Street Racing. Opinions on an epidemic

[NAZCA C2]

Street racing is [EDIT: lame], i don't see the appeal. I think it would be more fun to go to a drag strip or road course and race in a controlled atmosphere. You can't get the most out of you or your car by street racing and if you wreck because you think your a badass street racer your going to look not so cool! So go find a drag strip or road course and race there all you fast and furious wanabees!

[DiabloGTR]

As we talked he made mention of how "that dumb bitch" should have been watching for traffic and none of this would have happened ... I promptly knocked the living shit out of him, not letting up until several of my friends literally dragged me of of his sorry ass.

You should of busted your own ****ing ass. It's kind of sad, you beat the arrogant punk's ass, yet you don't have the balls to tell the poor woman that your were there and involved in some way.
Street racing is stupid and against the law, as everyone knows.
I'm from Queens, New York city. Like three years ago, some guy was racing with a orange Lamborghini Diablo and smashed into a light pole, killing himself and wrecking the car in the process. I know it sounds far-fetched, but it's a true story. I remember seeing it on NY1 news and in the New York Post.

[crisis]

Way sobering story NoOne.

[crisis]

Well crisis i have taken a good look at getting a cams liscence. For your level2s liscence its $82 and you also get some other benifits as well as acess to race tracks...its still a better idea to be part of a cams affilitaed club they can helpyou improve yourself and can even make just about everything cheaper. And its $44 for a class 2 ns (non speed) meaning you can only do solo runs on a track.
As for our local 1/8 mile it cost $10 for your orange sticker (not running for the money) and you could add a further $20 on top of that for your red sticker which puts you in the running for the prize pool at the end of the night and if you loose it gets ripped off. That was when it was open the goverment closed it down for noise pollution of all things...i wouldent complain if there was any human being who lived any where near there and if it wasnt at the AIRPORT (noise indeed ) Fraser park (speed way track) got closed down because some dumbarse decided to break in and destroyed a large section in a 30 odd k worth of fence in such a way it needs full replacement so now where speed ways cars and sprint cars used to race is now growing weeds. All we have left is fairburn park the Hillclimb track (which when i get they XY up and running ill get my cams liscence and become a member) and we have the Sydeny drags and Wakefield park (both a few hours drive away from me) and the Liberal party (who im now a firm supporter of stuff labor Mark Latham can go to hell) are talking about re-opening Fraser park and either A wish to reopen the 1/8 mile or B wish to make a full on 1/4 mile track.
http://www.cams.com.au/default.asp Any australian whos interested in the liscening system or what is required on certain sports or where an affiliated club thats nearby them is can look them up on the cams website i just put up.

Thats not as bad as I thought but I wonder how many guys would go to the trouble. I think they should but there are a lot of slack pricks that would find anything like that too hard.

[NoOne]

You should of busted your own ****ing ass. It's kind of sad, you beat the arrogant punk's ass, yet you don't have the balls to tell the poor woman that your were there and involved in some way.

You are 100% right, but that just wasn't the way I saw it back then. I reacted with emotion, not rational thought. I hadn't planned on fighting this guy, it just happened, like an explosion.

I think I wanted to believe that I wasn't to blame, and if he hadn't been such a madman behind the wheel, that night would have just been another saturday night like so many before it. How do you tell someone that you were a part of a situation that almost cost someone their life?

There were many nights when I laid awake, not able to get the sounds and images out of my head. Even today, if I hear brakes squealing to a stop, I sometimes think back to that night. You can't change the past but I think it changed my future.

[crisis]

As we talked he made mention of how "that dumb bitch" should have been watching for traffic and none of this would have happened ... I promptly knocked the living shit out of him, not letting up until several of my friends literally dragged me of of his sorry ass.

You should of busted your own ****ing ass. It's kind of sad, you beat the arrogant punk's ass, yet you don't have the balls to tell the poor woman that your were there and involved in some way.

I dont think NoOne would be particularly proud of himself but the point really is that he learnt by the experience while that wanker in the Stealth didnt and even worse is back out there doing what he does best!

[DiabloGTR]

You are 100% right, but that just wasn't the way I saw it back then. I reacted with emotion, not rational thought. I hadn't planned on fighting this guy, it just happened, like an explosion.

I think I wanted to believe that I wasn't to blame, and if he hadn't been such a madman behind the wheel, that night would have just been another saturday night like so many before it. How do you tell someone that you were a part of a situation that almost cost someone their life?

There were many nights when I laid awake, not able to get the sounds and images out of my head. Even today, if I hear brakes squealing to a stop, I sometimes think back to that night. You can't change the past but I think it changed my future.

I'm sorry, I was a bit too harsh. Anyways, people make mistakes, especially when they are young. I guess now that you're much older, you've become a better man.

[NoOne]

I'm sorry, I was a bit too harsh. Anyways, people make mistakes, especially when they are young. I guess now that you're much older, you've become a better man.

No problem, it is a harsh story on a nasty topic, I fully expected negative feedback ... a lot more than I have actually, but it might (I hope) change at least one persons attitude to racing.

[Sweeney921]

you definitely changed my opinion, i mean i dont race at all, but i probably would have taken up on a chance. i've always wondered what it would be like to stomp it and blare past someone driving really slow on a two way two lane highway. i dont think im gonna be doing that any time soon. i remember recently my best friend and i were walking around near the bowling alley and we ran into these dudes who were definitely gonna race. there was a riced supra, and a 360 modena. i was really intrigued, cuz i had never seen a street race in real life, but my friend had the cooler head and drug me away.

[Ferrari Tifosi]

Street Racing is for idiots. I don't mean to sound harsh, but its dangerous and illegal. I knew a guy that died from being in a car where the driver was street racing. I don't even see the appeal of it either, you can have just as much fun if not more fun going to a track.

[Niko_Fx]

I will share the one incident that completely turned me off street racing and probably added a good 10 yrs of maturity.

Sadly Dave, this is a phase that most kids want to live, and enjoy it 'till something bad happens or they grow up. My car is slow and tickets are expensive so I could say that I behave myself pretty good. But I do feel "The need for speed"... Would love to have a fast car and well.... But after reading your story street racing is the last thing that comes up to my mind.

I feel like tearing apart my car's muffler to make it look less ricy.

Thanks for sharing that with us.

Niko

[GT500]

All these crazy influences on young and older people alike....I can't believe that some people even believe these false influences. I wish people would just stop...it's horrid. I can relate with a story....i wasn't there first person, I was there as a third person view.

About 10-11 cars like to get together near a small shopping plaza that is located on an intersection between a road that leads back to downtown, and one road that stretches far down into a somewhat desert-like area. I always go down that road to watch constellations and stuff (yea, im interested in that stuff) with my cheap telescope. My dad was actually there too, but when those racers came down there, my dad was in the plaza looking for batteries (the flashlight went out and we had no spares).

So anyways, these idiots come down to the plaza in there "tuned" cars and I guess set up a bet or what not. Then, of course, they line up. This is a 6 lane road for about 2 miles (3 west, 3 east) but they take up the entire road. I quickly move the hell away from the road, about 50 feet before stopping to watch them race. From there on, I only remember seeing it right before it happened...these idiots don't have their lights on. Can you say morons? Well, they GO GO GO IN MANACO.....errr....San Jose.... Some of them are quite fast, others not as much. Then I notice something horrible....

There is a truck coming from the opposite direction. These guys without there lights realize there's a truck (truck lights), strange thing however is that the truck doesn't notice them-not in time at least (or he coouldn't brake/turn outta the way). So the truck hits I think 3-4 of the cars. I kinda ran over, but about one and a half mins later, there is a fire truck, a couple cop cars and an ambulance at the site. Of course one of the cops shoves me off to ask some questions and I answered as well as I could without any breath (I was scared to hell duh!). In the end, I finally found out that three guys were taken to the hospital, two seriously injured, one nearly dead (crushed skull or something). The truck driver was able to walk away fine. The rest of the guys except one drove away as quickly as possible, that one scrambling out of his car and running (his car was stuck somehow I think).

That's pretty much all I saw, this happened about three years ago. Pretty disturbing for me, I mean, really, put your lights on when driving at night, go in the correct lanes, don't be stupid, and don't be even stupider! Illegal and "idiotic" street racing shouldn't be allowed to happen like this. It's just pure craziness...

[The Tuner]

im in uni rite now, and im doing a research project on street racing. actually, (and sum of u will probably think im crazy for this) my project is an insight into legalizing street racing.
y?
coz it happens anywayz, and if it gets legailzed, then its gonna be safer for the racers and everyone else. since i began, ive gone racing a few times. i havent raced, but thats only because i didnt have the car for it. given the car and given the chance, i think i wud have, just to see what its like. i have never raced (as in f&F style, which everyone tries to copy) in my life, but i have had a few quikies and one-offs at traffic lights and stuff. the way ive understood it so far: street racers enjoy STREETracing because of:
- the added risk/danger (read: thrill) of other cars (read: obsatcles) on the road.
- the surface is not a track surface, so it isnt as predictable (hence more risk--->more fun)
- there are (here atleast) roundabouts and junctions, and turns and inclined roads, and no safety rails; stuff that u cant find at a racetrak, and those make it more interestin to race.

with all this in mind, this is where ive reached so far.
street racing can be legalized, but under the following conditions only:
1- roads on which racing will be done will be closed off at certain times for racing. these roads will be closed off LEGALLY, and under the direct supervision of police officers present at the race.
2- no one xcept racers will be allowed on the roads; spectators MUST stay on the sidelines.
3- roads that racers want will be inspected by the authorities beforehand, so that no (idiotic and suicidal) racer can do sumthin like dump oil on the ground to give a better skid.
4- racers must be register their cars with the authorities (i dont kno y i put that, but i kno it will cause problems; here, cars which have had any mods beside body mods are usually not passed during the annual registration)
5- there will be NO racing on any other road, at any other time beside the time(s) and road(s) set aside for racing. shud anybody be caught racing elsewhere, (s)he can be given the strictest penalty possible, including confiscation of car and cancelling of licence.

lukily here in dubai, there isnt too much racing, although it does go on. i have a survey prepared on street racing, and i wud like u guys to fill it out; so if anyone does have a few minutes to spare, plz email me at "[email protected]" and ill send u the survey.

mebbe this cud help stop incidents like the one related by NoOne.

thnx.

[Matra et Alpine]

.....friend had the cooler head and drug me away.

Drugs are worse !!!



Don't take this wrongly, but I love American approach to English grammar.
In general you folks make words up coz it sounds as if it should be that way.

The past tense of drag is dragged

( Can you tell my daighters doing her English Higher exam in 2 weeks !! )

[Matra et Alpine]

im in uni rite now, and im doing a research project on street racing. actually, (and sum of u will probably think im crazy for this) my project is an insight into legalizing street racing. .

Don't see that ever happening.

Any legal 'race' would have to be sanctioned by the FIA or your countries motorsport association.
That won't happen for a circuit/route without safety measures.
The closest to what you seem to desire is the Isle of Man TT.
This is a bike race once a year on the Isle of Man.
EXACTLY as you describe - except the roads are closed to other road users.
As each year passes and each year a handful of people die this event is coming under extreme pressure to end !
Last year we lost one of the best bike racers in the world to a practice accident.
So when you remove safety, the BEST can be killed.
Isle of Man TT survices in part becuase it is the last real road race and the IoM has it's own government !! If the British government had control over the roads, it woul dhave been banned many years ago.

Secondly, you'd need a country with very little litigation.
The first accident killing or maimin a driver would result in a law suit citing the lack of basic safety. As for the desire to have OTHER road users on the streets, well I can just see THOSE law suits rolling out.

Third, you clearly haven't raced on a circuit and neither have many of those who advocate street racing.

At the very limit of racing, there is little benefit of run-off areas and armco safety barriers. They only let you drive/ride FASTER. So the adrenilin rush is there.

I hope in your research on legalsigin street racing you investigate the many forms of drifving/riding and incorporate the lessons learned there over 100 years !!