A word of warning about street racing...
#31
03-29-2012, 09:40 PM
nod
I agree -- the closest track to me is 2.5 hrs away. But I can honestly say I've only street raced 1 time. I was coming home from work one day and I was taking 480, I didn't leave work until 10:30 and by that time the freeway was practically empty. Up behind me I see a pair of headlights and he's coming up on me fast, he jumps over into the other lane and flashed his high beams a few times. By now he's close enough I can see it's some really ugly Honda -- I mean this guy puts ridiculous amounts of crap onto it to make it look "cool." What the hell I thought, I gunned it, I had no problem leaving him behind me and eventually he dropped back and moved over behind me, we both dropped it back down to 65 and went on with ourselves. It didn't last long and luckily we didn't meet any cars by surprise. I only peaked about 95, but that was still 30 over the speed limit.
I got home a little after 11. Got in the house and saw a message flashing on my answering machine. It was my cousin calling me from Metro hospital, his sister (my other cousin) was life-flighted there about 20 minutes prior. She was driving her 6 month old baby home from her parents house, they were having dinner and what not since her husband was out of state on a business trip. She took I-71 and apparently some young, dumb punks were racing about a mile behind her, the finish line was the exit ramp. She was sitting at the traffic light at the end of the exit ramp and the one kids brakes were worn, and worn bad, so he couldn't slow down at all. He smashed into the back of her car going about 85 mph, killing the baby on impact and she died while being transported to the hospital. I have never street raced after that and can guarantee you I never will.
Although the person who probably got it the worst in this situation was her husband. He didn't have a cell phone and we had no way to get a hold of him on his trip and we couldn't delay the service until he got back because none of us new when he'd be back except his wife. That had to be the worst feeling ever to come home to find your wife and child are dead and you weren't able to be there for any of the services or anything like that to even say goodbye.
I got home a little after 11. Got in the house and saw a message flashing on my answering machine. It was my cousin calling me from Metro hospital, his sister (my other cousin) was life-flighted there about 20 minutes prior. She was driving her 6 month old baby home from her parents house, they were having dinner and what not since her husband was out of state on a business trip. She took I-71 and apparently some young, dumb punks were racing about a mile behind her, the finish line was the exit ramp. She was sitting at the traffic light at the end of the exit ramp and the one kids brakes were worn, and worn bad, so he couldn't slow down at all. He smashed into the back of her car going about 85 mph, killing the baby on impact and she died while being transported to the hospital. I have never street raced after that and can guarantee you I never will.
Although the person who probably got it the worst in this situation was her husband. He didn't have a cell phone and we had no way to get a hold of him on his trip and we couldn't delay the service until he got back because none of us new when he'd be back except his wife. That had to be the worst feeling ever to come home to find your wife and child are dead and you weren't able to be there for any of the services or anything like that to even say goodbye.
sorry to hear and sorry to the other stories of people known who died..
#32
04-05-2012, 03:51 PM
Just going to give a little input on street racing:
Im 20 years old and i go to mechanic school with a bunch of people around my age. All of us like racing. Do We crash? Of course! Have kids from my school been killed? I can name 8 people who have who were good friends of mine from school. I dont street race because ive had enough friends die from street racing. Let me put it this way. Im going to use Maple Grove Raceway as an example. I can pay $20 to race, and about 180 total for gas/fluids. So lets just say i spend $200 for everything.
Now lets say i street race. I get pulled over for doing 95 in a 65 zone. 30+ over lose of license. Reckless driving- $150 ticket, Street Racing- $200. Misc other fines- $100.
So for street racing i lost my license and have around $500 worth of fines. Is it worth it?
Im 20 years old and i go to mechanic school with a bunch of people around my age. All of us like racing. Do We crash? Of course! Have kids from my school been killed? I can name 8 people who have who were good friends of mine from school. I dont street race because ive had enough friends die from street racing. Let me put it this way. Im going to use Maple Grove Raceway as an example. I can pay $20 to race, and about 180 total for gas/fluids. So lets just say i spend $200 for everything.
Now lets say i street race. I get pulled over for doing 95 in a 65 zone. 30+ over lose of license. Reckless driving- $150 ticket, Street Racing- $200. Misc other fines- $100.
So for street racing i lost my license and have around $500 worth of fines. Is it worth it?
#33
04-05-2012, 05:50 PM
Just going to give a little input on street racing:
Im 20 years old and i go to mechanic school with a bunch of people around my age. All of us like racing. Do We crash? Of course! Have kids from my school been killed? I can name 8 people who have who were good friends of mine from school. I dont street race because ive had enough friends die from street racing. Let me put it this way. Im going to use Maple Grove Raceway as an example. I can pay $20 to race, and about 180 total for gas/fluids. So lets just say i spend $200 for everything.
Now lets say i street race. I get pulled over for doing 95 in a 65 zone. 30+ over lose of license. Reckless driving- $150 ticket, Street Racing- $200. Misc other fines- $100.
So for street racing i lost my license and have around $500 worth of fines. Is it worth it?
Im 20 years old and i go to mechanic school with a bunch of people around my age. All of us like racing. Do We crash? Of course! Have kids from my school been killed? I can name 8 people who have who were good friends of mine from school. I dont street race because ive had enough friends die from street racing. Let me put it this way. Im going to use Maple Grove Raceway as an example. I can pay $20 to race, and about 180 total for gas/fluids. So lets just say i spend $200 for everything.
Now lets say i street race. I get pulled over for doing 95 in a 65 zone. 30+ over lose of license. Reckless driving- $150 ticket, Street Racing- $200. Misc other fines- $100.
So for street racing i lost my license and have around $500 worth of fines. Is it worth it?
#35
04-07-2012, 12:16 AM
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Nubraska
Posts: 7,082
All of the stories in here are terrible, but the same stuff happens daily with things just like tired drivers. Honestly if people weren't idiots about street racing it wouldn't be an issue.
#36
03-05-2015, 11:27 PM
This is a good reason to get involved in your local politics. We're gearheads; we build our cars, care for them, show them. It's only natural to want to compare what you've done to the other guy, or maybe just satisfy a serious case of footin floor disease. A track is the best place to do that. But local government won't allow it. Noise, safety, whatever. The thing to remember is that if you live there you are local government. Your voice counts as much as anyone else's, if you vote. I've seen fights to save track, and were there's no money to build one simply lobby the town or county to close off a remote piece of road once a month for people to run on after paying a fee. If you want to challenge the cops to bring thier cars out and run, many of them are gearheads too. Laws make it illegal but they can be changed with effort
As far as street racing goes, it risky, not just for the racers but for spectators as well. If you're 100 ft off the road a car running 140 can get to you in just under half a second. Even if you cut the speed in half its little or no time to react. The next time you think about it don't just look for what's on the road, look for what's near it as well. Light polls are designed to break when hit to save lives but trees are not. If you're gonna run a maching you put so much tlc into, do it right. And never race anything you're not willing to light on fire and push off a cliff
As far as street racing goes, it risky, not just for the racers but for spectators as well. If you're 100 ft off the road a car running 140 can get to you in just under half a second. Even if you cut the speed in half its little or no time to react. The next time you think about it don't just look for what's on the road, look for what's near it as well. Light polls are designed to break when hit to save lives but trees are not. If you're gonna run a maching you put so much tlc into, do it right. And never race anything you're not willing to light on fire and push off a cliff
#37
03-06-2015, 06:40 AM
Glad your friend is ok.
I have Haggerty Insurance they will not cover me in any speed competition spontaneous or planned. So no more showing off in the Deuce
I have Haggerty Insurance they will not cover me in any speed competition spontaneous or planned. So no more showing off in the Deuce
#38
03-07-2015, 04:25 AM
Sad stories here indeed! I too am guilty of the occasional stop light drag race! more so in my younger days with the '68 Camaro, but sometimes in the Monte! there are so many really fast production model cars out there its silly to race them in my 3.8 200 horsey monte!! lol! I do however enjoy watching the t.v.show, the outlaw racers from Oklahoma city, but it makes me wonder what kind of influence/role model that the show is having on drivers? especially young inexperienced ones who think they have a fast car!! Im kind of surprised that this show is even allowed on TV?? what are the producers gonna do/pay when somebody dies or gets seriously hurt? which it will happen?? JMHO!
#39
03-07-2015, 08:59 AM
Here is what NHRA thinks about it:
NHRA Warns: Participate In “Street Outlaws” Cable Show, Lose Your Competition License!
Written by Thom Taylor on February 17, 2015 Letters Sent To Reality Show Participants
NHRA Responds To The Hate Over Their Street Outlaws Letter
It seems that the NHRA is finding it problematic honoring competition licenses to those that participate in the Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws reality cable show. They have issued letters to a select group of racers seen on the weekly show, basically warning they will be ineligible for future racing at NHRA events if they continue to appear on the show.
It’s created some lively discussions everywhere, and as you can imagine Facebook has gone wild, including NHRA’s own Facebook page, with all sides being posited from slanderous slams at the organization to supporting their warning for the obvious reasons that street racing is everything you know it is—mainly dangerous and potentially deadly.
Many are likening it to just a money grab, saying that with the one hour Street Outlaws show garnering a better share of viewers in the 18-49 year old male demographic than NHRA’s Mello Yello ESPN event broadcasts, that it’s an embarrassment for the NHRA and could potentially siphon off sponsors.
2/2
Of course we wonder if the NHRA would continue to take sponsorship money from companies who also happen to advertise on the reality show? Would the NHRA send similar letters to all Street Outlaws sponsors who advertise in National Dragster or sponsor their events or broadcasts? If the NHRA feels that this is unbecoming to the sport as they state, do they also feel it would be unbecoming to the sport if a certain driver posed naked for ESPN magazine in 2013? Where does the NHRA draw the morality line?
Even though the show is [spoiler alert] scripted and staged, we know Street Outlaws sends the wrong message that street racing is exciting and fun—which we also know it is. But, with the potential for things to go wrong in a hurry being part of the street racing equation, can you really blame the NHRA for defending the foundations which they were built upon?
Tell us how you feel about this latest development, and we’ll have more on this after speaking with the NHRA and possibly some of those that received one of these Valentines.
NHRA Warns: Participate In “Street Outlaws” Cable Show, Lose Your Competition License!
Written by Thom Taylor on February 17, 2015 Letters Sent To Reality Show Participants
NHRA Responds To The Hate Over Their Street Outlaws Letter
It seems that the NHRA is finding it problematic honoring competition licenses to those that participate in the Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws reality cable show. They have issued letters to a select group of racers seen on the weekly show, basically warning they will be ineligible for future racing at NHRA events if they continue to appear on the show.
It’s created some lively discussions everywhere, and as you can imagine Facebook has gone wild, including NHRA’s own Facebook page, with all sides being posited from slanderous slams at the organization to supporting their warning for the obvious reasons that street racing is everything you know it is—mainly dangerous and potentially deadly.
Many are likening it to just a money grab, saying that with the one hour Street Outlaws show garnering a better share of viewers in the 18-49 year old male demographic than NHRA’s Mello Yello ESPN event broadcasts, that it’s an embarrassment for the NHRA and could potentially siphon off sponsors.
2/2 Of course we wonder if the NHRA would continue to take sponsorship money from companies who also happen to advertise on the reality show? Would the NHRA send similar letters to all Street Outlaws sponsors who advertise in National Dragster or sponsor their events or broadcasts? If the NHRA feels that this is unbecoming to the sport as they state, do they also feel it would be unbecoming to the sport if a certain driver posed naked for ESPN magazine in 2013? Where does the NHRA draw the morality line?
Even though the show is [spoiler alert] scripted and staged, we know Street Outlaws sends the wrong message that street racing is exciting and fun—which we also know it is. But, with the potential for things to go wrong in a hurry being part of the street racing equation, can you really blame the NHRA for defending the foundations which they were built upon?
Tell us how you feel about this latest development, and we’ll have more on this after speaking with the NHRA and possibly some of those that received one of these Valentines.
#40
03-09-2015, 06:35 PM
I have done my share of street racing. Mainly in my 1988 Camaro. A friend and I would be at a light. he would be behind me. The light would go green and he would disappear from my rearview mirror and next thing I know, he's flying by me. We've done this a few times only on this one strip of road in my hometown. After a friend of ours was killed, we all vowed to slow down our driving. Now I go down that same strip of road late at night and I will be by myself. I will admit, I have hit the gas in my Monte. I never stay in it very long. I plan on bringing my Monte to the local strip about an hour and a half away in Epping, NH just to get an idea of the performance of the car. I've raced there before, and as a previous poster mentioned, it's a lot cheaper when you add up all the possibilities versus running at the track.
