Is America Promoting Street Racing?

SeaMaxNews.com | 10-22-03 | Mike Vallillo

[mikevallillo]

Is America Promoting Street Racing?

The latest plague to hit home in the US isn’t SARS or Smallpox. It’s something that has actually been around for quite a while now but hasn’t been toggled with. I’m talking about Street Racing.

Parents all over America are sobbing over the loss of their child because of a car accident, but I’m not talking about your usual accident on the highway that took someone’s life. I’m talking about you going 120+ MPH on your local ¼ mile straight shot street. To make it worse, just these high speed racers aren’t dying, there are also many cases where they will crash into innocent by standards and kill them in rout to their 15 minutes of fame by beating another car.

With all the media all over the street racing scene, it’s almost as if the media is promoting it. Go to any local news stand or bookstore and you’ll find countless amounts of magazines and books that cover every aspect of it.

Of course they don’t come straight out and say, “Hey America…we want you to street race!” But that is defiantly the quote that is being said to your every day teen.

Street Racing isn’t anything new though. It goes all the way back to when John Travolta was racing his American muscle with one of the other muscle fiends. Street Racing goes back to the 50’s.

The first kind of street races weren’t your average ones like today with all the high tech gadgetry that is used. It was old fashioned pure all motor horsepower that cranked the teens of yesteryear. There wasn’t any NOS (Nitrous Oxide System), which is used to inject nitrous into the motor and give a 5 second boost of anywhere between 50-150 horse power, or high tech computer chips; it was just pure motor.

As time went on, America started to see muscle cars, and the need for speed got even worse. Teens would take daddy’s Chevy Nova and Dodge Challenger out to there local meet and hit the gas like there was no turning back. But once again it was just the beginning.

Today there are countless amounts of modifications that you can make to your car. Whether it’s your mommy’s 1989 Civic or daddy’s 1995 Toyota Supra, you can take everything apart and rebuild it from the ground up.

To make it worse, no one is trying to help the matter. The media is probably just making it worse by making movies, videogames, and countless amounts of magazines and books. So that brings me to my question; is America Promoting Street Racing? There obviously not trying to stop it. Of course your going to have your local town cop after the local speedsters, but is that enough?

In San Diego, California they are trying. A couple who had lost their son in a car accident has taken the local speedway and on Friday and Saturday nights you can go to the track and race, legally. You can even race some of the cars built by cops. Why hasn’t the rest of the nation taken this step to try to prevent lives being lost?

[neb52]

The biggest problem is that the kids do it because its illegal. Not only can they illegaly race, but also illegal drink underage. Their are legal race tracks here, but you have to follow certain rules(ppfftt and who wants to do that). Underage kids also will not be able to drink or stay out pass curfew(if your city has one like Dallas). Is America promoting Street Racing? No, Kids who have parents that don't care, CHOOSE to part take in these activities because it is illegal and cool thing to do. When your area does not have things for kids under 18 to do at night, plus non-caring parents being taken into consideration, The kids will make their own fun which normally results in illegal activity and mischief. Its amazing what happens when parents actually take an active role in their kids lives. It usually saves a kid a from doing something stupid, before its too late!

[Muleteam1]

I have lost friends to street racing in the 1950s and the 1960s, and if we were still living during those naive times, I may agree that teen racing is a "plague." However, when America is facing: (1) as much internal national divisiveness as during the Civil War, (2) internal and external enemies who are simply waiting for the right moment to destroy our way of life, and (2) advanced weaponry that could easily destroy millions of people within minutes, I would say street racing rates as a "plague" somewhere below the issue of Coca Cola machines in high schools. Sorry, but I can't just can't get worked up over the sound of a Toyota and a Nissan tearing down the street.

Muleteam1

[doodad]

I’m talking about you going 120+ MPH on your local ¼ mile straight shot street

That is a very stout pass. In the 11 second category. Not many cars out there will do that unless the kid (ie parents) have deep pockets.

[LanPB01]

At my local Regal Cinema's, a special advertising supplement runs before the movie. Last week, there was a short presentation glorifying street racing. It even showed one of the genius's showing off the broom closet he had his family living in (he was in his mid to late 20's) so he could afford to maintain the trashy image of his vehicle.

[jim_trent]

We just had a guy killed by an out-of-control motorcycle during a street race. Innocent bystander. The racer was in the hospital and is now facing charges (they haven't decided on manslaughter or murder yet). Of course, the Libertarians would say that if we made this legal, it would not be a problem. If anyone gets killed, the parents can sue someone in civil court and be happy.

[mbynack]

I used to street race when I was young and foolish. The city finally set up a track for us at the local airport and it stopped a lot of the problems. They did safety inspections on the cars. That kept us from driving 100 mph down streets with unsuspecting drivers and made sure the spectators weren't running across the road in front of the racers.

[weegee]

Hondas and Toyotas are the cars mentioned in this street racing article. Gee, it wouldn't be that Asian street racing culture has hit America. It's America's fault.

The problem of Asian street racing was even addressed in a 1990s Hong Kong Jackie Chan film. There are regulations even as to what type of exhaust system in street legal. When you see those big mufflers (3-4 inch diameter), they are souped up racers.

I'm not saying that the racers in America are only Asians but that people who drive Toyotas and Hondas will find a plethora of add ons to hype up the performance of their cars. You have to dig a little deeper to find some of these enhancements for other makes of cars.

Here in Houston, street racing has been a problem for over a decade (and even an off duty police officer aged 25 died illegally street racing). The nationally known raid on a K-Mart parking lot was an attempt to crack down on some of the spectators and racers in Houston. The spectators were under 18 and there is a curfew in Houston...

[Fierce Allegiance]

"innocent by standards and kill them in rout to ..."

Cereal box editorial license?

[general_re]

Seriously. Folks, a spell checker is no substitute for knowing what you're doing...

[etcetera]

So why haven't the Bleeding Heart Liberals filed suit against the car makers and car dealers for knowingly selling dangerous products which end up in the hands of teenagers?

These unscrupulous car manufacturers knowingly make cars which are too fast for legal speed limits (who needs to go 120mph?), make many more than necessary (there are always new cars in showroom floors), and promote them using sexy advertising aimed at the younger comsumer.

Why haven't states and cities tried to collect for the carnage caused by these car manufacturers?

[wizr]

Hmm. This subject got my heart started. Ain't been here for a while.

You may have pavement to play on, in your area, but most of us that love racing, have few places to watch them (or race) except on TV.

There have been many excuses over the years. TOO noisy, hooligans getting together, etc., etc., and then there was BIG MONEY promoters and insurance costs.

Anyone remember "run what you brung", Friday and Saturday night "cruisin'" and hangin' out at the local 'burger joint.
There are many kids, and us old folks, that need a place to meet on the weekends. A place NOT requiring a $50K investment in your car to enjoy it.

You want to eliminate street racing, make a place for good clean fun, get some of us to volunteer our time to help regulate it, and let the kids show what they can do, legally.

Thanks, for letting me rant.

Mike

[al_c]

When you see those big mufflers (3-4 inch diameter), they are souped up racers.

Yeah, right. I've seen plenty of those stupid mufflers on many a p.o.s. car that couldn't break 70 going downhill with a tail wind.

[UNGN]

MOST "street Racing" deaths are teenagers driving 17 second Sh!tboxes "racing" a guy who pulls next to them at a stop light. Very few are actual FAST cars in organized illegal street racing activities.

These morons would never go to the track anyway because they would see how pathetically slow their cars are.

I'm all for more dragstrips, but the Dallas/Fort Worth area already has 5 and the "first generation american" death rate from "street racing" has to be one of the highest in the country.

The solution is to teach your child car control, seat belt usage, patience and that machismo is compensation for lack of something else. Darwin will take care of the other guy.

[saint]

Not many cars out there will do that unless the kid (ie parents) have deep pockets.

I have a friend who owns a speed shop for these import racers. It's amazing how many parents give these kids the cars and then give them a credit card to do what they want. Parents came in and bought thousands of dollars of speed gifts for the kids, and they were back a week later getting more. Very common for girls to buy their boyfriends expensive gear, too. Always on the credit card, or else from a huge wad of cash pulled out of the baggy jeans.

[doodad]

You are right, ricers and the F&F are the problem. I just thought it was funny they talked about ricers and 120+ mph passes in the same article. VERY FEW japanese cars are up to these runs and the ones that do spend $$$$$ to do it.

[Petronski]

"...innocent by standards..."

Huh?

[Xthe17th]

Funniest thing is when they put huge expensive chrome rims on 'em so you can see their OEM drum brakes (painted of course).

[weegee]

Some of it is a bluff. Kids wanting to look like street tuffs. Like the spinning wheel rims (that keep spinning even when the car stops at a traffic light).

Someone is making a lot of money off of this fad.

[weegee]

When a street racer (in a car or on a motorcycle) coming up behind you wipes out, your own "safe driving skills" won't play much of a part in the accident you find yourself in.

As to people breaking laws street racing. People break laws everyday. Whether it is the majority of traffic driving 10-15 miles over the speed limit, people running red lights, going the wrong way up a road so they don't have to u-turn to hit a business' driveway... street racing becomes just another item on the list.

We live in anarchy. Lawlessness abound. John Law seems to only enforces driving laws for revenue enhancement (and traffic lights rank at the bottom although they probably account for many of the accidents in a day). I've seen plenty of officers ignore speeders and dangerous weavers ("not my job", "I don't want to have to appear in court over this #$%@!") and even drive dangerously when they aren't on emergency call.