Representative Angie Craig Cosponsors Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act
Craig’s bill would ensure longstanding protections and exemptions for converted race cars and other vehicles are maintained
WASHINGTON, DC — This week, U.S. Representative Angie Craig cosponsored bipartisan legislation to clarify that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not have a role in regulating modified motor vehicles used exclusively for racing. The legislation would ensure that dedicated race cars used at racetracks like the Elko Speedway are exempted from future regulations, which could impact competitive motorsports.
"The Elko Speedway is and other racetracks across the country are an important source of entertainment and jobs in Minnesota's Second Congressional District," said Representative Craig. "While environmental protections like the Clean Air Act are critical for combating climate change, these rules were never intended to impact competitive motorsports – which are not a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. I'm proud to support this bipartisan legislation to defend the time-honored tradition of motorsports in the United States."
Converting a motor vehicle into a race car is a significant part of American automotive heritage with the practice having played a large role in the foundation of NASCAR. Additionally, the specialty automotive industry employs over one million Americans. Companies that manufacture, distribute, and sell products that improve race vehicle performance are a large and growing part of our economy.
The Clean Air Act authorizes the EPA to regulate motor vehicles, but these regulations have never applied to race cars. In 1990, Congress affirmed this exemption when it authorized the EPA to regulate "non-road vehicles" and explicitly excluded any "vehicle used solely for competition" from the non-road definition. In early 2016, the EPA issued a proposed rule that would make it illegal for this practice to continue via the Clean Air Act even though Congress never intended for race cars to be subject to the Clean Air Act. While the proposed EPA regulation was withdrawn in April of 2016, the RPM Act would make permanent that race cars are exempt from EPA regulation via the Clean Air Act.
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