EPA to restrict track mods for street cars?

The Environmental Protection Agency has reportedly moved to tighten restrictions on track modifications for street cars.

Regulators buried the controversial suggestion in a larger proposal otherwise focused on curbing emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

“EPA is proposing … to clarify that the Clean Air Act does not allow any person to disable, remove, or render inoperative (i.e., tamper with) emission controls on a certified motor vehicle for purposes of competition,” the agency wrote in a 629-page document (PDF).

The move has been met with fierce opposition from the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), which represents a wide range of stakeholders involved in the aftermarket parts and tuning businesses.

“This proposed regulation represents overreaching by the agency, runs contrary to the law and defies decades of racing activity where EPA has acknowledged and allowed conversion of vehicles,” said SEMA chief Chris Kersting. “Congress did not intend the original Clean Air Act to extend to vehicles modified for racing and has re-enforced that intent on more than one occasion.”

The organization claims the EPA wants to prohibit conversion of street-legal vehicles into race cars, and even ban the sale of certain emissions-related parts designed for such applications.

Track-day enthusiasts already face restrictions on certain aftermarket parts that, in some cases, push a vehicle’s legal status from street car to a dedicated racer that must be trailered on public roads. The single sentence published in the proposal does not explicitly claim owners and companies will be barred from modifying street cars for competition.

An alternative interpretation suggests the federal government will continue viewing certain modifications as non-compliant with emissions regulations, potentially forfeiting an EPA ‘certification’ for mixed use both on the street and track.

It is unclear if the EPA’s vague statement obscures a wider move to place tighter restrictions on the aftermarket parts industry — as SEMA suggests — or if it is genuinely a clarification of existing laws. Additional details could emerge ahead of the final rulemaking filings in July.

Image by Ronan Glon.