C.A.R.B Advisory -- Running Racing Fuel in Your Street Car is Illegal, Even If You Are Racing ItBy Brian Lohnes Posted 02/10/10
We were tipped off to an advisory bulletin released by the dreaded California Air Resource Board, the infamous C.A.R.B. This advisory, in typically convoluted government speak, seems to indicate that running race gas in your street car, even if you are driving it to the race track to race it, is illegal, and if you're caught, you'll be in big trouble along with whomever sold you the fuel. How do they plan on testing? Roadside sniffers? It seems that the fear involves the lead content of racing fuel.
We get the no leaded fuel thing, but what freaks us out about this bulletin is the chilling effect it could potentially have on race gas distributors and sellers. If they know that they'll get whacked selling fuel to someone who gets pulled over with it in the tank of their street car, will they be more reluctant to sell it? CARB claims that retailers must take, "reasonable prudent precautions to assure that the gasoline will be used only in racing vehicles." As we said before, the street car that you drive and then take to the track, crank up the boost, and dump some good fuel into, is not a race car, so it is technically illegal for you to buy or be sold race gas in California now.
Will there be people spying at the race tracks on this? If your track has a fuel shack like most tracks, they legally have to stop selling race fuel to anything with a license plate on it, effective immediately. This is a bad deal that we hope doesn't grow legs anywhere else in the country.
We're all for impressive pump gas performance motors, but to restrict what fuel can be used in a car during a race? That sucks beyond words.
Here's the whole announcement from Dean Wormer C.A.R.B:
SALES, SUPPLY, AND USE REQUIREMENTS
The purpose of this advisory is to inform refiners, blenders, importers, and distributors of racing fuel of the regulations and requirements concerning the supply, sales, and use of gasoline used in racing vehicles (referred to herein as "racing fuel" or "racing gasoline") in California. This advisory applies only to motor vehicles. See the definition of "motor vehicle" below.
The California Reformulated Gasoline Regulations (RFG) found in Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Sections 2250-2273.5 require California gasoline sold, offered for sale, supplied or offered for supply as a motor vehicle fuel to meet certain and specific chemical content and physical property specifications, including, essentially, a zero lead (Pb) content requirement.
"Supply" means to provide or transfer a product to a physically separate facility, vehicle, or transportation system. Thus, any person in the marketing chain, including an end user / purchaser fueling his own vehicle, is supplying gasoline and is subject to the California RFG Regulations.
"Motor vehicle" is defined as a self-propelled vehicle in section 415 of the California Vehicle Code. Therefore, racing vehicles are by definition motor vehicles. Please note that boats and airplanes are not defined as motor vehicles.
"Racing vehicle" is defined as a competition vehicle not used on public highways. Further, if you can drive it to the track, it is not a racing vehicle. Racing vehicles are exempted from California Air Resources Board (CARB) vehicular air pollution control requirements in section 43001 of the California Health and Safety Code. Racing fuel (gasoline used in racing vehicles), however, is not exempt from the California RFG requirements except as provided in Section 2261(f) of the CCR.
Section 2261(f) specifically provides, in part, that sub-article 2 (Standards for Gasoline) and section 2253.4 (Lead/Phosphorus in Gasoline) "shall not apply to gasoline where the person selling, offering or supplying the gasoline demonstrates as an affirmative defense that the person has taken reasonably prudent precautions to assure that the gasoline is used only in racing vehicles."
CARB considers gasoline (leaded or unleaded) used in racing vehicles for testing, practice, or actual competition for and during a sanctioned racing event to be exempt from the reformulated gasoline (RFG) specifications. Competition vehicles driven to a racing event on a public highway rather than being transported on a trailer or other carrier are not racing vehicles. Motor vehicles used for work, pleasure, or recreation, i.e. cars, trucks, 4X4’s, motorcycles, dirt bikes, ATV’s, dune buggies, sand rails, and other vehicles not strictly used for racing events, are not racing vehicles and gasoline used in these vehicles is not exempt from California RFG requirements. Therefore, it is illegal to sell, offer for sale, supply, and offer for supply non-complying racing fuel (leaded and unleaded) for motor vehicles in California except in competition racing vehicles.Many refiners, blenders, and distributors of racing fuel sell and supply a "street legal" high octane unleaded
gasoline (racing fuel) blend that complies with the specifications for California RFG. This complying racing
ED – Form #075 (Rev. 07/04) ED – Form #075 (Rev. 07/04)
gasoline is readily available and is legal for use in all motor vehicles both on and off road. Retailers may sell this racing gasoline as complying California RFG.
Leaded and unleaded racing fuel that does not meet the California RFG specifications (non-complying racing gasoline) can only be sold, offered for sale, offered for supply, or supplied for use in true, competition racing vehicles. The retailer, i.e. service station, speed shop, auto parts store, fuel distributor, and race track fuel dispensing facility, etc., who is selling or supplying this non-complying gasoline must "take reasonable prudent precautions to assure that the gasoline will be used only in racing vehicles." If the vehicle this fuel is to be used in is registered or licensed for on-road or off-road use, this usually indicates that non-complying racing fuel cannot be used in it and the sale or supply of the fuel should not take place. CARB will consider this and all other relevant circumstances to determine if "reasonable prudent precautions" were followed in any particular case. In evaluating whether "reasonable and prudent precautions" were followed, CARB will consider whether the retailer kept a record of each sale of non-complying racing gasoline and whether each sales record contains the following information:
Date of Fuel Purchase
Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Purchaser / User
Brand, Name, and Grade (octane rating) of Fuel Purchased
Type or Description of Vehicle(s) to be Fueled
Is the vehicle(s) to be fueled registered or licensed for on-road use?
Is the vehicle(s) to be fueled registered or licensed for off-road use?
License Number and VIN, if any, of Vehicle(s) to be Fueled
Name of Sanctioned Racing Event
Date of Event
Name of Racing Association or Sanctioning Body
Racing Association or Sanctioning Body Membership ID Number
Signature under penalty of perjury that the gasoline will be used only in the above racing vehicle(s) for the above sanctioned racing event
%u3000
Refiners, blenders, importers, and distributors must also take "reasonable prudent precautions" and prove that adequate steps have been taken to limit sales of non-complying racing fuel to racing vehicles, exclusively. CARB will consider, but is not limited to, the following to be reasonable prudent precautions: import notifications, production reporting, labeling, record keeping, distributor training, and providing customer education materials. The requirement to take reasonable prudent precautions applies to all shipments of non-complying racing fuel regardless of container size, i.e. railcars, cargo tanks, barrels, drums, cans, etc. Specifically for importers and in-state refiners and blenders, in addition to the above, reasonable prudent precautions should include notification to CARB of the import shipment or in-state production, and labeling of each batch and container of non-complying racing gasoline. Refiners, blenders, importers, and distributors may enter into an enforcement protocol with CARB or modify their existing protocol as appropriate.Bulk containers, including but not limited to railcars, cargo tanks, barrels, drums, and cans, as well as bills of lading, delivery tickets, and invoices for all shipments of non-complying racing fuel offered or supplied for sale and use in California must be conspicuously labeled with the following:
Legal For Use ONLY In Competition Racing Vehicles
Not Legal For Use In Any Other Motor Vehicle
Letters or statements included with shipping documents outlining the legal uses of the racing fuel, instructions sent to distributors and retailers concerning legal sales and use of racing fuel, or other specific steps outlined in a new or modified enforcement protocol with CARB Enforcement Division, are additional ways for refiners, blenders, importers, and distributors to comply with the taking "reasonable prudent precautions" requirement.
CARB will evaluate whether all of the information discussed in this Advisory #397 is included in the records. The absence of such records or records that lack the above information argue against "reasonable and prudent precautions" having been taken.
Comments + Post your comment!
Written by IRONHEAD
Feb 15 2010
D/G look Toyota is backed by their government,
was bailed out with billions buy their government as you and everyone else bash mopar/gm
and are going to need billions more and a few prayers to get from under the mess they are in now,
as once the media turns on you, your toast..
and Toyota's got a BIG PROBLEM..
look around,, tell my the truth, do you think if more Americans bought made here. items,, that the profits , stayed here and was use here(reinvested)
the unemployment would be lower, more job's
a bigger tax base to pull from. instead of paying out to..
and a lower debt in this country..
and I'm not just talking cars..
if we blind Americans bought stuff made by our neighbors, everyone that wants to work would be..
and , right now ,that's just not the way it is..
Written by dieselgeek Feb 15 2010
[quote author=Speedzzter.blogspot link=topic=19761.msg370886#msg370886 date=1266016635]
I'm sorry that you cannot see it, Dieselgeek. But for me, it's a plain as the rising sun in a cloudless Pacific sky over Pearl Harbor.
[/quote]
You cite all kinds of one sided points. How can you verify that these "tax breaks" haven't been given to domestic manufacturers? The domestics you cite aren't even being assembled IN THIS COUNTRY yet they show up as having a high "Jobs Per Car" rating on the "Level Field Institute" website.
And what the hell sense does it make to be citing them, when per the LFI "data" we should all be buying cars from the company that's the most bloated and least efficient? after all, isn't that what "more jobs per car" is?
Not to mention, the parts for these Domestic car companies you're trying so hard to save, are almost all cast OVERSEAS. Yet strangely, the LFI glosses right over that fact.
The bottom line is, what you claim - makes no sense when viewed by a person with basic intelligence. Show me all these American jobs I am saving when I buy a POS Ford truck, which was assembled in Mexico, with parts cast in India and China. Sure, if Javier scoots across the border in Texas then MAYBE I'm helping a future American... otherwise, all of this is just a bunch of flagwaiving BS.
Spare us the rhetoric, and give us REAL facts - not quotes from a Political Action Campaign.
Written by SpiderGearsMan
Feb 13 2010
Opinions ?? only opinions slightly to the left of hugo chavez should be reviewed :)
Written by Speedzzter.blogspot
Feb 12 2010
[quote author=dieselgeek link=topic=19761.msg370720#msg370720 date=1265999702]
[quote author=squirrel link=topic=19761.msg370719#msg370719 date=1265999508]
Perhaps we should not delve too deeply into opinions on some subjects.
[/quote]
Yeah but how does one respond to ridiculous presentation of bogus facts? I've sat through Timeshare sales pitches that had less bogus info than some of these posts.
[/quote]
DUDE! If we cannot discuss the American auto industry on a FREAKIN CAR BLOG site, where should it be discussed?
Moreover, I've seen no proof of any "bogus facts, just unvarnished opinion.
[quote author=dieselgeek link=topic=19761.msg370697#msg370697 date=1265996352]
"invader" - it's bias that lands someone with the potential to be a great communicator and leader (you) into the spiral of blathering rhetoric aimed at brainwashing the nonthinking masses into taking your side...
It takes a low intellect to take your "stats" as fact, IMO. The reality is, thanks to guys like you, the "invaders" have NEVER been offered a "level playing field"[/quote]
"Invade (v) [L invadere] . . . 1. To enter for conquest or plunder. 2. To infringe or encroach on. 3 To spread injuriously and progressively; as, gangrene [i]invades[/i] health tissue. -- invader (n)
"Invader" is an appropriate description when a foreign OEM from a highly protectionist country sets up "assembly plants" in a targeted company for the express purposes of: (a) assembling foreign engineered and designed vehicles out of mostly foreign parts in taxpayer subsidized plants; (b) evading voluntary import quotas, (c) misleading gullible consumers into rationalizing that, despite the billions spent overseas engineering and designing these cars and the billions in proceeds that are returned to the "fatherland" that these cars are "American" because of their assembly point; and (d) creating massive overcapacity and loss of quality jobs in engineering, marketing, design and other disciplines necessary to industrial production.
The invaders have been given the key to the city in most of the states where they have beachheads. They've received billions in tax breaks and incentives. They've been allowed to expand their operations mostly without any burden from obsolete 1930s federal era unionization laws that forced unions on their competitors. They've received almost no criticism in the motoring press or generally. They expanded through Detroit 3 dealers and diverted their sales efforts. Their home government has protected them from foreign takeovers and retail competition while often subsidizing their reseach and development. They've spent millions buying protective influence in Washington D.C. (see e.g. [url=http://www.autoextremist.com/current/2010/2/9/the-autoextremist.html]http://www.autoextremist.com/current/2010/2/9/the-autoextremist.html[/url]) They allowed the Detroit 3 to do the lions' share of the expensive research and development necessary for modern anti-pollution controls and large vehicle fuel efficiency, and then shifted "upmarket" when the technology was becoming mature, obtaining the mature technologies for pennies on the Dollar. They profited from anti-free market laws such as Corporate Fuel Economy Standards (which artificially forced the market away from the cars that Detroit built best). And then to add insult to injury, they jawbone the most American of motorsports sanctioning bodies to abandon the last vestiges of production-based homologation to permit them to copy American designs and technology that took decades to refine and perfect.
So its true that the "invaders have NEVER been offered a 'level playing field.'" The playing field for them has been as downhill as an Olympic ski slope!
I'm sorry that you cannot see it, Dieselgeek. But for me, it's a plain as the rising sun in a cloudless Pacific sky over Pearl Harbor.
Written by Super Sport Feb 12 2010
[quote author=dieselgeek link=topic=19761.msg370720#msg370720 date=1265999702]
Yeah but how does one respond to ridiculous presentation of bogus facts? I've sat through Timeshare sales pitches that had less bogus info than some of these posts.
[/quote]
Do I have you to thank for the prolongation of Alan Thicke's infomercial career and Tahiti Village in Las Vegas?
Written by RacerRick Feb 12 2010
Race gas has been illegal in street driving cars for a long time....
Written by dieselgeek Feb 12 2010
[quote author=squirrel link=topic=19761.msg370719#msg370719 date=1265999508]
Perhaps we should not delve too deeply into opinions on some subjects.
[/quote]
Yeah but how does one respond to ridiculous presentation of bogus facts? I've sat through Timeshare sales pitches that had less bogus info than some of these posts.
Written by squirrel
Feb 12 2010
Perhaps we should not delve too deeply into opinions on some subjects.
Written by dieselgeek Feb 12 2010
[quote author=squirrel link=topic=19761.msg370704#msg370704 date=1265997470]
isn't this why politics are forbidden here?
[/quote]
I think we should extend the rule to be "no opinions allowed"
some of the junk passed along as fact, here, is absolutely ridiculous
Written by dieselgeek Feb 15 2010
[quote author=IRONHEAD link=topic=19761.msg372183#msg372183 date=1266254199]
D/G look Toyota is backed by their government,
was bailed out with billions buy their government as you and everyone else bash mopar/gm
and are going to need billions more and a few prayers to get from under the mess they are in now,
as once the media turns on you, your toast..
and Toyota's got a BIG PROBLEM..
look around,, tell my the truth, do you think if more Americans bought made here. items,, that the profits , stayed here and was use here(reinvested)
the unemployment would be lower, more job's
a bigger tax base to pull from. instead of paying out to..
and a lower debt in this country..
and I'm not just talking cars..
if we blind Americans bought stuff made by our neighbors, everyone that wants to work would be..
and , right now ,that's just not the way it is..
[/quote]
Where do I begin with this:
(1) Toyota took a government offering of financing because it was offered to them at a more competitive rate. This is not a "bailout" by any stretch of imagination - not even yours. Go do some homework before you join the ranks of Speedzter... or if you really want correction, compare the last 20 years and see who has made a profit versus who has lost money... and finally, who said I give a shit about Toyota? I don't. I like ONE engine they made, and that's it... get a clue.
(2) Toyota's "BIG PROBLEM" after you subtract the medias proportion blowing sensationalism, and factor how many cars they've sold, is yet s SMALL FRACTION of similar failures and recalls by Domestic manufacturers. The funny thing here is, while you and Speedzter are squealing "unfair treatment" - as usual, the REAL deal is that the foreigners are facing FAR less "equal opportunity" - be it financial, media treatment, and a million other factors - and they are STILL kicking domestic manufacturer asses.
The bottom line is, the Domestics need to STOP crying like babies, start running their businesses like GROWNUPS and suck it up. that's the ONLY way your beloved GM, Ford, and Chrysler - are going to make a comeback. Stop making shitty cars, stop trumping up bogus "quality" information (I don't care what you think, a new Cobalt is still a total POS compared to a new Civic), and start MAKING CARS PEOPLE WANT TO DRIVE