Advocacy Corner

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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 vital RPM Act designed to protect racing, a look at the motorsports industry’s presence at the 2021 SEMA Washington Rally, and a critical notification for parts manufacturers regarding emissions compliance. 

Support For RPM Act Grows In House Of Representatives

Support for the bipartisan Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2021 (RPM Act), H.R. 3281, continues to expand as members of Congress receive an outpouring of support for the bill from racers and the motorsports parts industry.

“Support is increasing in the form of RPM Act cosponsors because the motorsports industry has flooded members of Congress with letters requesting their support. The PRI/SEMA SAN’s letter-writing campaign has resulted in over 1.35 million letters sent to Congress in 2021 in support of the RPM Act,” Director of Congressional Affairs Eric Snyder said. 

A top priority for PRI, the RPM Act is designed to protect against overreach from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and clarifies the motorsports-parts industry’s ability to sell products that convert street vehicles into dedicated race cars. As of late July, 30 additional House members, listed below, have agreed to cosponsor the bill; at press time, the bill had 95 total cosponsors.

PRI and SEMA are lobbying Congress on the RPM Act, regardless of whether Congress is in session or lawmakers are back in their districts. Congressional recess presents a great opportunity for members of Congress to meet with their constituents. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), the lead sponsor of the RPM Act, recently visited SRI Performance, the provider of racing and street performance products in Mooresville, North Carolina. During the visit, Rep. McHenry spoke with industry members—including SRI Performance owner Greg Fornelli, Speed Sport Owner and President Ralph Sheheen, and David Miller, executive director of the North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA)—about the importance of passing the RPM Act. 

“It was great to visit SRI Performance,” said Rep. McHenry. “Racing has a long and storied history in North Carolina and is an important part of our economy. I was proud to [recently] reintroduce the RPM Act to protect grassroots motorsports and the industries that support them.” 

PRI encourages race tracks, racing businesses, motorsports parts manufacturers, race teams, and related entities to voice their support of the RPM Act on social media using the assets found at performanceracing.com/rpm-act. PRI applauds the efforts of those that have already spread the word, including Selinsgrove Speedway and Clinton County Speedway in Pennsylvania. To send a letter to lawmakers and see a current RPM Act cosponsors list, visit performanceracing.com/rpm-act. For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

PRI, SEMA Connect With Congressional Reps From DC 

PRI and SEMA representatives have escalated their advocacy efforts by participating in nearly 100 meetings with Republican and Democratic lawmakers from Capitol Hill in June and July. As part of the virtual 2021 SEMA Washington Rally, more than 60 industry companies joined PRI and SEMA in a record-high number of meetings with officials from the US House of Representatives and Senate.

Discussions focused on hot-button industry issues, challenges, and concerns, including opposition to electric vehicle mandates, support for protecting motorized off-road recreational access, tax credits for businesses participating in trade shows, and more initiatives for the automotive aftermarket.

Chief among meeting topics, however, was passage of the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act.

“It was great to meet with lawmakers who seriously considered the RPM Act, which allows street vehicles to be converted into racing vehicles,” said Braden Liberg, director of compliance and calibration engineering at Edelbrock Group. “Without the RPM Act, there is a threat to the motorsports industry. Unfortunately, many lawmakers are unaware of the challenges facing our industry, and we must work with them to ensure that motorsports businesses can continue to operate.”

Newest RPM Act Cosponsors in US House of Representatives (as of late july)

David McKinley (R-WV) 

Robert Latta (R-OH) 

Ann Kuster (D-NH) 

Morgan Griffith (R-VA) 

Jim Hagedorn (R-MN) 

Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) 

David Kustoff (R-TN) 

Glenn Thompson (R-PA) 

Carol Miller (R-WV) 

Matt Rosendale (R-MT) 

Trent Kelly (R-MS) 

Jared Golden (D-ME) 

Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY) 

Andy Barr (R-KY) 

Jay Obernolte (R-CA) 

Michael Cloud (R-TX) 

Austin Scott (R-GA) 

James Comer (R-KY) 

Brett Guthrie (R-KY) 

Bill Huizenga (R-MI) 

Don Bacon (R-NE) 

Warren Davidson (R-OH) 

Mary Miller (R-IL) 

Mark Green (R-TN) 

John Curtis (R-UT) 

Liz Cheney (R-WY) 

Jim Banks (R-IN) 

Dusty Johnson (R-SD) 

Larry Bucshon (R-IN) 

Carlos Gimenez (R-FL)

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