At what point does a street legal (registered) car become a drag (race) car?

[2SSCAMARO]

I say a car that is trailered to the strip (like a race car), runs a peak power tune (like a race car) runs race fuel (like a race car) runs drag radials or slicks in the back and skinnies up front (like a race car) sprays nitrous (like a race car) for the et and speed it runs requires a roll bar or cage (like a race car). IT IS IN FACT A RACE CAR! Even if some that fit this category can be licensed in some states, it is still a race car...yes, no?

[IMPERIALBLUE2SS]

Depends on what your tolerance level for noise, expensive gas and tires, and climbing out of a jungle gym are...

[mlee]

Lots of people make their normally street driven cars non-legal and trailer them to the track for the weekend. Once they are done it goes back to legal and registered.

[94guy]

I drive to and from the track. Trailer = Racecar

[BadSport340]

If it isn't street legal and spends all of it's time at the track then it's a race car. If you still have it registered and insured as a street car, and drive it on the street, then it's a street car. That's the easy way of putting it, I guess. Everybody will have their own definition of what makes a car a "racecar"

I usually hang out with the classic Mopar crowd and what we consider street cars, a lot of people might consider race cars. My Dart for example, it's never been down a drag strip. It's got a hot 340 with a lumpy cam and a bunch of other stuff that makes it impractical to drive on the street. Yet I don't consider it a race car, just a hot street car. My uncle had a '68 Charger with a 426 Hemi and the engine was built for max power. High compression, huge roller cam, big headers, dual Holley's on a cross ram intake. Ya know, the works. It was his daily driver back in the 70's and he did a LOT of street racing in it. He didn't consider it a race car though. I've been in a Dart that ran well into the 10's, had a mean stroker motor, 325 drag radials, and it was street driven often. There was a huge dent in the bottom of the oil pan...this Dart would go wheels up when it launched . It had a 3,500RPM stall converter and a reverse manual valve body as well. It spends most of the time at the strip but sees a lot of street time too. I'd consider it a street/strip car, not a "race" car though.

To each their own. It's hard for me to consider something a race car unless it's been gutted and purpose built as a race car. I'm sure plenty of people will disagree but... most cars are street cars, some are street/strip, and few cars are actually race cars. Just my opinion.

[2SSCAMARO]

Here's a little history of "street cars" drag racing and just how fast you need to be to have "the fastest street car around".

[xk49]

It's only a race car if you race it. It's that simple.

[2SSCAMARO]

This is not a race car. It drove over 1,000 miles on the highways between tracks, is licensed and street legal. That makes it a street car. A very very quick and fast ZL1. I would guess the fastest in the world.

[2SSCAMARO]

Originally Posted by xk49

It's only a race car if you race it. It's that simple.

Using that same logic. If I have a gun, is it only a gun if I fire it?

[Rockit_z28]

The simple definition is if it is registered and insured and can "legally" be drive on the streets in your state than it is a street legal car.

I have driven my car 2 hours back and forth to the track and won Super Chevy and ran 10.07 on drag radials and skinnies. Likewise, I have trailered to and from various events across the country. Does it make less of a street car? No, I just choose to protect my investment.

On the other hand, I watched a guy explode his rear end with no way home. A trailer does not make it any less of a street car and makes you a smarter person in the event that these things happen.

[mlee]

Originally Posted by Rockit_z28

The simple definition is if it is registered and insured and can "legally" be drive on the streets in your state than it is a street legal car.

I have driven my car 2 hours back and forth to the track and won Super Chevy and ran 10.07 on drag radials and skinnies. Likewise, I have trailered to and from various events across the country. Does it make less of a street car? No, I just choose to protect my investment.

On the other hand, I watched a guy explode his rear end with no way home. A trailer does not make it any less of a street car and makes you a smarter person in the event that these things happen.

^^^^This

[Bo White]

When you start to only trailer it. Its a race car then.

[mlee]

Originally Posted by Bo White

When you start to only trailer it. Its a race car then.

Disagree... when you're pockets are deep enough to purchase a trailer you're just keeping miles off of your investment and ready if something breaks. Trailer has nothing to do with the car being a race car.

[2SSCAMARO]

It appears most people agree that trucks and cars like Larry's are legally licensed street cars that are fully capable of making long distance trips. They are not trailered, they pull trailers .
He built and drives the fastest street car in the world and he built the fastest street legal ZL1 in the world.