By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A federal Appeals Court struck down a 2015 rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that required manufacturers to replace hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), including HFC-134a, with a substitute. The HFC-134a ban as a motor-vehicle air-conditioning system refrigerant was scheduled to start with model-year 2021 new vehicles.

The EPA had approved the refrigerants for use years ago as substitutes to chlorofluorocarbons that deplete the ozone layer. However, the agency has subsequently identified other chemicals it deems to be more environmentally friendly. In issuing the rule, the EPA had relied on provisions under the Clean Air Act that require manufacturers to replace ozone-depleting substances with safe substitutes. The Court ruled that the EPA did not have authority under the law to require manufacturers to replace previously approved non-ozone depleting chemicals. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A federal Appeals Court struck down a 2015 rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that required manufacturers to replace hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), including HFC-134a, with a substitute. The HFC-134a ban as a motor-vehicle air-conditioning system refrigerant was scheduled to start with model-year 2021 new vehicles.

The EPA had approved the refrigerants for use years ago as substitutes to chlorofluorocarbons that deplete the ozone layer. However, the agency has subsequently identified other chemicals it deems to be more environmentally friendly. In issuing the rule, the EPA had relied on provisions under the Clean Air Act that require manufacturers to replace ozone-depleting substances with safe substitutes. The Court ruled that the EPA did not have authority under the law to require manufacturers to replace previously approved non-ozone depleting chemicals. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A federal Appeals Court struck down a 2015 rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that required manufacturers to replace hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), including HFC-134a, with a substitute. The HFC-134a ban as a motor-vehicle air-conditioning system refrigerant was scheduled to start with model-year 2021 new vehicles.

The EPA had approved the refrigerants for use years ago as substitutes to chlorofluorocarbons that deplete the ozone layer. However, the agency has subsequently identified other chemicals it deems to be more environmentally friendly. In issuing the rule, the EPA had relied on provisions under the Clean Air Act that require manufacturers to replace ozone-depleting substances with safe substitutes. The Court ruled that the EPA did not have authority under the law to require manufacturers to replace previously approved non-ozone depleting chemicals. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Three separate organizations representing racers and the industry are in discussions with Intrepid Potash-Wendover Inc., a potash mine operator, on ways to increase the amount of salt brine being pumped onto the Bonneville Salt Flats.

As Speed Week celebrates its 68th anniversary, the racing community is exploring ways to help restore the historic Bonneville Salt Flats to their former glory. Three separate organizations representing racers and the industry are in discussions with Intrepid Potash-Wendover Inc., a potash mine operator, on ways to increase the amount of salt brine being pumped onto the flats.

According to the groups, the goal is to create a 10-year pilot program to pump at least 1.2 million tons of salt per year, more than double the current amount being pumped. The program should help better understand Bonneville’s complex geology while simultaneously improving the racing surface. The expanded laydown will build upon a 1997–2002 program, which averaged 1.2 million tons yearly, and increased the salt surface and underground aquifer that supports it. The focus will be on sustaining that volume over a longer timeframe and carefully measuring the results.

“Bonneville’s premier racing venue is actually the densely packed salt remnants of an ancient lake bed formed over thousands of years,” said Doug Evans, chairman of the Save the Salt Coalition. “The salt crust has been shrinking and thinning for decades due to both human and environmental factors. We welcome this team-effort approach to helping return Bonneville to its former glory.”

The racers are represented by three organizations. The Save the Salt Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Save the Salt Coalition is an umbrella group comprised of automotive and motorsports companies and organizations, including SEMA, with a vested interest in this national treasure. The Utah Alliance is a volunteer Utah-based advocacy group using its expertise and contacts at the local level. All three organizations are collaborating to keep Bonneville available for future generations.

Details about the 10-year pilot program are being refined and will be released in the coming months. The parties are working with the U.S. Congress to develop appropriations legislation necessary to implement the plan. The racing venue is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and identified as the Bonneville Salt Flats Special Recreation Management Area. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

As Speed Week celebrates its 68th anniversary, the racing community is exploring ways to help restore the historic Bonneville Salt Flats to its former glory.

The goal is to create a 10-year pilot program to pump at least 1.2 million tons of salt per year, more than double the current amount being pumped.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Three separate organizations representing racers and the industry are in discussions with Intrepid Potash-Wendover Inc., a potash mine operator, on ways to increase the amount of salt brine being pumped onto the Bonneville Salt Flats.

As Speed Week celebrates its 68th anniversary, the racing community is exploring ways to help restore the historic Bonneville Salt Flats to their former glory. Three separate organizations representing racers and the industry are in discussions with Intrepid Potash-Wendover Inc., a potash mine operator, on ways to increase the amount of salt brine being pumped onto the flats.

According to the groups, the goal is to create a 10-year pilot program to pump at least 1.2 million tons of salt per year, more than double the current amount being pumped. The program should help better understand Bonneville’s complex geology while simultaneously improving the racing surface. The expanded laydown will build upon a 1997–2002 program, which averaged 1.2 million tons yearly, and increased the salt surface and underground aquifer that supports it. The focus will be on sustaining that volume over a longer timeframe and carefully measuring the results.

“Bonneville’s premier racing venue is actually the densely packed salt remnants of an ancient lake bed formed over thousands of years,” said Doug Evans, chairman of the Save the Salt Coalition. “The salt crust has been shrinking and thinning for decades due to both human and environmental factors. We welcome this team-effort approach to helping return Bonneville to its former glory.”

The racers are represented by three organizations. The Save the Salt Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Save the Salt Coalition is an umbrella group comprised of automotive and motorsports companies and organizations, including SEMA, with a vested interest in this national treasure. The Utah Alliance is a volunteer Utah-based advocacy group using its expertise and contacts at the local level. All three organizations are collaborating to keep Bonneville available for future generations.

Details about the 10-year pilot program are being refined and will be released in the coming months. The parties are working with the U.S. Congress to develop appropriations legislation necessary to implement the plan. The racing venue is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and identified as the Bonneville Salt Flats Special Recreation Management Area. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

As Speed Week celebrates its 68th anniversary, the racing community is exploring ways to help restore the historic Bonneville Salt Flats to its former glory.

The goal is to create a 10-year pilot program to pump at least 1.2 million tons of salt per year, more than double the current amount being pumped.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Three separate organizations representing racers and the industry are in discussions with Intrepid Potash-Wendover Inc., a potash mine operator, on ways to increase the amount of salt brine being pumped onto the Bonneville Salt Flats.

As Speed Week celebrates its 68th anniversary, the racing community is exploring ways to help restore the historic Bonneville Salt Flats to their former glory. Three separate organizations representing racers and the industry are in discussions with Intrepid Potash-Wendover Inc., a potash mine operator, on ways to increase the amount of salt brine being pumped onto the flats.

According to the groups, the goal is to create a 10-year pilot program to pump at least 1.2 million tons of salt per year, more than double the current amount being pumped. The program should help better understand Bonneville’s complex geology while simultaneously improving the racing surface. The expanded laydown will build upon a 1997–2002 program, which averaged 1.2 million tons yearly, and increased the salt surface and underground aquifer that supports it. The focus will be on sustaining that volume over a longer timeframe and carefully measuring the results.

“Bonneville’s premier racing venue is actually the densely packed salt remnants of an ancient lake bed formed over thousands of years,” said Doug Evans, chairman of the Save the Salt Coalition. “The salt crust has been shrinking and thinning for decades due to both human and environmental factors. We welcome this team-effort approach to helping return Bonneville to its former glory.”

The racers are represented by three organizations. The Save the Salt Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to restore the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Save the Salt Coalition is an umbrella group comprised of automotive and motorsports companies and organizations, including SEMA, with a vested interest in this national treasure. The Utah Alliance is a volunteer Utah-based advocacy group using its expertise and contacts at the local level. All three organizations are collaborating to keep Bonneville available for future generations.

Details about the 10-year pilot program are being refined and will be released in the coming months. The parties are working with the U.S. Congress to develop appropriations legislation necessary to implement the plan. The racing venue is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern, and identified as the Bonneville Salt Flats Special Recreation Management Area. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

As Speed Week celebrates its 68th anniversary, the racing community is exploring ways to help restore the historic Bonneville Salt Flats to its former glory.

The goal is to create a 10-year pilot program to pump at least 1.2 million tons of salt per year, more than double the current amount being pumped.

By Juan Torres

In last year’s SEMA Battle of the Builders competition, Gordon Ting’s purpose-built ’16 Toyota Prius was the first hybrid entry to be named a finalist.

Now in its fourth year, the SEMA Battle of the Builders brings together the world’s best builders, and is one of the few car-build competitions where different makes, styles and bodies go head-to-head for the top prize. In fact, it’s rare to see a Toyota Prius named a finalist and then face off against a ’69 Chevy Camaro for top honors, as was the case during last year’s competition.

“It means a lot; it’s humbling,” said Gordon Ting, whose ’16 Prius was the first hybrid to be named a finalist in the history of the competition. “Being next to some of these awesome builders, it doesn’t feel right.”

The other finalists in last year’s competition were a ’92 Honda Prelude, a ’17 Ford Raptor, a ’41 Wyllis, a ’58 Jeep FC170, a ’48 Cadillac, a ’67 Chevy Chevelle, a ’61 Chevy two-door sedan and two ’69 Chevy Camaros.

As in previous years, industry judges will review the hundreds of builds entered. This year, they will narrow them down to a Top 12, with those finalists then voting among themselves to name a winner, who will be announced during SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party.

Register now to be a part of one of the industry’s most prestigious vehicle-build competitions, the 2017 SEMA Battle of the Builders, held during the trade-only 2017 SEMA Show, October 31–November 3, in Las Vegas. The deadline to enter is September 1.

By Juan Torres

In last year’s SEMA Battle of the Builders competition, Gordon Ting’s purpose-built ’16 Toyota Prius was the first hybrid entry to be named a finalist.

Now in its fourth year, the SEMA Battle of the Builders brings together the world’s best builders, and is one of the few car-build competitions where different makes, styles and bodies go head-to-head for the top prize. In fact, it’s rare to see a Toyota Prius named a finalist and then face off against a ’69 Chevy Camaro for top honors, as was the case during last year’s competition.

“It means a lot; it’s humbling,” said Gordon Ting, whose ’16 Prius was the first hybrid to be named a finalist in the history of the competition. “Being next to some of these awesome builders, it doesn’t feel right.”

The other finalists in last year’s competition were a ’92 Honda Prelude, a ’17 Ford Raptor, a ’41 Wyllis, a ’58 Jeep FC170, a ’48 Cadillac, a ’67 Chevy Chevelle, a ’61 Chevy two-door sedan and two ’69 Chevy Camaros.

As in previous years, industry judges will review the hundreds of builds entered. This year, they will narrow them down to a Top 12, with those finalists then voting among themselves to name a winner, who will be announced during SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party.

Register now to be a part of one of the industry’s most prestigious vehicle-build competitions, the 2017 SEMA Battle of the Builders, held during the trade-only 2017 SEMA Show, October 31–November 3, in Las Vegas. The deadline to enter is September 1.

By Juan Torres

In last year’s SEMA Battle of the Builders competition, Gordon Ting’s purpose-built ’16 Toyota Prius was the first hybrid entry to be named a finalist.

Now in its fourth year, the SEMA Battle of the Builders brings together the world’s best builders, and is one of the few car-build competitions where different makes, styles and bodies go head-to-head for the top prize. In fact, it’s rare to see a Toyota Prius named a finalist and then face off against a ’69 Chevy Camaro for top honors, as was the case during last year’s competition.

“It means a lot; it’s humbling,” said Gordon Ting, whose ’16 Prius was the first hybrid to be named a finalist in the history of the competition. “Being next to some of these awesome builders, it doesn’t feel right.”

The other finalists in last year’s competition were a ’92 Honda Prelude, a ’17 Ford Raptor, a ’41 Wyllis, a ’58 Jeep FC170, a ’48 Cadillac, a ’67 Chevy Chevelle, a ’61 Chevy two-door sedan and two ’69 Chevy Camaros.

As in previous years, industry judges will review the hundreds of builds entered. This year, they will narrow them down to a Top 12, with those finalists then voting among themselves to name a winner, who will be announced during SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party.

Register now to be a part of one of the industry’s most prestigious vehicle-build competitions, the 2017 SEMA Battle of the Builders, held during the trade-only 2017 SEMA Show, October 31–November 3, in Las Vegas. The deadline to enter is September 1.

By Juan Torres

In last year’s SEMA Battle of the Builders competition, Gordon Ting’s purpose-built ’16 Toyota Prius was the first hybrid entry to be named a finalist.

Now in its fourth year, the SEMA Battle of the Builders brings together the world’s best builders, and is one of the few car-build competitions where different makes, styles and bodies go head-to-head for the top prize. In fact, it’s rare to see a Toyota Prius named a finalist and then face off against a ’69 Chevy Camaro for top honors, as was the case during last year’s competition.

“It means a lot; it’s humbling,” said Gordon Ting, whose ’16 Prius was the first hybrid to be named a finalist in the history of the competition. “Being next to some of these awesome builders, it doesn’t feel right.”

The other finalists in last year’s competition were a ’92 Honda Prelude, a ’17 Ford Raptor, a ’41 Wyllis, a ’58 Jeep FC170, a ’48 Cadillac, a ’67 Chevy Chevelle, a ’61 Chevy two-door sedan and two ’69 Chevy Camaros.

As in previous years, industry judges will review the hundreds of builds entered. This year, they will narrow them down to a Top 12, with those finalists then voting among themselves to name a winner, who will be announced during SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party.

Register now to be a part of one of the industry’s most prestigious vehicle-build competitions, the 2017 SEMA Battle of the Builders, held during the trade-only 2017 SEMA Show, October 31–November 3, in Las Vegas. The deadline to enter is September 1.