Even with its hazardous conditions, street racing brings out the kid in all of us.
We’ve all experienced crazy drivers. But there’s a certain type of “crazy driver.” It’s the driver that speeds by you and swerves in and out of traffic.
If another car is doing the same thing and at the same time, there’s a good chance the drivers are racing each other–especially if they’re doing it in “muscle cars.”
Isn’t that illegal? Sure it is. But they still do it. And people have been doing it for a very long time.
Modern street racing in the U.S. goes back to the 1960s and Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit is where the three main American car companies were building high-powered performance cars. It was a hop-step-and-jump from there to having locals race on neighborhood streets.
Today street racing is experiencing a renaissance. There’s a huge street-racing scene in Southern California, for example. And drivers street-race all over the world.
There has been a street racing revival.
It’s not unusual for races to be held on the outskirts of a town. Racers are careful to pick spots where police offers are less likely to patrol. That’s fairly easy to do with today’s technology.
Drivers position their cars in a parallel position, countdown to go, and the race is on. The cars sprint to the finish line, which is typically street sign, cross-street, or local landmark.
And there’s more to it than the race. Racing enthusiasts will meet–at parking lots, garages, bars, and other local hangouts–to admire each other’s car, talk about racing, arrange races, and place bets.
There are serious consequences for street racing.
Has anyone died from street racing? The answer is yes. It’s a dangerous sport and some drivers have done prison time for injuries and deaths that have occurred during races.
That’s no deterrent, though. One reason is that Hollywood glorifies street racing. Consider how it’s portrayed in films like The Fast and The Furious and American Graffiti.
Why do we race? It’s for the adrenaline. It’s for the glory of coming out on top. It’s because people love their cars.
Just be safe.
