The EPA Couldn’t Care Less About Your Racecar’s Emissions

GReddy Racing Scion FR-S (Credit: Scion)

As an active participant in SCCA, I freaked out along with every other racer in the U.S. when news leaked that the EPA had snuck new terminology into a proposal. The verbiage, which states emissions components “must remain in their certified configuration even if they are used solely for competition or if they become nonroad vehicles or engines,” led everyone—myself included—to believe the EPA was out to curb racing.

Today, a new report from Automotive News claims that the EPA really doesn’t give a damn what you do to your off-road-only track toy, despite this “new” rule. In fact, this rule isn’t even new, as it has technically been illegal to tamper with emissions systems since 1963 regardless of a car being on- or off-road, believe it or not.

According to the EPA, it has no plans to tighten up its policing of modified racecars. Instead, its plan is to continue monitoring emission cheat devices—a la VW’s cheat device that now has the brand in hot water—sold under the guise of off-road only when they are clearly for emission-controlled vehicles. EPA press secretary, Laura Allen, also claims that the new verbiage is to clarify that the exemptions off-road vehicles like ATVs and dirt bikes receive does not apply to off-road-only, emission-controlled cars and trucks.

Given the EPA is being transparent on this issue—something few government bodies are very good at doing—all of us racers can remove our tin-foil hats as the gummament won’t be at your next event taking CO2 readings. Honestly, though, it is only a matter of time before this does start happening, but for now, race on folks!

We’ll bring you more details as they become available.