The EPA said it will drop controversial language from a proposed heavy- and medium-duty truck rule that had sparked fears of a new agency ban on street-to-race car conversions and recent scrutiny from Republican lawmakers. The language was tucked inside a 629-page proposal published last June to slash carbon emissions by medium- and heavy-duty trucks. In February, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, a trade group for auto aftermarket companies, rang the alarm bell by saying the EPA sought to prohibit the type of modifications made to street cars converted for racing use that amateur racers have taken to the track for decades.
The EPA said at the time that, technically, tampering with emissions controls on road-going vehicles has long been prohibited, but the ban was aimed at companies selling sell parts and accessories that disable emissions controls, not racers who modify cars to race on the track. The proposed language was intended to clarify existing regulations, the agency contended.
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