By Juan Torres
Madison International Speedway in Oregon, Wisconsin, is advocating for racers and fans to join the effort to protect the future of motorsports by hosting SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night on Friday, August 20.
As the title sponsor of the event, the Save Our Racecars initiative and efforts to stop government overreach will be promoted directly to race fans and consumers at the Friday night event. All those in attendance will learn about the threats facing the racing industry, including challenges racetracks have had holding in-person events during the pandemic, current legislative issues and the future evolution of automobiles.
“The racing industry has endured more challenges in the past year than it has in its entire history, and it’s not going away,” said Gregg McKarns, Madison International Speedway track owner. “We’re grateful that PRI is fighting for our rights to race.”
SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night represents an established relationship and partnership between Madison International Speedway and Performance Racing Industry (PRI), the organization promoting Save Our Racecars and advocating for the worldwide motorsports industry. When Dane County prohibited outdoor events from taking place last summer, Madison International Speedway leaned on PRI’s lobbying efforts to secure approval for hosting a limited number of events. SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night is the latest initiative between PRI and Madison International Speedway.
The August 20 event features three division races that include vehicles that began as street cars before being converted into dedicated race vehicles. As such, the MISfitz, Bandits and 6shooters series are at risk from the EPA’s National Compliance Initiative, which specifically targets and enforces against aftermarket companies that produce, market and install parts for dedicated race cars. To protect the motorsports industry against EPA overreach, the Save Our Racecars campaign is pushing for passage of the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act. The bipartisan bill will clarify that it is legal to convert street vehicles into dedicated race cars, and that businesses can legally produce, market and install racing products.
“Passing the RPM Act into law is the only way to guarantee the future safety of the racing industry,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, PRI president. “We need everyone at Madison Speedway to join in the effort. It’s critical we unite to protect our racing rights.”
PRI representatives will be onsite at Madison International Speedway on August 20 to help fans in attendance pledge their support of the RPM Act. In addition, race fans will learn how they can join in a new effort to unify the worldwide racing community. Through PRI Membership, race fans are able to join racers and motorsports businesses in demonstrating their passion, commitment and support for racing. The inaugural program is a groundbreaking movement that will amplify the industry’s ability to advocate and protect motorsports.
“It is by working together that our industry will survive and thrive,” said Meyer. “There is a lot of uncertainty in the world, but the only way to ensure the future of racing is through a unified voice. We must band together and take action.”
To learn more about the Save Our Racecars initiative, visit SaveOurRaceCars.com. To attend the August 20 SaveOurRaceCars.com Championship Night event, visit Madison International Speedway's website MISRacing.com.