Street Racing, Good or Bad

[PewterSS]

Ok so i get alot of mixed opinions on this subject.

[jaysz2893]

for starters it is illegal. It can be insanly stupid given the power some cars make. COnsidering your car is a slow turd, you will be fine.. ;) <-- makes it OK

[AChotrod]

Although it is very fun. It is illegal and a dumb thing to do. I voted the last one because Im am guilty as charged of street racing in the past

[JoeliusZ28]

We all know it isnt right but the people who preach like it is murder annoy the hell out of me. No one is perfect, youre gonna give into temptation in the right circumstance. Those people are usually not exposed at all, and need to see what happens down on french road (detroit) on a friday night. It is unbelieveable how well that illegal activity is managed there.

Most laws exist to keep stupid people safe... you can break just about any rule and get away with it safely if you are smart enough. And almost every law is created at the point that enough people fail to excercise common sense.

[Silversixspeed]

I think it's fine, as long as there are no innocent bystanders nearby, i.e. pedestrians, other traffic, etc. Usually the people that do it, following these simple guidelines, understand the consequences, and do it safely.
Obviously the smartest place to race is at a drag strip, however some people (like me) live at least 3.5 hours away from one, and don't have much free time to travel to one.

[camar0corey]

Well choices 1 and 4 apply to me. I can agree with how some illegal racing is well organized, I used to run on crop duster runways out in CA, only issues we ever had were idiots that didn't realize that if you failed to stop, you were going into a irrigation ditch.

I won't run someone at a light unless its completely empty all around, which does on occasion happen.

[Fastbird]

Well, I'm NOT going to be a hypocrite and denounce street racing because I have and will continue to participate on a limited case by case good situation only basis. How do you think I popped my Vette motor last weekend?

Do I do it in traffic? No. With lots of other cars around? No. Clear situation with no one ahead. Sometimes.

[phantomzer0]

I don't mind until I hear that a 16 year old kid, with a new Camaro his mom bought him, seriously injured himself/others street racing. I do not like how all of the young kids, who barely know how to drive as it is, think it's uncool to race at a real race track.

[PewterSS]

Yeah, whenever i do it its either at a business park that is closed obviously at 11pm or on route 1 a major highway with nobody around. When i see people racing with all these people standing around its just stupid and dangerous.

[formulajunky]

I agree with no one around its ok. I would never do it with traffic around,

[Fixxer99TA]

Yep, agreed with those who went with #4. I think most of us are guilty of street racing one way or another, but the smart ones do it where theres no traffic around at all.

[ls1dave]

I went with the 3rd option. When i think street racing, i think organized and in an industrial park. when youre at a red light next to a prick in mopar and you stab it at green, that doesnt count IMO.

at the street races its typically the young kids who cant drive, and build the hp without consideration of brakes and suspension. My car will never be to those as im not willing to have my car totalled by a 16 year old kid.

Now the other type, im afraid of now. I was driving at 3am on the freeway, and no cars in site except a brand new CTS-V. he pulls up next to me, then lets off, then hits it, then lefts off...maybe 4 times. I look in rear view and see no lights at all, and forward, no lights either. so when i pulls up next to me, i floor it. He doesnt do anything, so i let off the gas.

As i was coasting to the posted speed limit a cop pulls up behind me with his lights on. I pull off an exit and pull over. as im siting there, the caddy exits and parts in a nearby parking lot. i get my ticket for speeding and had to make some turns to get back to the freeway. as im entering the freeway i see that caddy exit the parking lot he was in, with the cop car behind him. apparently they were together, trying to provoke racers.

[SnyperBob]

Drive it like you stole it bitches! If my car was any faster I'd be in jail :)

[landstuhltaylor]

I wouldn't do it at night with stock lights, they are horrible. There is a road a few minutes from my school that heads to the beach that I would not mind running someone on. It's about a mile or two between lights, no side roads, and a guardrail between you and oncoming traffic. Back home there is a two-lane on-ramp that is about 1/4 mile long before it begins to turn that I have run someone on once. However, there is no excuse for racing around any amount of traffic or people.

[travail]

There will alway be some one there to fuck things up. thats why you go out in to no mans land run them.

[IronOutlaw]

Damn i hope cops dont try to provoke races in my area. That seems kind of unfair to me really. especially him passing you 4 times in a hotrod caddy.

[JoeliusZ28]

I do not like how all of the young kids, who barely know how to drive as it is, think it's uncool to race at a real race track.
I dont think that is so much of a factor as is the fact that they are 16 years old and dont have the cash for an hour long drive to the track at 4.20/gallon. I dont know about the rest of the country, but even in detroit - formerly and possibly still the street racing capital of the world - there arent many tracks left. The closest one to me is about 60 miles out.

Tracks also have a tendency to put you in the staging lane for an hour against someone you have no desire to race.

Another point is that you get to pay your towing bill if you break at the track (unless you cheat the system somehow). Which can even out with the risk of a ticket.

Basically - I think its pretty easy to see why it is so popular. People need a place to get it out of their system. Racers are in the city and the city is more worried about noise pollution until somebody dies.

[lt1noob]

bad, some jackass some messing with me yesterday and riding my ass and trying to get me to race. i ended up giving it a little gas. turned out to be an undercover. this is enough reason now not to race or fuck with people on the street.

[lt1noob]

Well, I'm NOT going to be a hypocrite and denounce street racing because I have and will continue to participate on a limited case by case good situation only basis. How do you think I popped my Vette motor last weekend?

Do I do it in traffic? No. With lots of other cars around? No. Clear situation with no one ahead. Sometimes.

this is exactly how i am. and spam me, flame me whatever, im 17. and beleive it or not i still follow the same guidelines fastbird does. and theres always the time when your on the interstate and theres no one for a mile ahead of you and a civic does a little ricer fly-by and you mean to tell me you do nothing? ha...:devil:

[Brandon]

I dont think that is so much of a factor as is the fact that they are 16 years old and dont have the cash for an hour long drive to the track at 4.20/gallon. I dont know about the rest of the country, but even in detroit - formerly and possibly still the street racing capital of the world - there arent many tracks left. The closest one to me is about 60 miles out.

Yep. Milan dragway is out in the middle of nowhere. You gotta plan on spending like $70 just to make a few passes.


Those people are usually not exposed at all, and need to see what happens down on french road (detroit) on a friday night. It is unbelieveable how well that illegal activity is managed there.Are you talking about the french road thats off of gratiot?

[knight367]

you really need to make sure that a mini van full of kids isn't gona get hurt just becasue a mustang reved at you on the highway.... on the other side tho I beleave if it's a little more planed out and somewhere with plenty of space so only the ones involved are in danger then it isn't as bad. but even then you should still make sure you know the road and reamember no race is worth getting hurt for

[Skillet]

I'm somewhat split on this topic but with the black and white answers I picked they are idiots. I use to go to the street races all the time and race whenever I had the opportunity. Now things are much different. Gas it too high to drive around from spot to spot running from the cops. The crowds are way out of control. There are too many kids out there drinking and waving around their dad's gun they brought with them. When street racing became socially cool is when the problems started. When I first started going in 99-00 the crowds were very low and the majority of the cars were trailered in since the local 1/8 mile track closed at midnight. Now the normal crowd consists of people who are afraid of a timeslip and are out there just trying to be cool. It's just not worth it anymore. Too many variables. I understand why people do it, I just don't agree with it anymore.

[Tyler Wheat]

I voted for number 4. We try to race somewhere where we feel safe and are out of the public eye. If we get a race set up, we go very far from town on a county road by an industrial park where the only people in harm's way are the participants. Also, we try and keep it 1/4 mile only. I've seen people get hurt from racing for 2+ miles bouncing off the speed limiter. Thank god they weren't in anything with some real power capable of going 100+ mph. To me, that is ignorant and inexcusable. There's no real reason in my mind to race much beyond the 1320. Although I have made sure plenty of times that my car will do the speedometer, I don't do it on a 2 lane road with someone right beside me. I feel that's more where things get real stupid and people are at the most risk.

[YZF]

We usually go out by the lake. Nice flat roads. Low traffic. Late at night. Get a couple runs in and head home.
The racing scene in KC has really died off over the past couple years. Cops started cracking down really hard, and giving out hefty fines. I think a minimum of $500 per driver. And the people watching can get spectator tickets.

The videos I see on youtube and stuff with these 800whp cars racing upwards of 200mph is just insane.

Although I would have to try it at least once...

What can I say? :)

[bricez28]

i voted number two to be funny, but i really dont street race at all. maybe once in a while. i prefer to be on a dessertede road alone and just hammer the first three gears, for my own enjoyment. if i do race itsjust enough to start pulling away, or just till the other guy starts pulling on me. never anyhting intense.

[TCGiRL220]

if I said street racers were stupid I would be a hypocrite... I used to like to race on the streets but I've turned to the more expensive, but more safe solution... a drag strip :D I do think that street racing is wrong, but you can't change the world... people def. get stupid and let their pride get in the way when they start to race on the streets... for example... I was out in my cobalt, some dude in an eclipse starts coming a little to close into my comfort zone, trying to intimidate me, he whips out around me, brake checks me, gets to the side of me, revs it up (typical ricer)... the whole time this was happening my little niece (1 year and some odd months at the time) was sitting in her car seat, in the back, sleeping... I would have loved to have had a gun on me at the time :2guns:

[Tyler Wheat]

To me there's a big difference in racing at every stoplight as compared to getting something together outside of town where the only people in harm's way are the participants. Racing in town is much more dangerous IMO. I won't do that. If someone wants to race they can follow me out of town.

[slowdime]

My .02 If no one else is in harms way, you're not stupid about it and you dont get caught its all good.

I do think its rediculous how 16 yr old kids will have their parents buy them a badass car and they're out trying to race on main roads and doing dumb shit when they barely know how to drive. That is the main reason street racing looks so "bad" and why the laws are so harsh on it lately.

[96lt1m6]

i am guilty as charged!
i used to take part in street racing. houston was the bizzzness(rankin road,goodnight trail,spikewood,beltway 8,brittmore,290,westheimer etc.) it was great back then!families would come out on weekends and bbq sit in lawn chairs and watch.......we would race anyday of the week........
then all of a sudden a movie came out and changed everything! it spawned some of the most inexperienced,immature,idiots i have ever seen!!!!!
i still have the itch every now and then but it has always been more fun at the track!!!!!!!

[kinglt1]

As long as you pay attention to where and when your street racing, I say go for it! It's the people with no brains that constantly floors thier car at every light that is giving street racing a bad name. I usually stick to a few key roads that have no traffic and good visibility.

[kinglt1]

i am guilty as charged!
i used to take part in street racing. houston was the bizzzness(rankin road,goodnight trail,spikewood,beltway 8,brittmore,290,westheimer etc.) it was great back then!families would come out on weekends and bbq sit in lawn chairs and watch.......we would race anyday of the week........
then all of a sudden a movie came out and changed everything! it spawned some of the most inexperienced,immature,idiots i have ever seen!!!!!
i still have the itch every now and then but it has always been more fun at the track!!!!!!!
I couldn't agree more!!!! I hate fast and furious with a passion, that movie ruined the whole street racing bit.

[93Z2871805]

Every now and again stabbing the gas to show some ricer that Detroit Muscle still rules the street is alright (although a waste of gas), deserted strips of highway cool, backroads in the middle of the sticks with nobody around for miles works too. But those asshats that dice through traffic at high speed and people doing exhibition flybys on a crowded road are the reasons people get killed. I still think of street racing as two cars rolling out to a pretty well abandoned area (American Graffiti style) and putting your money where your mouth is, and keep passengers out of the car. You want to turn yourself into a grease stain, do it by yourself. But, there are guys in my city that meet up on sections of highway at like 3 in the morning bringing cars on trailers (like full blown race cars) and are putting down 10-30k on a race. Go to the track for that sh*t.

[roadrocket]

I have done some racing from a Light back in the day when it cool to do so. We all have, or most I'm sure. It's a matter of pride.:D
Organized street racing or common street trash that hangs out on a Sat nite for the purpose of street racing need to locked up with heavy fines and their cars destroyed, as far as I'm concerned.
That is the big problem and how and when people get hurt and killed. They make it very very very BAD for the rest of us. Esp the Ricers, they're the worst and stupidest.
Take that crap to the Track, make your bets, have your grudge races and go home alive and happy you still have your car.
In the state of Florida Street Racing is now a felony. Jail time, heavy fines and court costs, and you may loose your car and License forever.
But until it happens to you the severity doesn't get hold. Loosing you car, a permanent criminal record, your License, and god forbid a Family member or yourself killed. It's happened and believe me if you kill a child who has a Father like me you'll never have to worry about what the the Judge will say.
And besides that it isn't like it used to be. Way too much traffic nowadays.

My take!

[solga 511]

I can't say too much, but I will say that I live about 20 minutes from a drag strip and while that is very nice, opportunities don't always happen while the strip is open. There are a few country roads around here that have certain markers on them so we, I mean "the people," know where the 1/4 starts and stops. These places are on a mile section of road with no houses and is pretty well flat for the run, so it is fairly safe. Usuall there will be a car at the far intersection to intercept traffic.

*Disclaimer* None of this is true. All places are fictional and if there are any resemblances to real place, it is purely coincidental !!! :devil:

[mr maimi]

In hialeah FL i did it every night but it was real cars that came out to race. also that movie did f*** up the street racing alot. but i still do it but only every blue moon or a silver camaro z28 gets next to me and you know how you are. but the track is better nothin like VHT and time se you out there rudy

[96lt1m6]

In hialeah FL i did it every night but it was real cars that came out to race. also that movie did f*** up the street racing alot. but i still do it but only every blue moon or a silver camaro z28 gets next to me and you know how you are. but the track is better nothin like VHT and time se you out there rudy


:whistle: :shame: ;)
well, friday our poorly ran track will be open!

[mr maimi]

:whistle: :shame: ;)
well, friday our poorly ran track will be open!

yup i am going to be there even if it kills me rudy :secret:

[96lt1m6]

LOL ,it's just a hedder gasket!:monkey:

[Camaro_94]

I dont like it when people race in and out of traffic.. That just pisses me off. If you are going to endanger your own lives, so be it.. But dont take out any innocent drivers from your stupidity if you crash.

I think when done smart its fine, but when people are just being dumb, I am totally against it. I hate it when people want ro race in poor road conditions such as rain, or even snow (yes, someone actually wanted to race me in the snow..), because thats just flat out dumb.

- Mike

[BluBeaSSt]

I've done it...from stop light to stop light(haven't we all?) or in an organized group... I don't have a problem with it as long as your not doing it in traffic or anything competently dumb.

[SSSC]

Im guilty. When i was a teen around Dayton we had a road called west river rd that was the place for all the drag raceing along with rip raft rd. Every Fri,Sat night. Thats back in the days of leaded gas and Sunoco 260 if i remember right it was 102 octane.Later years i was still guilty stop light to stop light. My best thing was to Intimidat the other car to drive like a fool as id get off the gas and watch them fly down the road. Now days i just take my sweet time save it for the drag strip or find a open parking lot to be stupid in. I lost alot friends over the years over street raceing back in the 70s. Back to west river rd.Friend that use to flag the cars off. Got hit by some fool that was stoned, drunk, That was wanting to race a mustang. he flagged to cars to go .The fool powerd his car up and came right through a crowd of people That was watching the other cars that had just started the race. hittin him up into the air about 15 ft landing hard on his back. Chris spent the rest of his life in a Wheel chair.Giveing up his 1969 nova and a 1967 GTO for a van with a wheel chair lift. The people that hit him got away and was never caught. Just something to think about.

[meen95z]

Guilty also, I dont mind doing it if some precautions are taken.. Never in traffic or in town/city.. Usually check the area out first and on a back road thats flat, long, wide, and no houses.. But we have a get together 1-2 times a month in a non-populated area.. Theres about 4 cars in the 10.90-12.00 on the street and the others are 12.20-12.60 area.. Long as your not endangering anyone else and the road is safe enough to make a pass on, I think its ok..(Wide, straight, 1/2 mile or longer) Just my 2 cents..

[95LT1Z28]

I usually race between 1230 and 330am thats when their is the least amount of other innocent cars out. I never race with anyone in the car with me either. I feel that if people want to watch a race, then there not innocent bystanders, they were there because they wanted to be.