Please continue helping the effort to “Save Our Racecars” at sema.org/rpm! The 2017 RPM Act continues to gather momentum, as the House Environment Subcommittee recently approved the bill, and a hearing was held by the Senate Clean Air Subcommittee to review the bill.
SEMA Show 2017 State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus Dinner
Current and former members of the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus gathered again this past November to meet with SEMA Action Network (SAN) staff and enjoy the 2017 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Caucus, comprised of more than 750 legislators in all 50 states, is serving to further raise the automotive hobby’s profile in the state capitols. In attendance were (standing left to right) Senator Jim Patrick (ID); Representative Howard Mosby (GA); Representative Joe Pitre (NH); Delegate Terri Sypolt (WV); Senator Dave Sypolt (WV); Assemblyman James Frazier (CA); Representative Stan Blake (WY); Senator Josh Newman (CA); Senator Mo Denis (NV); Representative Roger Bruce (GA); Representative Patrick Brennan (VT); Representative Jason Ridley (GA); (seated left to right) Representative Chip Campbell (SD); Senator Mark Maynard (WV); Caucus Chairman Delegate Gary Howell (WV); Senator Tony Mendoza (CA); Former Senator Mark Manendo (NV); and Representative Linda Gallagher (KS).
Legislative Front Lines
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Bryan Pridmore and fellow members of the Cosworth Vega Owners Association (CVOA) enjoy a night out at the San Francisco Automotive Academy of Art in San Francisco, California. Thanks to Wayne Barnes, they’re pictured here in the showroom gathered around Bryan’s vintage Cosworth Vega, one of many nice machines on display.
Around 1981, Bryan Pridmore’s four-wheeled dream took place on a cold, snowy winter day in Detroit, Michigan. “I remember sitting in my rusty, Buckskin 1972 Chevy Vega hatchback thinking how cool it would be if the car was a Cosworth Vega like I’d seen in a magazine,” he recalls. “At the same time, I knew the devastation caused by road salt, of course, which is why my Pontiac Trans Am was tucked away in a garage at the time.” It would be another 29 years before Bryan would lay eyes on a Cosworth Vega again. “Once again, it was only a picture—this time on a piece of cardboard at the Goodguys car corral in Pleasanton, California. With ‘For Sale’ listed in the title, I had to go see it despite doubting I would buy it.” Thus, he and his son Nikolas headed to Madera to look at the car during a Yosemite camping trip.
Pridmore subsequently purchased the Chevy and towed it home a couple of weeks later in the rain with friend Chester. Bryan explains, “that’s when I realized it was the first real Cosworth Vega I’d ever seen in person, as well as the first car I ever bought that did not run!” In fact, it had been stored since 1981 and there was no DMV record. Another friend, Jack, helped obtain the required VIN verification through the Highway Patrol. Bryan’s invaluable network of contacts further expanded upon joining the Cosworth Vega Owners Association (CVOA). Fellow CVOA member Don, a retired military fuel injector mechanic, helped him work his way through the fuel delivery system—the electronic fuel injection, in particular. Once the machine was back on the road, work moved to the cosmetic items. In addition to gaining important restoration, statistical and repair information as a result of the rebuild, he became familiar with the Bureau of Automotive Repair and state emissions laws. Along the way, he discovered the SEMA Action Network’s (SAN) cause and got involved.
“I am having a great time now, driving to car shows with my own collector car,” says Bryan. "I still can’t quite figure out why people thank me for bringing it out. I guess a nostalgic chord is really struck by seeing vintage vehicles like mine—the memories come back. Then again, I think all collector vehicles look their best out on the road!” Inspired by a number of CVOA members, Pridmore realized that there might be something more he could do for the hobby. As such, he accepted an offer to become a regional director of an International Club founded in 1979. “It is humbling but I am willing to try.”
Glad your dreams materialized so brilliantly, Bryan! Thanks for sharing your story and automotive passion.
Stay Up-to-Date on the RPM Act: Get the latest information on the motorsports bill at sema.org/epa-news.
