cars out of street machines.

[Studenorton]

I imagine a lot of us, "both parties" as we used to say, would like to keep politics out of our day-to-day discussions of real things. You just can't do it. People who don't have the *stuffing* to complain to your face about your mode of living scuttle around in the drawer where they keep surprise midnight legislation, and scheme to take it all away from you. You're forced into political action just to stay alive. It's a mark of how shallow the campaigns have become that the current chief executive has had his picture taken with some prominent muscle cars that he can have but you can't. It reminds me that Brezhnev was a kind of a car collector.

[TinaBird]

You are spot on. I too have always wished to separate politics from of my hobbies. Unfortunately, it is becoming impossible. I seem to be attracted to all of the hobbies that our government believes we need to stop - playing with old cars, playing with race cars, model aircraft flying, dirt biking (especially my two-strokes).
The current wave of politicians are great at making mass mandates and legislation "for the betterment of the people" all while ensuring none of it impacts their lives directly.

[hyperv6]

I work in the performance racing industry and be,one to SEMA.

This is nothing recent or new! This was started under the Obama administration by those appointed to the EPA. They took it upon themselves to reinterpret laws that were past by the House and Senate years ago and now apply them to racing.

This would destroy the grass roots racing and drag racing in this country. The many SEMA members wrote to Washington and found a number of people in office that help start the RPM act in a bi partisan way.

Things died down with the Trump EPA but now with Biden in office this monster is back.

Please note it is race cars now and next it will be any performance parts for street cars next. Some of the far left states are now pushing to prevent things like a cat back exhaust upgrade that does not even touch emissions.

Even in cases if a car passes the emissions with no issue any modified part needs a number that proves it was tested to pass emissions. These are called CARB EO numbers that California brought but now some other states are following.

If you love cars you need to get involved here. This will effect you at some point and prevent your hobby. These are not just American issues as auto enthusiast are under attack. In some countries the older the car the higher the tax. Richard Hammond from Grand Tour has been told by his local authorities that he had too many cars and not permitted to build a proper building to protect them. The one official told him to sell his cars.

I have gotten letters back from Senate and House Members from both parties and even a personal visit from one high ranking house member. They know this will get people mad and lose a great number of jobs and local economic impact.

Killing racing and our hobby is not going to save the planet as we are not destroying it. It is time we stand up for our rights to be heard and laws enforced as voted in by the government not interpreted by a agency appointee.

This is not just an attack on our hobby but how our government operates as written by our forefathers.

[trymes]

"Things died down with the Trump EPA but now with Biden in office this monster is back."

@hyperv6: Don't fall for that Trump v. Biden crap. This lawsuit was filed before Biden was in office, and government agencies don't suddenly slap lawsuits like this together, so it was gestating for quite some time while Trump was in office, filed before he left office, and is now just hitting the press once Biden is in office.

I'm 100% OK with criticism of what EPA is doing, as they are working expressly against the intentions of Congress, but how about we keep the massively oversimplified and inaccurate political crap out of it?

[brians356]

I'm making a WAG here that you didn't vote for Trump.

[Swamibob]

"Killing racing and our hobby is not going to save the planet as we are not destroying it."

That is so true, but few people have ever stated it so succinctly! I also agree whole heartedly with your last line: "This is not just an attack on our hobby but how our government operates as written by our forefathers."
There are a lot of people involved in Government and on one side of the political aisle that don't believe in the individual nor do they believe in Freedom. It is a bit sad, but we will continue to stand up for our Freedoms.

[HHCO]

we should be thankful there are people to plead our cause,left to the libs we wont have anything fun to drive

[drhino]

These are folks that don’t understand why anyone would look at cars as something more than an appliance. Worse still, a lot of them see them as a necessary (at this point) evil; and would love to eradicate them (or at least the heart of the evil— the internal combustion engine). They are aghast that we would want to play with such dirty, loud, smelly dangerous things; and they think they are helping us (and the rest of the world) by increasing the “safety” and “green-ness” of our contraptions. They don’t understand passion; nor do they understand that some risk is essential to actually live.

[TinaBird]

It makes me happy to know there are people out there still that think and feel the way I do. The government, along with their mainstream propaganda outlets, seem to be leading the "sheeple" into believing we need the government to protect us from ourselves. We are just lowly, dumb cavepeople that would continue to stick tweezers into electrical outlets if big brother didn't tell us we shouldn't. Like you said, these people can't understand why we enjoy what we do. Acknowledging the risks and facing them head-on is a huge part of it - and a huge part of life in general. We can't (nor should we) ever live in a world free from all risks to life and limb.

[64jeepsrt]

EPA should be more concerned on how much methane a cow produces, than turning street machines into race cars...

[knucklebusted]

When race cars are outlawed, only outlaws will have race cars.

What is WRONG with people that you can't enjoy your hobbies in parts, pieces and tire-smoking noise? They keep coming after anything I derive pleasure in, be it cars, guns or travel without government issued vaccination papers.