California has upheld the strictest vehicle emissions laws in all 50 states, punishing those who own modified vehicles and categorizing their rides as "gross polluters". As it appears, CARB (for California Air Resource Board), formed to regulate air quality while determining how clean and fuel-efficient a vehicle should run, is tightening the noose around our industry's neck a wee-bit tighter. These tree-hugging hippies have a long history of tussling with the automotive performance market, devising requirements for every underhood modification imaginable, to advocating increasingly more stringent smog laws in an attempt to legislate performance out of our cars. If CARB attempting to scare the performance industry out of business isn't a bad enough thought, think about this: They just announced that it is illegal to sell, supply, and run race fuel in your street car.
And the situation is worse that it appears. Not only will the owner of any California-registered car break the law by filling that car with race gas, the shop or supply store who sold them the fuel could also receive a hefty fine if caught. Local race tracks offering race gas are also affected by this law, and legally have to stop selling race fuel to vehicles with a license plate. Service stations or performance shops will now have to keep records of who is buying the race gas, for which vehicle it's being used, and in which race it's to be used. The new ban will have a far-reaching effect on enthusiasts who race their high-performance street cars on the weekends, as well as those who participate in local autocrosses and privately organized track days, many of which may not be sanctioned race events recognized by CARB. Fortunately, enthusiasts are still allowed to pump 100-octane CARB-approved fuel at various service stations-but the question is: For how long? And will locally organized track functions soon be required to obtain CARB permits to hold events? How outrageously much will that end up costing enthusiasts? Get involved. Visit:
www.arb.ca.gov/enf/advs/advs397.pdf
Senior Editor
Scott Tsuneishi
scott@importtuner.com