I absolutely agree with the harsh laws that get rid of loosely organized racing on streets. Spectators and all. There have been number of innocent people killed in our area, not even spectators, simply people who live in the area that a race is happening who got in the way of some ricers doing 125 on a residential street. Some idiot killed his 12 year old sister who was riding with him in one of these races. Another guy killed his fiance when he rolled it and of course lived himself. The fast and furious type racing needs to go. One problem with some of these laws is that they don't consider the difference between a little light-to-light horseplay and full bore racing. I don't "race" on the street, but I do like to goose it once and a while. Never in traffic, and never to ridiculous speeds, but darn quick and chirping tires. If caught under these laws I wouldn't get the wreckless driving ticket I might deserve, but could lose my licence and my car. True racing should only be done on a track. Our local track has street legal drags almost every friday. Take your grudges and challenges there. 100+ mph isn't safe on any street. But if I want to smoke some knobhead in a ricer, or show a mopar guy that Buicks are legitimate contenders, these laws are awfully excesive for a little 100' exhibition of speed. Casey Lebold 69 GS 400 (stg 1 clone)
I`ll admit that while growing up in rural Texas, we participated in a little street racing most every Saturday night. In our case, it wasn`t really a street. It was a farm to market road and there were always plenty of cows spectating. The situation out in California (and many other suburban areas) is very different. I have seen it first hand. These kids will crowd around the "starting line" and will be just a few feet from the action. They will line up 5 deep all along the "raceway". You just know that sooner or later something tragic is going to happen (like 15 dead this year). Last year in Dallas, a drunk driver came flying up behind the "staging lane", couldn`t stop in time and plowed into the crowd (several dead). My point is: there are 2 types of street racing. The law is targeting the type of street racing that needs to be stopped. I am all for it!
I haven't been out and found anything worth wasting my gas on. Ricers? forget it. The only car I've seen I would race was a new Cobra Mustang. He challenged me and and I said I would for titles and he backed down. Might have gotten my butt kicked too. I only run low 12's on DOT slicks.
Last night, here in San Diego, another innocent person was killed by street racers. I think that makes number 16 or 17 right here so far just this year! This poor sucker pulled out onto the street where 2 racers were coming at high speed (which could not be discerned at night) and was t-boned by one of the racers and killed on the spot. Street racers all too often become murderers. What more must I say?? Lee
I've got some mixed feelings on this one but as someone who has been on both sides of the law I would have to agree with Lee, in principle anyway. Back in the 70's when I was "growing up" a "street race" was not the same thing as it seems to be now. You would be out on the local cruise street and someone would pull up beside you at a light or at the local A&W and words would fly. Then you would feel there was only one way to settle who was the fastest, so you would make arrangements to meet about 2 AM on a lonely section of highway a few miles from town. This wasn't a spectator sport, just you and the other guy out to see who was fastest, no audience or passengers, no other traffic or people for miles. Still not real smart when I look back on it but the only people likely to get hurt were the actual participants. Even our local police would often turn a blind eye to it if you were "responsible" about it. Now even some of my "competitors" from the past became police officers so they know what it was all about. Now however, "street racing" seems to be a major sport in urban areas with a lot of organization and too many people involved to be "safe". It doesn't seem to be who has the "fastest" car but who can put on the best show. There seems to be no thought given to the dangers and the "what ifs" until something actually happens. If someone would have told me 25 years ago that I would be working as a driver examiner now I would have thought they were nuts but life sometimes takes some strange turns. At one time in my life I was in the towing business and saw enough ugly things out there at 3 in the morning to change permanently what I thought about even "safe" street racing. In my job now I also interview and counsel "bad" drivers who have too many tickets and accidents on their record. If you ever had the opportunity to sit across from someone who just told you how they killed or seriously injured their best friend, family member, girlfriend ,etc. after some stupid driving manouver, you would swear off street racing forever. In fact, if you heard some of the idiotic things some "drivers" have done and are doing you would probably trade your Buick in for a Kenworth in the hopes that when you do happen on one of these morons you and you family might live to tell about it. I like cars and I like "contests of speed" but in the right and the only place, at your local track. Having said that, how many people with "fast" cars have the balls to take them somewhere where they will be raced and timed under the same rules. And yes, most tracks have safety rules, and those rules are there for a reason. Cars with defective brakes, steering components and the like don't belong on any track but too many are on the street. Our local track has a Friday night "Street Legal" series, which even the local police run a car at, and their rules are not quite as strict regarding vehicle equipment but a car still has to be safe. Sorry if I rambled on a bit here but maybe if I can get even one person to think before dropping the hammer on the street I will have accomplished something. Its the same old story, if you go out and cause enough of a problem the average person is going to raise a stink about it and then our law makers and then law enforcement people have to deal with it. The drag racing business today came into being many years ago because of the problems "street racing" was causing so maybe we'll see some new organizations and some new race tracks opening again! I'm getting off my soap box now Okay?
I live a short cry from sears point raceway..(Infineon now.. ) and every wednesday evening starting from about april-september i think, you can bring your car down and use the strip...BUT, besides the pages and pages of safety gear you must have...(not at all against safety) the raceway is PACKED with rice rockets pulling low 15's. What I am saying is that a guy like myself who wants to legitamately race, cant. SO, i turn to good old fashioned street racing. It is a bit more dangerous but on the other hand if i offer up a race, someone will match and we line up. In some ways, despite the law and lack of safety regulations, it is a bit easier to get a decent run in.
Can't race? You can't race? why? At my local 1/4 mile track the only safety equipment needed is a helmet, seat belts, and a sound car, unless you run under 13 seconds. Under 13 it starts to get tougher, but only by adding a cage for the driveline. Sub 12's you need a roll cage. I've checked many other track's websites and most have similar requirements for grudge nights and street legal drags. They try to keep it relatively simple and fun while maintaining some control over safety. It sounds like you would rather street drag, putting other people at risk, than mess up your hair by wearing a helmet. As I have said, a little "light to light" play is one thing, full bore racing is another. It belongs on the track. Casey Lebold 69 GS 400 (stg 1 clone)
Deserted streches of abandoned road with only two cars at 3am is one thing... Downtown in the middle of rush hour is another thing totally. But most of these kids (ricers) parents won't let them stay up that late so they do what they have to I make it a point to purposly go slow when one of these idiots pulls up behind me. Espicially when they try to do 80 down my neighborhood.:af:
Im not saying that i race downtown or anything, or that my car is not soud enough to race at the track. it is just that unless you get there 2 1/2 hours before they open the gates, all that gets in is ricers. when i go street racing i pick a desolate street where there are no cars or people walking by. i dont race through the parking lot of the local shopping mall or anything, and safety equipment is something i am not short of.
Im not saying that i race downtown or anything, or that my car is not soud enough to race at the track. it is just that unless you get there 2 1/2 hours before they open the gates, all that gets in is ricers. when i go street racing i pick a desolate street where there are no cars or people walking by. i dont race through the parking lot of the local shopping mall or anything, and safety equipment is something i am not short of.
There is no excuse for drag racing in the street espeically in populated areas, and if something goes wrong (God forbid) like a wheel come off or the car get loose and crash there is always a safety trucks ,fire trucks and rescue squad there. Tracks won't let you make a pass without them being there. Plus you don't have to worry about something pull out in front of you ,not seeing you at 300mph:Brow: killing you and them And I like to see a time slip so I can know when the car is off or running better and that is your advantage when grudge racing knowing your time and your opponent time. I have 2 slow cars I race a S15 and a 69 GS both run 12.40 @ 109 no rollbar needed by NHRA rules but if something happens top side of the 1/4 I WANT help fast. Randy,p
