Tracking legal, legislative, and regulatory developments impacting the racing and performance industry.

PRI’s dedicated advocacy team based in Washington, DC, works nonstop to protect motorsports. We are currently tracking several initiatives on the federal and state levels, including an update on the critical RPM Act designed to protect racing and a look at one of its leading co-sponsors, plus information on the Economic Bridge Coalition intended to provide relief to race tracks and other industries. 

RPM Act Continues To Gain Support In Congress

Backing for the bipartisan Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2021 (RPM Act), H.R. 3281, is expanding each day, as members of Congress continue to hear overwhelming support for the bill from racers and the motorsports parts industry. As of early August, 96 members of the House have supported the bill designed to protect racers’ right to convert street vehicles into dedicated race cars, including the most recent co-sponsors: Jim Banks [R-IN], Larry Bucshon [R-IN], Dusty Johnson [R-SD], Carlos Gimenez [R-FL], and Victoria Spartz [R-IN]. While Congress will be out of session through September 20, lawmakers will be getting out in the communities they represent and holding town hall meetings. This is an excellent opportunity to make your voice heard and encourage lawmakers to support the RPM Act. To identify your regional lawmaker, visit here. 

“Support for the RPM Act is increasing in the form of co-sponsors because racers and the men and women who work in the motorsports parts industry are writing their members of Congress. The PRI/SEMA SAN’s letter-writing campaign has resulted in over 1.35 million letters sent to Congress this year in support of the RPM Act,” Director of Congressional Affairs Eric Snyder said. “Additionally, key members of the industry have participated in virtual meetings with their lawmakers and Congressional staff through the SEMA Washington Rally. PRI is also working with race tracks to get them to post on social media about the importance of the RPM Act.”

The RPM Act must be enacted into law to guarantee your right to modify street cars, trucks, and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles, and ensure that the industry can offer parts that enable racers to compete. Lawmakers must continue to be reminded of the importance of passing the RPM Act. To send a letter, visit SaveOurRaceCars.com. 

For those who have already sent a letter to lawmakers in Washington, there’s plenty more you can do to help save our race cars. This includes using materials found at performanceracing.com/rpm-assets to get the word out about the RPM Act on social media, and emailing friends and racing associates a link to the letter-writing campaign.

“It is important that we speak to Congress with one voice, so we encourage you to use the SEMA/PRI materials on the RPM Act,” Snyder said. For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org. 

Meet RPM Act Champion, US Rep. Richard Hudson [R-NC]

As the lead Republican co-sponsor of the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2021 (RPM Act), H.R. 3281, US Representative Richard Hudson [R-NC] is one of the leading voices for this important measure and has proven himself to be a defender of motorsports.

“Congressman Hudson has been an amazing champion for the RPM Act and has been the lead Republican advocate for the bill on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He has been the most vocal supporter of the bill in committee meetings and in talking to committee leadership about the need to pass the bill behind the scenes,” Snyder said. 

The Energy and Commerce Committee has broad jurisdiction over federal public policy issues, including oversight of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Rep. Hudson has also brought the RPM Act to the attention of former EPA administrators Gina McCarthy and Scott Pruitt, who headed the agency under President Obama and President Trump, respectively.

 

“Congressman Hudson questioned Administrator McCarthy about the EPA’s 2015 draft rule-making that prohibited the modification of motor vehicles into dedicated race cars. He asked her if she was aware that it would destroy a $2 billion a year industry that employed tens of thousands of Americans,” Snyder said. “He later asked Administrator Pruitt for his views on the legality of converting street-legal vehicles into dedicated race cars, and asked that he support legislation to clarify it in a federal law, i.e., the RPM Act.”

A passionate racing fan and the hometown Congressman for Charlotte Motor Speedway, Rep. Hudson consistently voices his support for the race parts industry. PRI thanks Rep. Hudson for his tireless support of racing teams and businesses as the lead Republican co-sponsor of the RPM Act.

List of RPM Act Co-Sponsors (as of early August)

Rep. Patrick McHenry [R-NC]**

Rep. Raul Ruiz [D-CA]** 

Rep. Richard Hudson [R-NC]* 

Rep. Greg Pence [R-IN]* 

Rep. Daniel Webster [R-FL]* 

Rep. Ted Budd [R-NC]* 

Rep. Jim Jordan [R-OH]* 

Rep. Tom McClintock [R-CA]* 

Rep. Jeff Duncan [R-SC]* 

Rep. Darin LaHood [R-IL]* 

Rep. Blake D. Moore [R-UT]* 

Rep. Scott Perry [R-PA]* 

Rep. David Rouzer [R-NC]* 

Rep. Mike D. Rogers [R-AL]* 

Rep. Mike Kelly [R-PA]* 

Rep. Gary J. Palmer [R-AL]* 

Rep. Norma J. Torres [D-CA]* 

Rep. Thomas Massie [R-KY]* 

Rep. David G. Valadao [R-CA]* 

Rep. Bill Posey [R-FL]* 

Rep. Markwayne Mullin [R-OK]* 

Rep. Michael C. Burgess [R-TX]* 

Rep. Haley M. Stevens [D-MI]* 

Rep. Salud O. Carbajal [D-CA]* 

Rep. Doug LaMalfa [R-CA]* 

Rep. Don Young [R-AK]* 

Rep. Jim Cooper [D-TN]* 

Rep. Ken Calvert [R-CA]* 

Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. [D-GA]* 

Rep. Madison Cawthorn [R-NC]* 

Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux [D-GA]* 

Rep. Kurt Schrader [D-OR]* 

Rep. Julia Brownley [D-CA]* 

Rep. Debbie Lesko [R-AZ]* 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene [R-GA]* 

Rep. Tom O’Halleran [D-AZ]* 

Rep. Glenn Grothman [R-WI]* 

Rep. Scott H. Peters [D-CA]* 

Rep. Jackie Walorski [R-IN]* 

Rep. Robert B. Aderholt [R-AL]* 

Rep. Jimmy Panetta [D-CA]* 

Rep. Lauren Boebert [R-CO]* 

Rep. Rodney Davis [R-IL]* 

Rep. Mike Thompson [D-CA]* 

Rep. Brendan F. Boyle [D-PA]* 

Rep. Fred Keller [R-PA]* 

Rep. Pete Stauber [R-MN]* 

Rep. Henry Cuellar [D-TX]* 

Rep. Young Kim [R-CA] 

Rep. Troy Balderson [R-OH] 

Rep. John Joyce [R-PA] 

Rep. Ralph Norman [R-SC] 

Rep. Alexander X. Mooney [R-WV] 

Rep. Guy Reschenthaler [R-PA] 

Rep. Tim Ryan [D-OH] 

Rep. Pete Sessions [R-TX] 

Rep. Chris Jacobs [R-NY] 

Rep. Antonio Delgado [D-NY] 

Rep. Diana Harshbarger [R-TN] 

Rep. Ron Kind [D-WI] 

Rep. Tracey Mann [R-KS] 

Rep. Jason Smith [R-MO] 

Rep. Van Taylor [R-TX] 

Rep. Adam Kinzinger [R-IL] 

Rep. Pete Aguilar [D-CA] 

Rep. Adrian Smith [R-NE] 

Rep. Ann M. Kuster [D-NH] 

Rep. H. Morgan Griffith [R-VA] 

Rep. Jim Hagedorn [R-MN] 

Rep. Scott DesJarlais [R-TN] 

Rep. Robert E. Latta [R-OH] 

Rep. David Kustoff [R-TN] 

Rep. Glenn Thompson [R-PA] 

Rep. Carol Miller [R-WV] 

Rep. David McKinley [R-WV] 

Rep. Matthew M. Rosendale Sr. [R-MT]  

Rep. Trent Kelly [R-MS]  

Rep. Jared F. Golden [D-ME]  

Rep. Elise M. Stefanik [R-NY]  

Rep. Andy Barr [R-KY]  

Rep. Jay Obernolte [R-CA]  

Rep. Michael Cloud [R-TX]  

Rep. Austin Scott [R-GA]  

Rep. James Comer [R-KY]  

Rep. Brett Guthrie [R-KY]  

Rep. Bill Huizenga [R-MI]  

Rep. Don Bacon [R-NE]  

Rep. Warren Davidson [R-OH]  

Rep. Mary E. Miller [R-IL]  

Rep. Mark E. Green [R-TN]  

Rep. John R. Curtis [R-UT]  

Rep. Liz Cheney [R-WY]  

Rep. Jim Banks [R-IN]  

Rep. Dusty Johnson [R-SD]  

Rep. Larry Bucshon [R-IN]  

Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez [R-FL]  

Rep. Victoria Spartz [R-IN] 

*original co-sponsors 

**original lead sponsors

Coalition Seeks Support For Race Tracks

As previously reported (see PRI Magazine, June 2021), PRI’s Government Affairs team is focused on helping race tracks receive additional government relief. The initiative began as the “Shuttered Venues Operators Grant” (SVOG), part of a $15 billion act passed in late 2020 as part of the COVID-19 Relief Bill. Unfortunately, the grant program did not apply to race tracks and related outdoor venues. PRI has since formed a coalition of over 15 groups and advocated to expand the SVOG program to include everyone from race tracks to fairs to horse shows in the SVOG program.

“The SVOG program is focused on providing grants to live music and performing arts venues. While they deserve assistance to help offset revenue declines that are a direct result of public health orders that restricted their attendance during the pandemic, race tracks and many other providers of live entertainment are equally as deserving of federal assistance. SEMA, PRI, and our coalition partners are working with Congress to expand the groups eligible for SVOG assistance,” Snyder said.

In mid-June, the PRI Government Affairs team announced the Economic Bridge Coalition, which seeks broad-based relief for all industries left out of the SVOG program. The coalition has been focused on highlighting the key industries and businesses that have been left out of COVID-19 relief efforts. Founding members include: the American Rental Association, representing the equipment and event rental industry; the Live Event Coalition, representing businesses that produce and service live events; the American Society of Travel Advisors, representing travel agencies and advisors; IAAPA, representing theme parks, family entertainment centers, museums, water parks, aquariums, and other attractions; the International Council of Airshows; the Outdoor Amusement Business Association; the International Association of Fairs and Expositions; the Professional Photographers Association; the American Horse Council, representing the $122 billion US horse industry; the Specialty Equipment Market Association; Performance Racing Industry; and the National Ski Areas Association. 

The Economic Bridge Coalition is currently working with members of Congress on legislative proposals that would provide assistance based on revenue losses as a result of shutdown orders during the pandemic. Additional associations of affected industries are welcome to join this initiative. For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.