Tracking legal, legislative, and regulatory developments impacting the racing and performance industry.

PRI race track ambassador Tom Deery and the Washington, DC-based advocacy team work continuously to protect and promote tracks, sanctioning bodies, and motorsports businesses around the nation. This month, we are tracking several initiatives that affect racing, including a new resource to help enthusiasts identify the elected officials that support motorsports; why tracks and sanctioning bodies should host lawmakers; a resource for businesses seeking talented new employees; and more.    

Resource Center: Vote Racing In November 

The Performance Racing Industry (PRI) enhanced Save Our Racecars initiative is aimed at further promoting and protecting one of America’s oldest pastimes and hobbies: motor vehicle racing.  

The program is highlighted by a redesigned website (SaveOurRacecars.com) that streamlines the process for industry professionals, enthusiasts, and fans to join the fight to preserve racing. Included is an all-new “Vote Racing” program to help facilitate voter registration while highlighting pro-racing candidates in the November midterm elections. Visitors will also find template letters, phone scripts, and other resources designed to streamline outreach to lawmakers. 

Critical to the industry’s future—and central to PRI’s advocacy efforts—is the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act of 2021 (H.R. 3281/S.2736), which must be enacted into law to protect the right to modify street cars, trucks and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles. Supported by PRI and SEMA, the RPM Act aims to protect Americans’ right to convert street vehicles into dedicated race cars and the motorsports-parts industry’s ability to sell products that enable racers to compete. 

“SaveOurRacecars.com makes it easy to do your part to protect racing and identify whether your lawmakers in Congress support the RPM Act. With the November midterm election only months away, it’s important that racers and everyone who works in the industry consider whether their member of Congress has supported racing when they cast their vote,” said Eric Snyder, PRI’s Director of Congressional Affairs. “An informed racing community that holds their lawmakers to account is a powerful force in the campaign to pass the RPM Act into law.” 

Visit saveourracecars.com/vote-racing.html for a list of the 150 federal lawmakers and candidates who have either signed on as co-sponsors or expressed support for the RPM Act. 

Congressman’s Formula Drift Visit Highlights Outreach Opportunities

Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ)—one of the most important and influential lawmakers in Washington, DC, on the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act—showed his support for the motorsports community by attending the recent Formula Drift event at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey.  

Rep. Pallone is Chairman of the US House Energy & Commerce Committee (E&C), which has jurisdiction over the RPM Act. His support is critical to the motorsports industry, and for efforts to pass the bill in 2022.  

The RPM Act (H.R. 3281/S.2736) is bipartisan legislation that would protect the future of racing by clarifying in federal law that it is not illegal to modify and convert a street vehicle into a dedicated race vehicle. The House and Senate must pass the RPM Act by January 3, 2023, in order for it to become law during the 117th session of Congress.  

“As Chairman of the Energy & Commerce Committee, Rep. Pallone runs the committee and sets its agenda. His visit to Formula Drift was especially important because he saw, firsthand, the professional drivers that compete in race cars that the EPA currently deems illegal,” Snyder said. “Chairman Pallone understands the importance of the RPM Act to the future of racing and to the thousands of people who make and sell products that are used on the track.” 

PRI encourages businesses and tracks to work with the PRI Government Affairs team to host federal and state lawmakers. Congressional visits are critically important to educate policymakers on racing and the businesses and communities that it supports.  

“It’s important that race tracks educate lawmakers on the important role they play in providing family-friendly entertainment in their communities,” Snyder said. “I can’t think of a better way to do that than to host your members of Congress and state lawmakers at the track so they can see what racing is all about for themselves.”  

If you would like to get to know your members of Congress, the PRI team is ready to help and provide the heavy lifting. PRI will draft an invitation, identify and contact the appropriate lawmakers, and provide a briefing and day-of logistics prior to the event. For additional information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org. 

For more on the RPM Act and how to contact your federal representatives, visit saveourracecars.com.   

Employers Encouraged To Utilize PRI Career Center  

PRI’s interactive job board, the PRI Career Center, offers PRI Members and the entire racing industry an easy-to-use and highly targeted resource for online employment connections. 

Employers can use the PRI Career Center to reach qualified candidates. PRI Members can post open jobs, search for suitable candidates based on the specific job criteria, find online reports for job activity statistics, and create an online resume agent to email qualified candidates daily—all at no cost.

Employers that are not PRI Members can also use the service—and access a directory of automotive motorsports professionals—for a nominal fee. Over 1,600 searchable resumes were available at press time, with about 350 average views per job listing.  

“The PRI Career Center allows job seekers and employers to access a collection of job opportunities focused solely on the racing industry. We’re proud to offer this service for motorsports businesses now more than ever as companies work to find and retain quality employees,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, PRI President. “The PRI Career Center is the best, most effective way to ensure you get candidates that align with the passion and excitement found only through motorsports.”  

There are also several add-on options for employers, including the popular single 30-day online job posting package, which includes full resume search access and automotive career network distribution. 

Additional resources include branding solutions, automated bulk posting options, employer resources such as articles and videos on government compliance, a look at “the candidate experience,” and tips on how to attract top talent. Job posting enhancements are also available, including featured jobs, job posting videos, and social media recruiting. Employers can also distinguish themselves with a Featured Employer brand profile page, banner ad, and enhanced job postings. 

For more information, including how to register for the PRI Career Center and search for jobs, visit jobs.performanceracing.com.  

Automotive Specialty-Equipment Sales Rise To $50.9 Billion 

Sales of specialty-equipment parts reached a new high in 2021, increasing to $50.9 billion in retail sales for the first time in history—up from $47.9 billion in 2020.  

The finding comes from the new “2022 SEMA Market Report,” which is available for download at sema.org/research and provides the automotive aftermarket industry with a comprehensive review of the specialty-equipment market in 2021. The report includes new data on the US market size, consumer profiling, industry trends, and changes in the vehicle population.  

SEMA estimates that the growth was driven by strong consumer interest in working on their car or truck, as more than 80% of specialty-equipment consumers reported spending as much, if not more, time working on their personal vehicles as they did during 2020.  

“The 2022 SEMA Market Report can help member companies identify key areas of interest for consumers, and where the most money was spent on parts in 2021,” said SEMA Director of Market Research Gavin Knapp. “As our biggest research report of the year, this is a must-read for any business owner who wants to make strategic, data-driven decisions.”  

Restrictions on in-person shopping eased in 2021, prompting consumers to become more comfortable going back into stores to buy parts. As a result, the split of in-store versus online sales in 2021 was roughly 50/50—versus 54% online in 2020, and 45% online in 2019. This normalization is expected to continue in 2022.  

Pickup trucks remain the single biggest segment in the specialty-equipment parts market. An estimated 13.6 million pickups were modified by consumers in 2021, accounting for a combined 31% of specialty-equipment parts sales.  

Ongoing supply chain issues are also a concern in 2022. More than 90% of specialty-equipment manufacturers, distributors, and retailers feel that supply-chain-related challenges have impacted their business. This, in turn, is softening expectations regarding 2022 sales. 

For more information, visit sema.org/research.