By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act is gaining Congressional support as race enthusiasts and industry stakeholders flood lawmakers’ offices on Capitol Hill with letters urging them to support the legislation. However, there are still many lawmakers who remain undecided. Visit www.sema.org/rpm to contact these lawmakers, who need to hear from industry members on why the bill is critical to the future of motorsports and the tens of thousands of jobs the motorsports industry supports.

“The industry has been great at taking the time to urge their legislators to support the RPM Act—and we’re seeing the impact,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. “We’re finding that once the issue is explained and people understand what it means, they immediately take action and contact their representatives.”

Currently, the co-sponsors of the House bill (H.R. 4715) are: Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Bill Posey (R-FL), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Austin Scott (R-GA), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Mimi Walters (R-CA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), David Rouzer (R-NC), Robert Hurt (R-VA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Mike Rogers (R-AL), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Tim Walberg (R-MI), J. French Hill (R-AR), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Ralph Abraham (R-LA), Brad Ashford (D-NE), Lou Barletta (R-PA), Diane Black (R-TN), Paul Cook (R-CA), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Trent Kelly (R-MS), John Kline (R-MN), Todd Rokita (R-IN), Susan W.  Brooks (R-IN), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Michael C. Burgess (R-TX), Collin C. Peterson (D-MN), James B. Renacci (R-OH), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mike Pompeo (R-KS), and Vicky Hartzler (R-MO).

Co-sponsors of the Senate bill (S. 2659) are: Senators Richard Burr (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Dean Heller (R-NV), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.).

Additionally, the chairman and members of the influential U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee recently pressed the EPA administrator for more information on the agency’s controversial interpretation of the law and the proposed regulation.

“SEMA members are urged to contact their legislators to request their support of the RPM Act, particularly if their legislators are not already on the list above,” said Kersting. “Member companies are also encouraged to spread the word with their employees and customers.”

SEMA has an online form that makes it easy for you to send letters to your lawmakers. By entering one’s address, the form automatically identifies the respective congressional reps and a letter can be generated and sent to them in less than a minute. The form at www.sema.org/rpm can be easily shared on websites and in emails to employees and customers. 

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act is gaining Congressional support as race enthusiasts and industry stakeholders flood lawmakers’ offices on Capitol Hill with letters urging them to support the legislation. However, there are still many lawmakers who remain undecided. Visit www.sema.org/rpm to contact these lawmakers, who need to hear from industry members on why the bill is critical to the future of motorsports and the tens of thousands of jobs the motorsports industry supports.

“The industry has been great at taking the time to urge their legislators to support the RPM Act—and we’re seeing the impact,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. “We’re finding that once the issue is explained and people understand what it means, they immediately take action and contact their representatives.”

Currently, the co-sponsors of the House bill (H.R. 4715) are: Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Bill Posey (R-FL), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Alex Mooney (R-WV), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Austin Scott (R-GA), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Mimi Walters (R-CA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), David Rouzer (R-NC), Robert Hurt (R-VA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Mike Rogers (R-AL), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Tim Walberg (R-MI), J. French Hill (R-AR), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Ralph Abraham (R-LA), Brad Ashford (D-NE), Lou Barletta (R-PA), Diane Black (R-TN), Paul Cook (R-CA), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Trent Kelly (R-MS), John Kline (R-MN), Todd Rokita (R-IN), Susan W.  Brooks (R-IN), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Michael C. Burgess (R-TX), Collin C. Peterson (D-MN), James B. Renacci (R-OH), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Mike Pompeo (R-KS), and Vicky Hartzler (R-MO).

Co-sponsors of the Senate bill (S. 2659) are: Senators Richard Burr (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Dean Heller (R-NV), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.).

Additionally, the chairman and members of the influential U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee recently pressed the EPA administrator for more information on the agency’s controversial interpretation of the law and the proposed regulation.

“SEMA members are urged to contact their legislators to request their support of the RPM Act, particularly if their legislators are not already on the list above,” said Kersting. “Member companies are also encouraged to spread the word with their employees and customers.”

SEMA has an online form that makes it easy for you to send letters to your lawmakers. By entering one’s address, the form automatically identifies the respective congressional reps and a letter can be generated and sent to them in less than a minute. The form at www.sema.org/rpm can be easily shared on websites and in emails to employees and customers. 

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The issue that sparked nearly 170,000 individuals in the racing industry to sign a White House petition earlier this year is NOT yet resolved. Even if the EPA removed the proposal in question, Congressional action is the only way to guarantee that street vehicles can continue to be modified for the track. Urge your legislators to support the RPM Act now: www.sema.org/rpm.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The issue that sparked nearly 170,000 individuals in the racing industry to sign a White House petition earlier this year is NOT yet resolved. Even if the EPA removed the proposal in question, Congressional action is the only way to guarantee that street vehicles can continue to be modified for the track. Urge your legislators to support the RPM Act now: www.sema.org/rpm.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The issue that sparked nearly 170,000 individuals in the racing industry to sign a White House petition earlier this year is NOT yet resolved. Even if the EPA removed the proposal in question, Congressional action is the only way to guarantee that street vehicles can continue to be modified for the track. Urge your legislators to support the RPM Act now: www.sema.org/rpm.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The issue that sparked nearly 170,000 individuals in the racing industry to sign a White House petition earlier this year is NOT yet resolved. Even if the EPA removed the proposal in question, Congressional action is the only way to guarantee that street vehicles can continue to be modified for the track. Urge your legislators to support the RPM Act now: www.sema.org/rpm.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The issue that sparked nearly 170,000 individuals in the racing industry to sign a White House petition earlier this year is NOT yet resolved. Even if the EPA removed the proposal in question, Congressional action is the only way to guarantee that street vehicles can continue to be modified for the track. Urge your legislators to support the RPM Act now: www.sema.org/rpm.

The SEMA Garage gives SEMA member businesses access to the special high-tech tools and equipment they need to get their products—whether a $10 set of replacement wiper blades or a $10,000 engine modification—off the drawing board and into customer hands. It is the only known facility of its kind in the United States.

Covering 15,000 square feet and filled with nearly $2 million of equipment, the SEMA Garage includes all the tools specialty product developers could hope for and then some, including two vehicle lifts, a portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for 3D scanning, a 3D printer for fast prototyping, digital race car scales for the most precise vehicle weight measurements, a dynamometer for power output measurements and more.

The SEMA Garage gives SEMA member businesses access to the special high-tech tools and equipment they need to get their products—whether a $10 set of replacement wiper blades or a $10,000 engine modification—off the drawing board and into customer hands. It is the only known facility of its kind in the United States.

Covering 15,000 square feet and filled with nearly $2 million of equipment, the SEMA Garage includes all the tools specialty product developers could hope for and then some, including two vehicle lifts, a portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for 3D scanning, a 3D printer for fast prototyping, digital race car scales for the most precise vehicle weight measurements, a dynamometer for power output measurements and more.

This is the ’18 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, caught testing in Northern Michigan.

The long-rumored Trackhawk will combine the Grand Cherokee with the 707hp Hellcat engine found in the Dodge Charger and Challenger. Jeep plans to compete with performance SUVs, such as the BMW X5 M, Range Rover Sport SVR and Mercedes GLE63 AMG.

The upcoming Jeep Grand Cherokee TrackHawk is expected to have a 0–60-mph acceleration time of just 3.5 seconds, according to sources.

Jeep has also freshened the styling of the Grand Cherokee with a more aggressive front fascia. The company has hinted the Trackhawk will not replace the old Grand Cherokee SRT, but live above that model.

Expect to see the Trackhawk in showrooms in July 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde