Roddin & Racin NW Magazine

Roddin & Racin NW Archives

I write for this magazine  Click HERE , a hot rodding mag that services the Northwest, primarily Oregon and Washington. This is a great publication. Some of the material would be of general interest anywhere in the Hot Rodding world. So I have decided to post some links of general interest. Then we get into what I consider the most important, which is my recent columns that deal with the RPM Act and the encroaching world of AV cars rapidly descending upon us and what consequences that may come from this regime change in what we know of transportation by automobile. My articles will be found towards the bottom of the page. Scroll to the bottom to see the latest 2017 Article. You may find many of the other articles interesting as well.

A shameless plug for us. If you have special needs for your business, race team or special car, you might consider humble us. Contact us for your Photography, Video, Copy Writing, Social Web needs or whatever ... Getting married?  Whatever - no need to pay a ton! 

 #GearHeadsWorld  on Facebook.

October 2015 Issue

Awards Ceremony

17th. Annual Gresham Rockin' Around the Block  

If you happened to find yourself passing through town on the second Saturday of August and suddenly ended up hip deep In what appeared to be a hornet's nest of hot rods, you might have felt some concern for your health and welfare - That is, if you were not a GearHead. After all, Hollywood had once made horror films about hot rods taking over a town! 

Car guys and gals from all around know that this is the Gresham, OR.  Rockin' Around The Block Annual Cruise spectacular! This is the day that the Northwest Motorsports Association takes over downtown Gresham and proceeds to line Main Street with all manner of muscle and hardcore hot rods. 

And not to worry Martha. This horde  runs a clean operation ... Well, there was that one year ... You see, there was this thing called the "Brick It." And well - there was this T-Bird that caught fire! It seems the engine blew up and spread fire to all of the plastic on the car which proceeded to burn and burn and could not be put out. Ultimately the fire department had to be called in. But then that is another story. 

(Vid: https://youtu.be/fakrg0aVvZkhttps://youtu.be/fakrg0aVvZk )

The fact is, the NWMA has been producing this event for seventeen years running with the blessing of the entire downtown district. This event is a fundraiser for the Mount Hood Community College automotive technology program. During that time it has raised over $150,000 for scholarships. 

Long time Street magic car club member, Scott sayre has been working this event since its inception. We asked him what stood out in this year's show? Not surprisingly his answer was - a car. Specifically it was a '66 Nova out of Schroeder Speed and Custom speed shop In Troutdale, OR. This car has been pulling down multiple trophies and wins since it was recently introduced to the car world. It did it at the Portland Roadster Show and at this event as well. 

(Vid:  http://youtu.be/NOPT2B0dMts )

There really was much more going on at this spectacular event than we can mention in these pages. This is a huge draw for the Gresham Chamber of Commerce. Sponsor, Jon Weston introduced a really bitchin' old '54 Fire Engine that would have come in handy years ago (see above). 

The show is heavily supported by a number or recurring sponsors. Not only are all the streets and lots throughout the core downtown area filled with Detroit iron but the Farmers Market fills up adjacent streets. All together it adds up to throngs of people jamming the streets and sidewalks throughout the day. 

Speaking of throngs - we would be remiss if we didn't mention the Gresham Bed Races. What are those ... uh, watch the vid. Actually, this has been part of the tradition. On Friday evening, the locals line the sidewalks on Main Street to witness those crazy bed contraptions that local businesses and organizations have built. Teams push them down the impromptu dragstrip set up on the closed down street. This year's competition was mostly dominated by Tae Kwon Do fighters.  

(Vid:  https://youtu.be/Mo5oMpsDCDohttps://youtu.be/Mo5oMpsDCDo )

 Show promoter, Vern Ferris was happy to include a  raffle this year for wounded veterans. Two lucky winners went home with some really bitchin', little miniature electic KIA cars donated by Show sponsor Westin Buick Kia GMC. Then there were the hundred or so trophies given out to the deserving winners.

Ron Ruedi and the Hurricanes rocked out throughout the afternoon on their Main Street stage right up until the Main Street Cruise closed out the event that evening. 

It was a great day for a car cruise And this one did not disappoint. The weather was nice and mild and the whole town was filled with hundreds of hot rods all throughout the day. Were you there? Let us know what you think. 

'nuff said

                                                         

Chuck Fasst

Sidebar: See and hear the sights and sounds of this year's show at www.GearHeadsWorld.blogspot.com  #GearHeadsWorld:   https://youtu.be/XieGE5Zvmck

Beaches Cruise In November 2015 Issue

Over in the pits we find a Chevy Pickup with two superchargers

By the time you are reading this, the Beaches Cruise-In will be completing their 20th year. To get right to the point, they will have raised in the neighborhood of two million dollars for the long list of charities they have represented through those years. 

This Cruise-In has come a long way since its inception at the Beaches Restaurant location in Vancouver Washington on the shores of the mighty Columbia River. Beaches is a formidable venue on its own with its expansive deck and sand volleyball courts. All the same the Cruise-In quickly outgrew their facility in the early years and the Cruise was forced to move to other locales. 

The current location of Portland International Raceway appears to be the final resting place for this event as it has everything needed to host over one thousand Hot Rods of all descriptions Every Wednesday evening throughout the Summer In Portland Oregon. 

The final result is what PIR represents as, " ...  the best weekly motorhead event in the country, complete with a night of great racing, the largest weekly cruise-in in the country, a band and great food and beverages. It's two shows for the price of one!" 

Indeed how can you argue with high horsepower drag racing going on in one ear while listening to premiere live music in your other ear. Beaches features a lineup of popular live bands along with their famous barbecue and a lineup of other events all summer long. Nowhere else can you order up high quality food and saunter up to one of their many cabanas and have yourself a fancy drink amongst the green grass and shade trees as the race cars roar. 

The staff at Beaches has done their best to accommodate Hot Rods of virtually all stripes and years on the various Wednesday evenings throughout the Summer. No small feat on some of the warmer evenings that have been known to draw hundreds more than the one thousand mark. 

To quote Beaches. "We think this makes Beaches Summertime cruisin' a very unique community event... You give back to those in need just by showing up!" 

Indeed, we would ask you to let us know if you know different - we feel this is undoubtedly the largest and most diverse weekly cruise-in, in the West. 

'nuff said

December 2015 Issue

Linda Vaughn, Chuck Fasst and Hurstette

Linda Vaughn: First Lady of Motorsports

 Any historical piece that has ever or ever will be written about the SEMA Show would not be complete without the mention of Linda Faye Vaughn, The First Lady of Motorsports.

Down through the years, Linda has been a genuine ambassador to this event. For years and years she could be found at the Mr Gasket booth representing Hurst shifters. All you would have to do Is look for the longest line in the convention center and you would find her at the forefront, signing autographs for her legions of adoring fans. No doubt, if you look for that line in the 2015 SEMA Show In Las Vegas You may very well find her.

The Legend of Linda Vaughn stretches back to the 1940s when Linda was born into the world of motorsports.

Linda got her start cruising with her boyfriend  in the 50's. From there she has simply charged ahead for the rest of her life racing and owning hot rods and becoming the most educated spokeswoman the world of motor sports has ever known.   Linda has been a #GearHead ever since.

The stories have indeed been legend and at least this writer is quite sure that there is plenty more to be told. And he has been dreaming of having that interview with her for many years.as well. She is quite possibly the most well known and most traveled woman in the world. When we say well known - we mean it. There is no telling how many tens of thousands of people who have personally met her and shook her hand through the years. Surely more than any movie star there ever was. in fact if you are here at SEMA, you might just want to try to find her and have her autograph this! And ... she never forgets a name.

'nuff said,

Chuck Fasst

SIDEBAR:

Google in #LindaVaughn and you will find the article Linda Vaughn: Miss Hurst, First Lady of Motorsports, #GearHead Extraordinaire. There you can learn, and also contribute, more stories of Linda Vaughn.

February 2016 Issue

Some GearHeads have wild dreams. Sometimes they come to creation. Click HERE

March 2016 Issue

EPA Goes After Their Biggest Power Grab Yet, Not Good For GearHeads

By now most everyone who is involved in Motorsports is aware of the EPA's latest efforts to ruin Motorsports for the masses. They are getting after all production vehicles registered for street use. They threaten enforcement against any individuals who alter their ECU as well as any and all companies who manufacture parts to alter the ECU in any way! They say the same thing that all of us should be tired of hearing by now - that it is for our own good.

Unfortunately, this writer must yet again invoke the words of the late Timothy Leary, "Think for yourself and question authority." These words have never been more true than in today's society. Big Brother has proven over and over that he cannot be trusted. Yet again we have another bold, audacious attempt by stuffed shirts in an agency. Now it is the EPA threatening enforcement - and they have no business being enforcers.

 Make no mistake about it GearHeads. This is but one part of an all out assault against our lifestyle waged by our precious government. SEMA has been fighting these assaults in every State for quite some time now. These regs are vaguely written to criminalize vast segments of law-abiding citizens. And can be enforced at their whim often not requiring votes of the people. And yes, the writing says that this can be done retroactively!

SEMA has been in talks with these people and they assure us that they mean no ill will if we all simply comply. But the wording of their bill says otherwise. What it is, is a gigantic power grab that will give them the authority to go after any and every individual who drives a car with a modified ECU or even trailers it to a racetrack. Of course all vehicles have been built with ECUs for quite some time. We all should know that once these predators are allowed to sink their teeth into us, they will go for more, increasing the penalties and punishments as time goes on. Obviously this does not bode well for generations to come. Not to mention the multi- billion dollar industry they are targeting.

If they are successful in inserting this bellicose verbiage, it will literally require an act of Congress to reverse this. Luckily SEMA has a strong caucus. We are about to find out how strong. As far as the rest of us - it may be coming up time to heed the call.

Those of us who can least afford to fight can be targeted the easiest. Be advised - all of you racers may need to pull your heads out from under your hoods and all of you cruisers may need to jump up out of your lawn chairs and help out your fellow GearHeads in matters such as this. In time, we will not be able to count on SEMA to do all of the heavy lifting! These pompous bureaucrats have their own ideas for a PC perfect world that doesn't rub well with the rest of us. We are talking about the rugged individualists who are responsible for the kind of innovation that has helped this country win wars. We are talking about a spirit of competition and a hotrodding lifestyle that has led the way on this planet. Now we have many countries around the world emulating these things we do. This is no time to lay down.

In the venerable words of Ricky Ray ... "Are we people or are we sheople?"
'nuf said - Now, what say you?

Chuck Fasst

April 2016 Issue

SEMA and PRI fight EPA with the RPM Bill

Last month we touched upon the EPA's underhanded efforts to Outlaw a significant portion of the Motorsports industry. Since then there have been some efforts to soft sell this issue as if it is not that big of a deal - only words. Well, be aware, "only words" is all it takes to write a bill that can become a law. And then we are toast.

Indeed this is the case. As Americans, much of our lives are governed by something that was written down by someone at one time or another, someone we may or may not have ever even heard of. Think about it. Indeed rules regulations and laws continue to be written from one end of this nation to the other. From the top of the Federal Government on down to the smallest little neighborhood suburb.

Indeed, we must understand that we are in the minority. Among the powers-that-be as well as out into the general public, the majority of the people could care less about who we are or what we stand for. They could care less about anything that we have ever accomplished. They could care less about the industry that surrounds what we do. To them, cars are nothing but a means to an end - a way to get from point A to point B. And growing numbers of them hate cars in any shape fashion or form. This is our opposition.

Make no mistake about it, there is an ongoing battle going on. And we must fight to hang on to everything that we have or have had. And in saying this we are barely just touching on all of the ramifications that affect us. And we would certainly welcome input from you the readers. Now here is the good news.

As most of you know we have been able to count on SEMA (Specialty Equipment Marketing Agency) to fight our battles in the legislative arena for many years now. And they are not about to let us down. So here is the latest news.

SEMA has joined forces with PRI (Performance Racing Industry) )and submitted a bill of their own to the House which was then presented to the Senate. This is their strong caucus at work. This is

The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 (RPM Act)

SB 2659. Essentially they are attempting to change the wording of the Clean Air Act as it pertains to their definition of a "motor vehicle." 'Nuff said of that for now, just understand that this is subject to amendments. And this is far from over. We will go into more detail next issue.

Now this. Next July we will again have the National Collector Car Day. This will come as a Shocker to some of you GearHeads but this is a holiday designated by Congress to celebrate our accomplishments throughout the last Century. Celebration of this holiday has been sorely lacking in some circles. You can count on hearing more about this opportunity to show our solidarity as a viable and necessary segment of Americana.

Now here is a way to show our unified voice right now. The SEMA Action Network has made this very easy for us all. Simply navigate to Semasan.com and spend two minutes to fill out the short form. They will take it from there to send the letter to your Representatives. Eazy Peazy - no excuses, guyz. While you are there you can take the opportunity to join us and keep appraised of what is going on around the Nation.

'nuf said.

Chuck Fasst

SIDEBAR

So what do you think GearHeads? We welcome your thoughts on this matter. Visit our website and let us know. It will be up to all of us now to continue our lifestyle for the enjoyment of those to come.

May 2016 Issue

EPA Update: Modified Street Cars For Racing
On April 1st. An official notification was received by the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Eight State's Attorneys General drew a line in the sand, standing up against the language used by the EPA to enforce sanctions against registered streetcars modified for dedicated racing. We trust that the date of April 1st. has nothing to due with the seriousness of this subject matter.

You read about this important issue last month and you can expect to read more next issue. In the meantime, many thousands of letters have been sent to Congress and more are needed. So head on over to Semasan.com and fill out that short form. Got it? Heck, yours truly has already received a reply from a certain Mr. Earl Blumenauer.

Just remember - all you streetcar guys who are running cars that are run by computers are still square in the line of sight of the EPA enforcement attempts along with many of the aftermarket businesses that support you. So, it would behoove you to keep on top of this.

Those of you who promote car events should take note of the date, July 8. That Friday will be National Collector Car Appreciation Day. A good time to have a car cruise to celebrate this Hot Rod Holiday. Semasan.com can assist you with that.
'nuff said

Chuck Fasst

Which was the Baddest Car in the Portland Roadster Show
This marked the 60th. Anniversary of the Portland Roadster Show making it a celebration of one of the longest running car shows in this country.  This writer's mission was very simple - find the baddest car in the show. This would turn out to be a bit of a daunting proposition when you are talking about a show that is spread throughout all of the Portland Exposition Center with some 400 displays! You can Google #PortlandRoadsterShow2016 to see the vid.

The first challenge was to define what is badd? Of course it has to look badd and a number of cars certainly filled the bill in that dep't. It would have to go fast - in fact faster than the baddest of the badd on the street or wherever else.

A certain portion of the heritage of this show has always revolved around the drag racing genre and this year was no disappointment. In the end there were several strong contenders but it all boiled down to the one we believe was badd faster than the baddest of the show - "Sick '69." This was one badd '69 Camaro that appears to be new on the scene. GearHeads, you can go ahead and Google #BaddAzzRidez to get the particulars on this badd boy and some of the others.

But we can't claim to be the be all and end all when it comes to which is the baddest ride. Perhaps there might be other opinions out there. What say you, GearHeads?
'nuff said

Chuck Fasst

June 2016 Issue

The annual SEMA Show is a wonder to behold. We covered it. Click HERE to see the article and click the tab above to take you to our YouTube Channel for the lineup of Videos.

This publication is available free in many outlets throughout OR and WA. For those who attend the Gigantic Beaches Cruise Ins every Wed throughout the Summer at Portland International Raceway, you will usually find a copy in your hot rod the first Wed of the month.

May 2016 Issue

H.R. 4715/S. 2659, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016

Click HERE

July 2016 Issue

RPM Act Update: GearHeads Must Continue To Fight For Our Rights

Those of you who have been reading this EPA column now know about their attempted power grab and the resulting backlash from that effort. SEMA is the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association. They fight for our rights in ways that we simply can't. They took hold of this and led the charge. We joined in and let our Representatives know. Then State's Attorneys General stood up one by one and refused to abide by the EPA language as written. The EPA subsequently changed the wording on one sentence. That took care of the issue at hand for the time being.

You also know that SEMA filed the RPM Act which was meant to limit the powers of the EPA. They well know that once a Government agency obtains a certain amount of power - they will never cease in their attempts to grab more. We have since had an increasing number of Representatives stand up behind the RPM act. But we are not out of the woods yet. It still has a ways to go.

Before we go any further, we would like you to consider a scenario such as this: You want to improve the performance of your tow rig for hauling your racecar cross country. You have installed CARB approved parts on your engine to accomplish this. This requires that you re-program your CPU in the rig. Next thing you know you are in a jail. Perhaps it was your second offense and the powers that be had decided to make that into some kind of a gross misdemeanor. Of course this sounds totally absurd - but there is no telling what the future may hold. The RPM Act did not cover your truck because it is not used on a racetrack.

Granted, the EPA's efforts might be well better spent going after gross corporate polluters as opposed to a relative handful of hot rodders. But who are we to say? Of course we do have some say. In addition SEMA has asked that we share this to our social media platforms. They have made this very easy for us over at their website. If you have not done so yet, we encourage you to get on over to SEMA.org at your earliest convenience or you can get there from #GearHeadsWorld. Sign on with SEMA and they will carry the rest. We win this battle and then get ready for the next.

Mark your calendars for Friday July 8th. That is National Collector Car Day ... got it? That is OUR Holiday. If you would like to know more about this you can visit the Blog over at #GearHeadsWorld. So enough said here - what say you?

Chuck Fasst

H.R. 4715/S. 2659, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016

Dear Mr. Fasst:
Thank you for contacting me about H.R. 4715, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016. This legislation would exclude vehicles used solely for competition from certain provisions of the Clean Air Act.

H.R. 4715 was introduced on March 7th, 2016 and has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. While I do not sit on this Committee, I share in your support for outdoor recreation and will keep your thoughts in mind should this legislation be scheduled for a vote on the House floor.

Again, thanks for contacting me. 

Sincerely,

Earl Blumenauer
Member of Congress

Dear Charles,

Thank you for contacting me to share your support for the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act of 2016, and providing exemptions for racing vehicles under the Clean Air Act. I appreciate hearing from you.

As you know, it is currently illegal under the Clean Air Act to tamper with or install devices to circumvent the emissions controls on any vehicle or engine. However, that provision has not traditionally been applied to racing vehicles. In July 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule to specify that the Clean Air Act does not allow a person to modify emission controls on vehicles for the purposes of competition or racing.

I have heard from Oregonians who support the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 as a way to preserve their ability to convert street vehicles into racecars. As you know, this bill would amend the Clean Air Act to allow for the modification of emission controls in vehicles used specifically for competition.

The RPM Act has been referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, of which I am a member. As someone who grew up tinkering with machines and engines, and racing Quarter Midget cars as a kid, I understand and respect the tradition of modifying cars to make racing vehicles. Please know that I will keep your views in mind should the RPM Act or related legislation come before the committee or the full Senate for consideration.

Thank you, again, for contacting me. I hope you will continue to keep me informed on the issues that are important to you.   

All my best,

Jeffrey A. Merkley
United States Senato

September 2016 Issue

More reasons why we must act: Click HERE

I strongly encourage all of you GearHeads to remain abreast of what is going on here. There is no doubt a big battle coming between all of us and our Government in the future. Do you all remember the Scrappage Bills of the Obama years. Yeah, don't forget! They will be coming for us again. Mark my words. Best thing you can do is subscribe to this so that you can receive all updates to GearHeadsWorld as they are posted.

October 2016 Issue

RPM Act Update

Most all GearHeads should be familiar with the RPM Act by now. SEMA,The Specialty Equipment Marketing Association has dedicated most of 2016 with their battle against EPA overreach. The EPA wants to enforce laws against modifying late model cars for racing. SEMA has answered up with the RPM Act which would strip the EPA of this power. The automotive industry has answered up with tremendous support. This has been great however now SEMA is asking for additional support from us. Now this from SEMA:

"By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

After a seven-week recess, Congress has returned to Washington, D.C. Time is limited before lawmakers head back home for the fall campaign season. While your federal elected officials are in the Capitol, your voice is crucial to furthering our progress on the RPM Act. Now is the time for action!

To mark lawmakers’ return, SEMA has drafted a new letter urging action on the RPM Act in the final months of session. SEMA urges member companies and racing enthusiasts to send the new letter to your federal elected officials today. Even if you have previously sent a letter, your voice is needed once again to ask for immediate congressional action to pass the bill this year.   

SEMA has provided a quick and easy way to send the new letter. Simply visit www.sema.org/rpm and fill out your name and contact information. It only takes a few minutes!"

This issue is of particular interest to the younger generation. When we are young, we have a tendency to not bother ourselves with such issues and believe me, Big Brother knows this too. It is this writer's opinion that said generation should get used to battling big government. For it is likely that in the future, government will be fighting to take us completely away from behind the wheel.

Autonomous cars are coming at us at breakneck speed. All kinds of unlikely, huge corporations are teaming up to build these cars. They will be here soon. Right along behind them will be all the rules, regulations and laws ... I'm talking about laws that make you an outlaw for driving your own car. I am talking about severe criminal penalties and HUGE fines! Mark my words. All you nave to do is take a good hard look at the history of how our government works. This may be in your future. Something for us all to consider.

'nuff said

Chuck Fasst

We say goodbye to another old skool GearHead. Blackie Gejeian was an automotive pioneer who was very active in many areas of motorsports. He has recently passed at the age of ninety.

November 2016 Issue

The EVs and the AVs are coming and God knows what may come from that! Click HERE

SEMA Show 2016  December Issue

Hopefully by the time you are reading this the nation will have settled down. At press time this writer had a lot running through his head. We were fresh off of the SEMA show in Las Vegas where we were running our tail off to get coverage then it was election time and then the rioting here in Portland.

The 50th. Anniverary of the SEMA Show was a record setting event and a handfull to cover. As some may know, we are primmarily interested in the faster more radical cars. Our video coverage can be found by entering #GearHeadsWorld into your browser.

As most of you know by now, SEMA is the organization behind the RPM Bill. This is our battle against the overreach of the EPA in their attempts to enforce modifications of the newer vehicles we drive and modify for competition.

Now we have had an election and it appears a whole new kind of government may be taking charge in this country. How this may affect those of us in the motorsports industry or the RPM Bill in particular, remains to be seen.

We had mentioned that Retired four-star General Michael Hayden, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), would deliver a speech at the AAPEX 2016 General Session during SEMA on the subject of National security. We felt he would be touching on the vulnerability of the wave of EV and Autonomous cars that are coming our way.

This is a subject I am just beginning to delve into. Recent developments in mainstream news give many of us concern about the safety and security of this new wave of computer controlled cars. We hope to relay to you more information from the General. I will certainly have much more to say.

In the meantime GearHeads - keep your eyes and ears open.

January 2017 Issue

The Future of the Automobile

You regular readers know that my columns have been dedicated to the RPM Bill for a number of months now. Of course this is the bill introduced by SEMA to fight back against EPA overreach. They damn sure want to control our cars and in turn - control us! Fortunately a lot of congressmen have stepped up to the plate to help us fight them. Again - any of you unfamiliar with this bill should navigate to SEMA.com and grab a quick education.

Now let's continue with my latest rant which includes EV cars and Autonomous Cars. As I have already stated, this is coming down the road at warp speed. Huge corporations are joining together in Mega conglomerations to jump into this new wave of the future big-time! And oh yeah - you can bet your momma's army boots that there will be a ton of new regulations to come along with all of this.

But when it comes to security as in cyber security, don't be expecting a whole lot of help from Uncle Sam. Let me digress. Earlier we mentioned General Michael Hayden who recently gave a speech during the SEMA show he has been the head Cyber sleuth guy for the CIA among a whole lot of other things. He talks about the big picture and what our government faces. He talks about that gihugic Frankenstein's stepchild of the US defense department called the Internet.

He talks about major powers of foreign States and the imminent threats and destruction we will face. And that is what our government will be concentrating on - certainly not you as an individual! He talks about how the Internet has spread the wealth of power around. Power which is now available to lesser States, Terror groups and hacktivists. This is what, as individuals, will be having to pay close attention to as the future rolls in these 100% computer-controlled autonomous vehicles.

Remember - Uncle Sam doesn't give a damn about you as an individual. Expect to rely on the private sector to wage battle in the upcoming cybersecurity Wars for your newfangled, self-driving vehicle. The vehicles which Uncle Sam will eventually force you into. Driving is dangerous enough without having some terrorist cell or hacktivist take over your personal car and possibly crash - or kill you!

Gearheads, we will leave it at that for now. Next time we will get into some of the various ways these Autonomous vehicles are entering into our transportation industry.

Chuck Fasst

#GearheadsWorld has completed our 11 vid series on the SEMA show. You can access that at GearheadsWorld.Blogspot.com

February 2017 Issue

                  SEMA Re-introduces RPM Act & What Does The Future Hold?

First we must pay homage to Pete Chapouris of California Kid fame who passed on way to suddenly after a stroke at 76. Pete is an icon of the Hot Rod era from Pete & Jakes and most recently the So-Cal Speedshop. He will be massively missed.

Now the following:

INDIANAPOLIS—SEMA, a coalition of automotive trade groups and Harley-Davidson Motor Co. delivered a letter to Vice President-Elect Mike Pence on Wednesday seeking support for the RPM Act. The bipartisan bill was introduced in March to confirm the legality of converting street cars for racing activity, as well as the parts made and sold for those vehicles.

Russ Deane, SEMA’s general counsel, said the association has recently engaged in communication with President-Elect Donald Trump’s White House transition team. SEMA held a news conference to discuss RPM Act updates during the Dec. 8-10 PRI Show in Indianapolis.

“As we all know, this was an election year, so there wasn’t enough time for Capitol Hill to approve the legislation. But we intend to get the job done in 2017,” said Stuart Gosswein, senior director of federal government affairs for SEMA.

SEMA immediately reintroduced the bill in 2017. The RPM Act currently has 120 sponsors in the House of Representatives including 16 Democrats, and the Senate version of the bill has 28 sponsors, including five Democrats.

Our next subject is one that is not about to go away from this column any time soon. I am talking about the ubiquitous and ominous AV. I have already mentioned the Autonomous Vehicle and the onslaught of new start-ups, mergers and corporations of all descriptions joining in on the shark feeding frenzy to produce these vehicles. They number in the hundreds! Many of them have no business jumping into the car manufacturing business. But the temptation and the allure of all that power and control is just too much for them.

As I have previously stated in this column - these are my opinions only. And you can count on me having plenty to say about big government and big business and how they really feel about us GearHeads. For starters- there is a big conversation coming, one in which we should all feel the need to join.

There is another huge Trade Show that came to Las Vegas on the heels of the SEMA Show. The CES Show is all about consumer electronics however, as of late it has been much more about vehicles of the electrical variety and now of the autonomous variety. We had a nattily dressed Millinial, CEO come bounding across this gi-hugic stage, pumping his fist while extolling the virtues of the fantastic,new Faraday Future Car FP91! He whipped the crowd into a cheering frenzy every bit as efficiently as any of the get rich quick seminar pitchmen I have seen.

He kept the crowd on it's feet while shouting out such sound bites as, "...new world order of automobiles - new species - reformatting the future - a new kind of ecosystem." That my friends, does not excite me - it concerns me. I am impressed by the accomplishments of his soon to be new miracle car but I don't particularly want it to be presented to me like somebody trying to sell me snake oil. We should all be wary of all of this. It is part of the big conversation that is coming.

What we will have to cover from here includes: Uber and Volvo in San Francisco and Arizona. Verizon and Fleetmatics. Apple and Titan. Samsung and Harman. Car vending machines and plenty more.

Hold onto your handbrakes GearHeads.

'nuff said

Chuck Fasst

March 2017 Issue

Hundreds of companies are jumping onto the AV Bandwagon: Click HERE

Autonomous Vehicles Are Coming Fast

Oh yes they are coming fast - but not driving fast. When they hit the roads, you can imagine that they will all be puttering along at the same speed. But more on this later. I would like to report that the RPM Bill is coming along right nicely. We currently have over one hundred bipartisan legislators onboard. If you are not familiar with this Bill - it is all about the GearHeads vs. the EPA. Go over to SEMA.com and get educated.

In earlier columns I have been reporting on EVs and AVs and providing conjecture as to how all of this may come down upon us. And coming it is. I am trying hard to keep track of all the new info as it comes down the pipeline, that it is becoming overwhelming to track it all. I have already related how there are literally hundreds of corporations jumping into this feet first. This is without a doubt the greatest change of this century so far.

Swatch: Wants to build the batteries

Uber: Hired a NASA expert for the Airbus A-3 VTOL. Vertical Takeoff Landing Vehicles. Yep, this one flies.

GM in Mexico: Now we are talking about "Giant Motors" in Mexico City who has partnered with Binbo, the largest bread producer in the world. They bought Hostess Twinkies. Now they will be building EVs.

GM: Now a few things about General Motors here in the US. They are building and testing AVs in San Francisco, Scottsdale and their own proving grounds. They have since expanded into metro Detroit. Their Bolt factory is currently in mass production of their AVs.

BMW: Working with Autonomous Transport Robots and trains to deliver parts between plants.

Mercedes: Jumping big time into EVs. They are pulling their diesel cars from production

Samsung: Acquired Harman, a Huge supplier of in car digital systems.

Verizon Communications Inc: Acquired Fleetmatics Group, a global provider of fleet and mobile workforce management solutions.

Apple Inc: Setting a target ship date of 2019 for their EV cars.

Ford: Has invested one billion ito their company Argo AI founded by Google and Uber leaders.

Pal-V: Is now selling the Liberty Pioneer and Liberty Sport, commercial flying cars.

Dubai: Passenger carrying drones will be whisking people around the big city later this year.

Hang on GearHeads. There is plenty more to follow

Chuck Fasst

April 2017 Issue

Where Lies The Future Of The Automobile?

As this goes to press, the Portland Roadster Show looms near. This is generally the event that kicks off a new year of Motorsports in the area. This should be quite welcomed after the Winter we have had. The year 2017 has also ushered in a new administration in the United States along with the many questions that have accompanied this one. This writer has taken notice of one indication out there - that this new administration may take aim at the EPA and possibly cut it in half! This would certainly be advantageous to all of us GearHeads as we fight the EPA through the RPM Bill.

We should all be familiar with the RPM Bill by now. The particulars are available at SEMA.com. And you are encouraged to visit and take a couple minutes to sigh on to the letters being sent to Congress. So, if the Pres truly does cut the EPA in half - that may vary well do away with the enforcement arm of the EPA rendering them incapable of playing policeman against the Motorsports industry (and others). So, things continue to look up for the RPM Bill.

I have had plenty to say on the subject of EVs and AVs. These new autonomous vehicles that are rapidly coming our way will be undoubtedly fully electric. With this, I would like to share the following viewpoint: This is a quote from the trade magazine, The Shop. Scott Atherton who is the President and COO of IMSA recently had this to say on the subject of Lyft, Uber, EVs and AVs during the Racing & Performance Forum at SEMA2016, "We run the risk that we are about to take the emotional attachment out of the automobile ... the trend is toward homogenization and commoditization of the driving experience."

So, I have previously mentioned the plethora of companies diving into this lucrative field. Can't leave out GM either. More about them later. Then there is this other thing ... Flying Cars - they are coming.

Enough for now, GearHeads

MAY 2017 Issue

More News Of Emerging Automotive Technologies

We have had plenty to say about the RPM bill. The bill was reintroduced in January 2017, at the beginning of the new Congress, in the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 350) by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and in the U.S. Senate (S.203) by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.).  SEMA is asking everyone to go over to www.SEMA.com and sign on to the bill even if you already did last year.

On another front I have been trying to keep you abreast of the rapidly changing Automotive Technologies that are now dominating our present day. Here are some of the latest developments :

In the world of autonomous vehicles, Intel has recently acquired Mobileye for around fifteen billion dollars. They will be headquartered in Israel.

Samsung has completed their acquisition of Harman Industries. 27 companies have posted to test their AVs in California. Alphabet unit "Waymo" has sued Uber over Lidar technology. Uber is now hauling passengers in Tempe and in Pittsburgh. In other news Airbus has unveiled the concept "Pop Up" modular flying car at the Geneva Auto Show.

In political news, Mile Per Gallon and Emissions limits set by the former Administration will be reviewed for 2025. This could have a significant impact on a lot of things. Among other things it may prolong our ability to legally own internal combustion engine powered vehicles. Which would be nice for GearHeads.

Not everything has gone smoothly. Andrew Kerr, senior member of the transition team has resigned from the EPA. It appears that there has been too much of an agenda and infighting.

You would expect that there would be some considerable competition going on in the AV arena.You would be right. A Top 10 list has been developed predicting who will be the first to actually mass produce AVs. Sitting at the top of the list is good ole Ford, interestingly enough. Right behind them is mighty GM. Lets face it. These guys still have the massive factories plus they know a bit about building cars.

We have been hearing a lot about the accomplishments of young upstart, Tesla. Though, I think they may have the dubious honor of the first death in an AV and another wreck to their credit - something about a cop on a bike being rear ended - they however did not make the Top 10 list even though their valuation has recently surpassed GM! Then we hear some speculation about the idea of a merger between them and GM. Is it hogwash? Who knows in this crazy new World.

So there are a few tidbits for you Gearheads. It's always nice to try to keep informed about some of the things that are going on.

Chuck Fasst

 June 2017 Issue

AVs are coming to a town near you ... Hands off the wheel now!  Click HERE

July 2017 Issue

National Collector Car Appreciation Day is Arriving

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Chuck Faast

First and foremost I would like to take a moment to mention Vic Edelbrock Jr., who passed away at press time. He caught a cold and he died at age 80. I had the pleasure of talking with him on a number of occasions as he represented his company. If there ever was a true GearHead, he was one. 
On a lighter note we are announcing the birthday of SEMA hall-of-famer Alex Xydias who has turned 95.
Now announcing National Collector Car Appreciation Day. This is our own personal holiday Gearheads. So, yes there are many members of Congress who think highly of us and our industry. They acknowledge that we have contributed much to America throughout the last century. So please take a moment to think about this on Friday July 14th. All GearHeads are encouraged to drive their cars on that day. There are many events going on to celebrate this holiday all across the nation and even in some foreign Nations. Check SEMAsan.com for a list of events.
In other news the Recognizing The Protection of Motorsports (RPM) act continues to gain support in the House and Senate. We have over 125 Congressional sponsors. This is the act that is helping to beat back the EPA in there efforts for over enforcement of regulations that pertain to purpose-built race cars with vin tags and all of the industries that support them. If you have not yet signed on to this effort go to www.SEMA.org/RPM.
SEMA is actively working in a number of states on a number of issues. Interestingly a recent bill has passed in Oregon which allows all military vehicles to obtain SP plates. This does not mean much to me because, as a certified signer for SP plates , I would pass all military vehicles. Now on to the state of Washington. They have opened their roads to use by autonomous vehicles. They see the economic value of getting involved with this. This is big, big money and a lot is happening.
Now something interesting in California. The Senate has passed the surveillance transparency bill SB 21. This bill will require all police surveillance such as license plate readers, drones and such to be approved locally. They are leading the way in this effort. In addition California has been working on tightening up federal asset civil forfeiture laws. There are horror stories about people traveling to buy a collector car and being pulled over by cops who find the cash they are carrying and steal it from them under these Federal statutes. All they have to do is simply suspect that the cash might be ill-gotten and they can just take it! So what do you think of that Gearheads?
Audi is coming to NY. intending to demonstrate and test vehicles in New York with Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) Level 3 automation, according to the company. It will conduct the first autonomous vehicle demonstration in state history, beginning in Albany, near the state capitol, in mid-June.
I have had plenty to say about EVs and AVs in this column. Now let’s talk about some predictions. “Rethinks” is a think tank who has been looking into a future of driverless autonomous vehicles and the impact they will have. They are saying that ride-sharing will grow big and will cause car sales to collapse. Ride-sharing will reduce the American vehicle Fleet to one fifth of today’s.
Manufacturing of new cars will drop 70% by 2030. Price of oil will drop drastically by 2021. Dealerships, gas stations and car repair shops will completely disappear. Even now we have GM divesting their manufacturing in all of Europe and in numerous other countries. What do you think of all of this Gearheads?
Now let’s talk about how the EVs and AVs are entering into the racing world.
Universities, high schools and middle schools are getting more involved in this technology. Many of them are building kart tracks for the students. High schools have the ev Grand Prix.
Jegs has built some EV Jr Dragsters. They are bad fast and they have to slow them down for the kids. Most of us know the ungodly torque EVs can make. New technology that is leading to super fast charging is really going to propel this industry, not only in racing but on the streets. 
A company called Dubuc Motors is set to release their Tomahawk luxury, carbon fiber, sports car in 2018. It can do 0 to 60 in 2 seconds with its 1,000 lbs/ft of torque and 4 electric motors.
They say, “We think we can even go eventually under 1 second 0 to 60 making it faster then any vehicle in existence.” 
Daymak Inc. has announced its new product, the Daymak-C5-Blast Go-Kart, a machine the Daymak team believes will be the fastest electric go kart in the world.
“We have developed the fastest, 100% clean energy go kart in the world by far,” says Aldo Baiocchi, President of Daymak, adding that company plans are to achieve 0 to 60 in less than 1.5 seconds.
“It will be a little faster than the Tesla P100D,” says Baiocchi.
According to Daymak, the C5 Blast Go-Kart features a liquid cool 10000w watt motor, Daymak Drive controller, 8 EDF motors. 4 in front and 4 in rear.
Then we have the Chinese Start Up company, NIO who has come out with the electric Hybrid called EP9 that has set a new production lap at Nurburgring surpassing the Lamborghini Huracan.
A lot of talk has been in the news lately of self-driving Taxi’s, with Über and other Taxi companies being interested in the technology. Now the Russian technology giant Yandex, has unveiled its self-driving Taxi prototype. The company has stated that eventually it would like to partner with car manufacturers who are looking to bring autonomous cars to the market. And don’t forget the Uber Flying Car, coming to skies near you soon.
We would like to give kudos to an area shop, Steve’s Auto Restorations for donating a steel ’34 Custom Roadster body to the Ironmen Foundation providing scholarships to the children of fallen U.S. soldiers.
And finally, Panther has just released their new line of 2017 water cars. I am remembering a vid I saw of one of these that looked like a Corvette and it was a monster on the water.

~Chuck Fasst, GearHeadsWorld.blogspot.com

August 2017 Issue

One Thing About EVs - They Can Be Bad Fast!

We start off with encouraging news concerning the RPM bill. We now have over 160 co-sponsors. Congratulations go out to SEMA. If they are able to pull off this victory, I feel that us GearHeads will be able to enjoy our lifestyles for many more years to come.

Speaking of SEMA, here at press time we are approaching our National Collector Car Day holiday. A celebration which continues to expand around the nation and outside of our nation. Thanks to SEMA for being the spearhead behind that. This writer intends to honor that with a celebratory burn out next Friday. I know not everyone might agree with that but if the town of Battle Ground is going to invite us to come up there and do burnouts... Well, I'm in.

We have other news from Edmunds. Their latest survey says that sales of SUVs may have topped out. What could this mean? Could the EVs and AVs be beginning their power moves?

Now here is something to consider: many of the newer cars are now employing semi-autonomous features. We are talking tech that helps you with parking and changing lanes and such. JD Power's poll has found that most drivers are dissatisfied with this. Interesting, what if after all this hoopla and investment by major corporations into these cars, John Q public were to stand up and say - naw, we don't like it?

But here is one some of us might like. The Tesla Model X p100d. This is their new top-of-the-line SUV. It has all wheel drive featuring 100 kWA  of battery power. It develops over 600 horsepower and 700 foot pounds of torque. It will do 0 to 60 in under 3 seconds. It has all of the bells and whistles that they currently have available. And all of this with Gullwing doors.

Imagine hauling your fully loaded race car trailer over a mountain with one of these behemoths. This thing is mostly aluminum but still weighs in at 5500 lb. However you would want to have one of their patented superchargers at the other end of those mountains to quick charge your batteries to continue your journey.

Now consider this, if the Chargers were not yet installed maybe there would be a special road that you could glide down and it would charge up your batteries as you are rolling along. Word is coming down that there is something like this out there.

No doubt some Gearheads would like this, eh? Well, wealthy ones anyway. As this bubba will set you back $150K. Then we have Ford coming out with hybrid Explorers. Maybe they will be cheaper. How might that affect the sales of declining SUVs? We might also add that Ford is coming out with something called Chariot Shuttle Service in Seattle.

Shall we talk some more performance news involving the EV? Consider the Jaguar I-Pace. This is the first aluminum EV from Austria . It is considered to be the first real competitor for Tesla. Arriving next year in the US.

Here is an interesting side note about Tesla. It seems that their Fremont plant is overwhelmed with workers. They have been criticized for requiring too many workers per car. And that might reflect on their lack of profits so far. Well, at least they are providing lots of jobs.

Panoz now has their Green 4U which is a racing GT-EV. It will do 175 miles per hour for 55 minutes. It will be possibly entering LeMans in 2018.

At least it is nice to close this column, this month on a high-performance note. Hopefully some of you took a pause on National Collector Car Day to think about just what all this means to us.

'nuff said.

Chuck Fasst

September 2017 Issue

    

And the Hits Just Keep on Coming when it comes to EVs

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Chuck Fasst

Some of you know we have been talking a lot about EVs and AVs in this column as of late. That is because there is plenty of news to be had concerning these vehicles. And we have more news for you this month.

First I would like to say that the RPM Act is moving right along with more than 180 members of Congress endorsing it so far. And I hope you enjoyed Collector Car Appreciation Day last month. This is another example of congress steppeing up and recognizing us GearHeads for the contributions we have made to America with our cars, down through the years. They recognize that we have made contributions in a number of ways. One of which is the advancement of Americana. This uniquely American, hot rodding phenomenon did indeed manage to spread around the world through the years.

Now this leads into another subject that I would like to address. Cruising these hotrods was also a unique part of Americana that served as a rite of passage for many young hot-rodders in cities and towns throughout this country. Unfortunately, those who hold positions in leadership came to feel that this kind of pastime was unwholesome and not worthy of the good people in this country.

So, town by town and City by City the pastime of cruising was gradually stamped out from one Coast to the other. Now many years have gone by. And guess what? It seems that many of those cities and towns now miss us. 
As a result, there has been a resurgence of organized cruising activities in cities and towns all across the country. In particular, the current powers-that-be have recognized the benefits to local merchants and economies that come hand in hand.

In recent years we have seen cruising events spring up in the Vancouver and Battle Ground areas. The biggest one around has been the Vancouver Cruisin’ the Gut which was growing from year to year and contributing to a number of charitable causes along with many local Merchants along Main Street.

This annual, Summer Event had been started by a local Gearhead, Phil Medina. The event continued to grow, drawing in tens of thousands, despite the promoter being saddled down with increasing bills for insurance and police. All of a sudden, this year the name gets changed to Cruisin’ The Couve. That is because the original OG was no longer in charge. City Hall and the merchants stepped right up and took it all over.

I am not going to go into the nitty-gritty of all of the details but the information is out there in social media. I will just say that no GearHead would just simply give up his event because he couldn’t handle it anymore. Some out there would say that he could not afford to keep going.

I for one fail to see the necessity for having an army of police out there working overtime in cars, motorcycles, bicycles and walking around along with a big headquarters trailer parked there. What I found particularly offensive was when they moved in at 10 PM sharp with their lights and barricades and shut down the entire street to close down the event. 
What are they afraid of? A riot might break out? Did anybody get a load of most of the Cruisers that were out there? They were old dudes. OGs from a past era, cruising along and behaving themselves just fine. I mean give me a break!

Well that was then and this is now. And now is the future. And the future is autonomous vehicles. So these AVs are electric cars that drive themselves. I don’t expect that there will be much cruising being done in those things. So here is a little news coming out of Portland. The new Transportation bill is going to allow a $2,500 rebate towards the purchase of some EVs. In addition a $2,500 rebate will be made available if you scrap your car that is 20 years old or older. And this is in addition to the $7,500 federal tax credit you will receive.

This should be a great savings for many. But let’s not forget where much of that money comes from. You know how it is, it’s always the people who eventually end up footing the bill. Let us not forget that.

Next, on a bit of a sad note the Dodge Viper which has been in production since 1995 is coming to an end and the plant will be shuttered. Also AM General has sold their Hummer plant to an outfit called SF Motors who will be a manufacturing EV’s. Oh and the CEO of shell has announced that he will be buying a plug-in.

Intel has been doing their research and has recently released numbers. Essentially they are saying that the autonomous ride-hailing industry which is mainly Uber and Lyft will generate trillions for the economy. Maybe we are all going to get rich? And then we have news from the UK and France. It is looking like internal combustion vehicles will be gone by 2040.

So there you have it GearHeads. Let’s end this month’s column on a fast note. A company called Lucid Motors has an EV that has hit 235 miles per hour and they are making it faster.

‘Nuff said, Chuck Fasst

                                                       October 2017 Issue

                                            The Future of Motorcar Racing?

GearHeads, we have been devoting quite a few columns to emerging technology. That is because there is a lot going on in the automotive world and we need to remain aware of it - all of it. We have been focusing on autonomous vehicles (AVs) and electric vehicles (EVs). But there is plenty going on out there. Consider this engine... from what we know it is sort of half diesel and half gasoline, incorporating the best of both worlds - more power, more mileage. We won't get into the stoichiometruc ratios here. For now, we will say that it is altered considerably inside the combustion chambers of this engine. 

Now, we know that Volvo has announced that they are electrifying their entire lineup. They have run into a slight hitch however with their AVs Down Under. It seems like the kangaroos are driving their algorithm bonkers. It just can't seem to figure them out when they are out on the roads. Oh well, all in due time. 

Henrik Fisker is introducing their 2019 Fisker Emotion. It has a 400 mile range and can be recharged in 9 minutes. This rig includes a lot of bells and whistles. Next we have the Infiniti Prototype 9 EV which was introduced at Pebble Beach. 

Aston Martin is shooting for 100% hybrids. They intend to manufacture their own batteries and motors as well. In other news we are hearing that Renault - Nissan is partnering with China. Mercedes-Benz has cancelled their next Gen 5 class convertible. Audi has cancelled their next-gen A5 and A8 but are coming out with an "E" A8. 

At press time we are hearing word about a new Electric GT Racing Series featuring a version of the P100D, Tesla Model S all in carbon fibre. It looks like they have tons of horsepower and tons of downforce. If this comes to fruition, it will be global. They are currently seeking investors. They are saying this, "We know the future of motorsports is electric."

There is plenty more Gearheads but we have to end this at some point for this month. How about we leave you with this news from Autoline Daily - Corvette has closed their assembly line for 3 months. This could be for a number of reasons as most of us are aware of the rumors floating around about the Next-Gen Vette. But we will close with this, the latest numbers show that auto sales are down pretty much across the board worldwide. And that includes the sales of luxury cars to the wealthy. 

Chuck Fasst 

                                                 Nov 2017 Issue

                            Kickin' Some Sand On The EPA 

Breaking at press time we have this announcement from the US House: The Joint Chairmen of the Energy, Commerce and Environment Subcommittees announced the dismantling of the EPA's Clean Power Plan. This plan was on shaky legal ground and placed an excessive burden on the EPA in the area of enforcement. With all of this said we can only hope that this will have a favorable result for the RPM Act as well. We will see how this all shakes out. 

Speaking of shaking, this brings to mind a totally different subject. I have been helping Steveo, an OG GearHead buddy of mine with some Sand Racing this summer. We concluded a season of campaigning his wild ride called the "Sand Witch." This thing definitely had some ground all Shook Up where we raced this summer. This buggy featured a blown and injected big block Chev on alcohol and it proved to be a real handful and one hell of a crowd-pleaser. Being faster than everybody was our mantra. And it most certainly provided a good dose of horsepower for those GearHead addict's that crave that sort of thing. If you are interested in viewing some of the antics, the videos can be found over at #OregonSandOutlaws . 

On to other news. How many of you have heard about the Tesla Model S 60? As Hurricane Irma bore down on Florida. Tesla, as it turns out, lent all the owners of these cars a hand by remotely boosting their battery to enable them to travel further during the evacuation. Turns out the batteries in these models are exactly the same as the ones in their Deluxe models only they are turned down something like 25%. How enterprising? I dunno GearHeads. What do you think of this? 

I am a fan of T Boone Pickens, the natural gas entrepreneur who runs the Pickensplan.com . He had some comments about the Nox emissions that are coming from the coal fired plants that are being used to produce the electricity for all these EVs. They are high!  He claims that vehicles powered by natural gas engines would be way cheaper in the long run than the electrical ones. Especially, the heavy-duty rigs will be very expensive. This really is something we all need to think about GearHeads. How many of the masses will actually be able to afford to own these vehicles. There will be plenty more on this subject in the future. 

Here is a little something else to chew on, GearHeads. How about the EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt who is currently Under Fire for his excessive air travel on private jets. How much CO2 do you think those private jets are emitting as he flies around on his junkets? 

Ok Oregonians, I have a little news on our own Senator Jeff Merkley and his visit to the GM battery plant. He was all excited about GM's recent announcement to transition to all electric vehicles. Turns out this is coming soon! So the senator took this opportunity to introduce his 100 by '50 Act. He hopes to have Oregon all-electric by 2050. He says that will create millions of jobs. Not quite sure how all that shakes out. 
Then we are receiving word from Jalopnik that California Governor Jerry Brown is discussing banning all internal combustion engines in California. Just give these guys some time and enough rope... 

We have an announcement from Land Rover who is introducing their "Road Rover" in 2019. Yes it will be all electric for about $100K. 

In closing I would like to salute two more OG GearHeads who are no longer with us. First we have the PowerHouse from NASCAR, Robert Yates. Then we have SEMA vice president of Government Affairs, Steve McDonald. He was one of the founders of SEMASAN, the Specialty Automotive Network that does all of the legislative fighting for us.They were good men. 
'Nuff said, 
Chuck Fasst 
GearHeadsWorld.blogspot.com