Racer Concerned That Racing Will End Under House Bill 2186

"If guys can no longer drive their classics and street rods they will also have to sell them or move out of state, then we won't have a show that can raise any money. Beyond our shows, car clubs all over the state raise money for different charities..." - Rich Bailey

Rich Bailey at a car show in Salem. Always sporting a message that speaks of faith and positive motivation for kids, Bailey is worried that all motorsports will end in Oregon.

(SALEM, Ore.) - A local drag racer believes that motorsports will eventually end in Oregon if a new law is passed that will ban the sale and distribution of high performance auto parts.

Rich Bailey of Salem, is concerned that if he can no longer buy parts for his blown alcohol dragster he will need to eventually sell the car out of state or move his operation elsewhere if bill 2186 passes.

"Right now we are fighting for our lives. I don't think the public has even heard of this bill or realize what it will do to local racing, car shows, truck pulls, and the car restoration hobby. I didn't until last week" Bailey said.

Bailey, who is also known for promoting charitable events that benefit kids with cancer is also concerned that the the new law will end the Night of Fire and Winter Rod and Speed Show charitable events that he co-founded.

"If guys can no longer drive their classics and street rods they will also have to sell them or move out of state, then we won't have a show that can raise any money. Beyond our shows, car clubs all over the state raise money for different charities and even the food bank." Bailey said.

Towns also use classic car shows as an attraction for annual festivals and civic events such as the upcoming Keizer Iris Festival.

Besides racing, Bailey takes his car to over 30 community events each year.

"This car has been an asset to this community and people have always enjoyed the fact the we always allow their kids to sit in the car. We also bring kids with cancer out to the track. We have always given back as we have been blessed to be able to race" according to Bailey.

But the problem goes much deeper than just dragsters and street rods as cars and trucks with custom wheels and wide tires would also be illegal under the new law. According to Bailey the law would hit him hard there too.

"Not only would I not be able to race my dragster, but the car I recently bought came with custom rims and low profile tires and would no longer be legal under this legislation. Therefore, once I got a flat and it was not repairable I would need to take the wheel to another state in order to get a new tire mounted on it." Bailey said.

Bailey's car runs on clean burning methanol and ironically the bill is designed to stop global warming.

Currently, the bill is in committee but Bailey worries that not enough people know about it in order to stop it from becoming law.

"I googled the bill and so far the news media is silent. That's pretty remarkable when you consider how many people this will effect and how it could deeply hurt or destroy the high performance and tire industry in Oregon" said Bailey.

One idea is to get the bill some attention is to stage a cruise-in to the Capital building which was thought up by the Salem Auto Council earlier in the week. Currently, the event is in the planning stages.