400 busted for street racing, WTF? so give us a strip!

[Wm Holden]

So what are we going to do about this???

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

Ah but racing at a track isn't cool. Thats what all those old guys do, with their Camaro's and Mustangs.

Killing innocent people isn't "COOL" either....Grow up...

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Wm Holden

old people are morons...

Street racers are the Morons....

[radz28]

Originally Posted by CamaroSpike23

except everyone wants to race but not work for it. that and zoning restrictions and housing booms have shut down tracks everywhere. 3 of my local tracks were shut down because of homeowners who built/moved in long after the tracks had been there, complained about the noise from the tracks.... which then get shut down, and those same people wonder why there is still street racing.

Originally Posted by The_Blur

It's a safety issue. Street racing is dangerous. I guarantee street racing fatalities would plummet if tracks were readily available.

Originally Posted by skipj3

Dont tracks have a test and tune night?

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Killing innocent people isn't "COOL" either....Grow up...

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Street racers are the Morons....

These posts stood out the most to me, especially the last two. I can see why people would race because there's no track to race on, however, there is no justification for killing innocents. I could almost care less if a street racer gets killed or kills another racer but a bystander - no. I'm not saying I never participated in a little fun, back in the day, but some of the stuff I've read is rediculous. My local track is getting hounded by homeowners encroaching on it. It's been there for like 50 years, and these people say it's too loud or whatever. MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE!!! YOU KNEW THE TRACK WAS THERE!!! Anyways, I also see that just because there is a track and it's affordable to race there, people still aren't always going to go. I've seen many times where groups of racers would litterally block off entire highway lanes, four wide, to do roll-races, for miles. It's rediculous. I'm sorry, kill each other - not my friends or family.

I'm sorry - stepping off my soapbox.

[Kyle2k]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Killing innocent people isn't "COOL" either....Grow up...

Sarcasm is golden....but you didn't catch it.

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Street racers are the Morons....

Uhm, he was talking about the old people that don't want them on the street, but are the reason the track was shut down and/or a new one won't be put up.

[MerF]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Killing innocent people isn't "COOL" either....Grow up...

I believe the sarcasm escaped you.

[Wm Holden]

LACR got closed after 40 years!!!

One of the original Drag strips from the beginning...

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Kyle2k

Sarcasm is golden....but you didn't catch it.



Uhm, he was talking about the old people that don't want them on the street, but are the reason the track was shut down and/or a new one won't be put up.

Sarcasm or not they were both stupid statements...

[headpunter]

all in all its just a bad situation on all fronts.

its not good that they closed the track but it isnt safe to have people racing on the street either

[Mindz]

Then again, I can see this as a valid bust. They were looking for stolen parts. They only arrested the actual racers and people without licenses/insurance/etc.

The way they go about it I feel should be very different.

I know some of the local tracks that I used to go to was very different than most tracks. Everyone would park in the parking lots of the empty industrial buildings so there was nothing on the street at all. People would stand at least 10 feet back from the sidewalk so it was clear and they had time to run out of the way if anything even looked remotely dangerous. Before every race, only 2 cars would roll out of the parking lots and onto the street. They'd burn out and roll up to a line. The starter would then walk out from the side, radio the guy at the end who would blink his flashlight rapidly to signal there were no cars coming. The racers would flash their high beams back to signal they were ready and also to signal they were about to race. The starter would then start the 3 point arms drop. After both cars had come back to the start line and into their respective parking lots, the next two would roll out and repeat.

It was basically like a track without the timeslips and tree.

[radz28]

LOL; that sounds like Fast and the Furious! The way that's described doesn't sound bad - I'm just really dark about any involvement with bystanders and innocents.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Killing innocent people isn't "COOL" either....Grow up...

Originally Posted by Skyman 08

Sarcasm or not they were both stupid statements...

The stupidity of my statement is the entire point. Doing something that is illegal and dangerous to not only your self but to all others around you, simply because the alternative isn't 'cool' is idiotic.

[Wm Holden]

sarcasm and humor is not easily painted in the forums...

[The_Blur]

A lot of you are convinced that 16-year-olds know better. In a lot cases, 30-year-olds don't think they're posing a danger when racing because they feel so confident in their driving and their cars. I don't want to sound like I'm blaming society for any of these deaths because guilt is not transferable for any street racing deaths; however, tracks should be built for the same reason that we have speed limits and safety belt laws. The government, both federal (indirect involvement*) and state (direct laws and enforcement**), have become involved in the way Americans drive. I believe they should be less involved overall, but the precedent is there. Because there is a strong precedent for doing what promotes safety, even if such safety—seat belts—are against the preferences of many—not me, but I stand for the rights of others—drivers, the government has a responsibility to continue or reject that precedent. To continue it is to provide a safe place for racing. Even if the drivers aren't always safe due to bad launches and showing off, at least pedestrians and other drivers won't get killed as often. Obviously, I want this to happen in many communities, but I'll commute to a track if necessary.

Anyway, the point is that the government can either make American autobahns and teach Americans how to drive like Germans, or the government can continue to baby Americans with stupid-low speed limits and seat belt laws. If they want to continue the babying trend, it is imperative that they give Americans well-maintained tracks that keep street racers away from neighborhoods, highways, and even abandoned roads.

*indirect involvement—The US government offers states incentives to keep speed limits below a certain number, implement seat belt laws, and otherwise promote roadway safety. Most of these incentives come in the forms of grants-in-aid, increasing state budgets.
**direct laws and enforcement—States pass and enforce legislation. The federal government only provides incentives for states to act and does not have the jurisdiction to act on certain state affairs, including law local enforcement.