A special PRI-sponsored program at Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway focuses attention on passing legislation critical to the motorsports industry.

A full night of racing at Madison International Speedway (MIS) took on added importance as fans and competitors were introduced to industry efforts to fight federal policies that threaten the future of motorsports in America.

Through a partnership of MIS and Performance Racing Industry (PRI), the SaveOurRacecars.com Championship Night was staged August 20 at the Oregon, Wisconsin, paved half-mile oval. 

“It was highly successful,” reported track owner Gregg McKarns. “A lot of people who enjoy short-track racing were unaware of what’s going on.”

The Save Our Racecars initiative is designed to prevent government overreach targeting auto racing—specifically the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promoting a position that prohibits street cars from being converted into race cars. The EPA position also takes direct aim at the sale of aftermarket parts used for those conversions. The EPA claims its authority is drawn from the 50-year-old federal Clean Air Act (CAA); however, it was only in 2015 that officials began interpreting the law to include race car conversions.

PRI, along with SEMA, are working with lawmakers in Washington, DC, to pass the RPM Act, which stands for Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports. The measure (HR 3281) was introduced in the US House of Representatives in May of this year, and within a couple months at least 101 House members from both sides of the aisle had signed on as co-sponsors.

“The EPA’s interpretation of the law threatens race tracks like Madison International Speedway by prohibiting the conversion of street vehicles into vehicles used exclusively for racing,” noted Daniel Ingber, PRI/SEMA’s Vice President, Government and Legal Affairs in Washington, DC. “Congress needs to pass the RPM Act right away so racing enthusiasts nationwide can continue to enjoy motorsports.”

PRI/SEMA has also challenged the EPA in federal court on this question. While the court did not address the issue directly, it did offer positive statements regarding the government’s burden of proof in such cases. Passage of the RPM Act is considered essential to avoiding EPA overreach, and to that end more than 1.35 million letters have been sent to lawmakers urging their support of the measure. Much of this industry backing has been generated by partnerships similar to the PRI-MIS venture.

Raising Awareness

The MIS racing program was an ideal platform for promoting the RPM Act and informing the racers and fans of the PRI/SEMA legislative efforts. The track hosted four classes that night, and three of those divisions involved converted production vehicles.

“These guys are true hobbyists but not necessarily those who would attend PRI,” added McKarns. “Yet, they spend a lot of money in the aftermarket converting street cars into race cars.”

At the entry level, the track hosts 6shooters, a class designed for six-cylinder domestic nameplates. The Bandits are four-cylinder production vehicles, and the MISfitz class is a catch-all division that’s like index racing on the drag strip: The cars can’t lap quicker than 20 seconds.

“Probably half that field is production-based,” noted McKarns. “These classes are heavy into wheels, tires, suspension components and, of course, safety gear. There are also some light engine modifications, even though they’re not supposed to.”

Four seasonal champions were crowned that night in front of some 2,500 fans in the stands. The pits were packed with 102 race cars. There were almost 25,000 views on the track’s Facebook page during and just after the event.

“The race was fabulous,” said Tom Deery, an advocacy representative for PRI who worked with MIS to set up the event. “There was some great racing that night, but more importantly, we had a chance to meet and talk to many of the participants who ultimately would be or are affected by the EPA’s overreach. We explained to them the potential of that interference with our business and how  it will affect them.”

The PRI-MIS alliance began last year during the COVID-19 pandemic when Dane County officials placed heavy restrictions on outdoor events, a move that affected a total of four area tracks, including a second facility owned by McKarns in nearby Sun Prairie. Despite the lobbying efforts of PRI, racing was shut down in the county until the COVID restrictions were lifted earlier this year.

“Gregg reached out to us as a thank you and asked if we’d be interested in naming one of the races SaveOurRacecars.com Championship night,” recalled Deery. “It was Gregg’s idea, and the origin was probably the work that we did together in 2020 trying to get the tracks open that had COVID restrictions.”

In addition to banners placed strategically at the gates and victory lane, Deery set up a booth to pass out literature and SaveOurRacecars.com decals to the spectators. 

“We received handshakes, fist bumps and thank you’s,” said Deery. “We met a lot of people who participated in our letter-writing campaign.”

Deery also spoke at the drivers’ meeting, spending most of the time with racers from the three divisions that will be affected the most by continued EPA actions.

“They had Super Late Models, but they also had three other classes in which their origins are based on street cars,” said Deery, noting that one of the comments directed at him summed up many of the racers’ feelings: “I had no idea it affected our cars. We’re just the little guys.”

“Now, for the purpose-built race cars, that act doesn’t specifically address their cars,” continued Deery. “Our approach is that, more importantly, it affects the people who manufacture the parts that they use. Whether it’s a company that builds heads or intakes, or ignitions or exhaust systems, each of these steps that EPA takes can impact their business, because they’ve certainly widened their net to include wholesalers, retailers and ultimately the installers. This could seriously affect their business and ultimately affect the purpose-built race car business as well.”

Officials followed the message from MIS by making similar announcements at tracks located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Sun Prairie that weekend.

“We spread the word in the pits, at the tracks and through social media,” added McKarns.

Racer interest in PRI was also quite high, with many asking about the Trade Show’s status and the cost to attend. Some of those in attendance purchased PRI individual and business memberships. 

Chief Motorsports’ Steve Dickson, a regular competitor in the Pellitteri Waste Systems Bandits category at MIS, has been racing since the 1980s. “Racing is a release, a stress reliever. I don’t golf, I don’t fish, I don’t hunt; this is what I do,” Dickson said. He also works with the Big 8 Series, the eight-event Late Model tour in Northern Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. 

When Deery asked him if he was aware of the EPA’s potential to target his street-car-converted race vehicle, he was indeed familiar and had a unique perspective on the issue. Formerly serving in roles—tech official, tire seller, and later race director—at Rockford Speedway in Loves Park, Illinois, Dickson is currently Rockton, Illinois’ chief of police. And working in the government, he understands more than most about the delicate and sometimes lengthy process to pass legislation.

“I’ve been in government for many years and understand how laws get created,” he said. “But there’s usually a means to an end, and in almost every case, there’s a law of unintended consequences. Is that what we’re dealing with, or is it a purposeful event meant to destroy part of an industry?

“The EPA is a regulatory agency, and it’s awfully difficult for Congress to oversee those. Basically, they can create their own regulations and fine structure,” he continued. “To me, that’s outside the realm of what we were founded on. We’re supposed to be a nation of laws, and now we’re a country of regulations.”

Dickson understands the importance of making your voice known by asking lawmakers to vote to pass the RPM Act. For those who think one voice doesn’t matter, he believes that it does. 

“The people we put into elected offices never hear from us,” he said. “We complain to each other and on social media, but we never contact our elected representatives. They want to hear from us. Send them an email, say whatever your thoughts are, and I guarantee you will get a response 100% of the time.  

“So many people say, ‘I’m just one person. It doesn’t matter.’ But send the email. It does make a difference,” added Dickson. 

For Ronnie Osborne of Osborne Racing, the RPM Act means everything to his lifestyle. “I don’t know what I would be doing if I wasn’t racing,” he said. “I’ve been going to races for as long as I can remember. My dad, who worked on the safety crew at Madison, has been taking me there since I was a kid. Once I had the time and money, I got my own car for the 6shooters class before moving up to Bandits. My dad’s driving my 6shooter now.”

Osborne drives for and owns the four-car team, which primarily competes at MIS, located about 10 miles from team headquarters in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.

“During summer, we’re at the track every Friday, Saturday, and sometimes Sunday and Thursday,” he said. “It started with my family, but the more I’ve raced, the more friends I’ve made. We hang out in the pits and work on our cars together. If somebody has an issue—it doesn’t matter who it is—everybody helps. It’s the atmosphere you like to see: people helping each other out.”

But, as Osborne noted, his summertime racing could be gone for good if the EPA has its way. “As [PRI Track Ambassador] Tom explained it, the EPA’s interpretation doesn’t affect higher-level classes of racing, but affects me, my family and our cars at our local track.

“Local tracks are important,” Osborne continued. “If you look at top-tier drivers like those in NASCAR, IndyCar, wherever, they all had to start somewhere. I don’t know if there would be any NASCAR if it weren’t for grassroots racing. Sure, there are simulators, but those only teach you so much. There’s nothing like the experience of the track. 

“This is why we have to get more people into racing. The more people who join racing, the harder it’ll be to cancel it, if you will,” he concluded. 

“Certainly, the folks in attendance tonight heard about the RPM Act and SaveOurRacecars.com and what our goals are,” summed up Deery. “From a broader sense, people learned that PRI is more than just a trade show. Whether it was the COVID restrictions or our work with the RPM Act, it shows our eyes are on the entire industry.”

PRI Associate Editor Laura Pitts contributed to this report.