Rogue86

Hey guys I thought you might be able to help me out here. I'm doing a research paper for my college prep class now that deals with street racing. The thesis for the paper is "Why do people attend organized street races?" I want to go into the whole f&f thing and how it effects the mentality of people from my generation. I'm also going into the punishments, and the choices/consequences those who street race must weigh.

I'm looking for sites that deal with this, but am mostly finding sites related to clubs and racing in specific cities.

Feel free to add your opinions and ideas

Thanks for any help you can give!

hydric

i know that after I beat a ***** with a car that i've drained countless hours and money and time and just is a machine that if I could drop a bottle in its mouth and have it call me daddy, I would.. I know after every victory I actually tell it "good job" and add it to the kill list... all my buddies (another with a camaro with a 355) always talk about racing.. its part of our friendship and we always get togehter and work on ours cars.

Street racing isnt just about seeing who u can/cant beat, its about actually enjoying your creation... its about making other people realize that thier ricers are still #2 and will always be...

i can truly say I love my car and everytime I beat someone, its like giving a dog a treat after its been good...

g0d bless small block 350's and holley products and GM and also a shout to the ***** companies who just shine my pickel cause i know i can beat your $hit anyday of the week =]

posbird87

im doing a similar paper... but mines a little different. i have to pick a community and observe them. you know, take note of the types of people, the surrondings, whats going on etc... im doing mine on car enthusiats. the teacher digs the idea and says her neighbor has a 70's camaro that they race

as for penalities it differs state to state. i mean a cop in cali is gonna be harder on the racers then a cop in a backwoods town of idaho or somethin.

the best approach id say is to sign up on a F&F board and ask questions. you'll see theres people who actually know how to work on a honda or whatever car and those who just want it to look good.

PhilM

I did a 10 minute speech last year on street racing for a comm course. I would highly recommend talking with a local police officer. also look at the import sites, like the ones for super street magazine and such. i found a lot there. and a good search engine will put you onto some news articles from various papers around the country...

FbodTrek

The whole "gathering to watch street racing" thing, makes no sense to me. I believe that you shouldn't be there unles you're driving-no passengers, no sideliners... The odd thing about how the director of F&F portrayed street racing was how all of the spectators stood right on either side of the strip....Talk about un-safe!!! The spots where "that" particular community congregate, usually draw cops like ticks on blood. There are two such locations here in Houston, both are the sites of arrests, underage drinking, drug use/sales, Bad drivers and slow imports. The "glamor" portrayed in F&F is WAYYY off (at least for my town...). I do my racing at stop lights. If I do meet up with people to race, it's usually only a few, at pre-determined dates/locations. As for why people attend organized street races.....They either wish they could race, think it's "cool"or, want to show off their Neon lighting. I don't know why they "attend" really, I'd rather be racing than watching (and my car is slow...) as for what Hydric said....TOTALLY......

Rogue86

Hey thanks guys! I like the way this thread is going, keep em coming.

Just to add a little more discussion, hydric: Why not take your car to the track? I mean it is a lot safer. (I'm not flaming or anything at all, actualy I really like what hydric said, just getting arguments for my paper)

keep em coming guys!

FbodTrek

I can't speak for hydric, But The nearest track to my place is almost 2 Hrs away. Then you have to wait in line, Pay for runs, and there are usually noise ordinances (no- cut outs....). There is usually only one track (side by side quarter). Therfore, seeing how there are more than Two people there, running leisurly and tuning are VERY difficult. Thtat, and you usually have a hard time picking who you want to race. The upside of going to the track though, is getting to see all of the other cars run. Things are 100% safr as well. Why drive to the track and maybe squeeze in 6 runs, when I can find a deserted stretch and make as many as I want-for free? .

hydric

well the closet track is actually pretty close... it would make sense to go and do that, but money and entering your car and i think u run your car harder at a race track...the simple fact that you do it in your own town brings more pride to me cause i know other people see it that I perhaps know... showing-off I guess? and the simple adrenline rush is much greater at a stop light then the race track light

25thmustang

Man my closest track is OVER 2 hours away.

I will go on the other side, street racing seems immature. Its an excuse for those who are scared of times, because track times dont lie. On the street noone can see how bad you do. At the track it is posted in big numbers so everyone there can see how well you drive and how well you know how to build a car.

Street racing allows people to spend tons of money, and the only way to judge how fast it is is to race the local kids with other cars that usually dont see the track. From my experience on the street and in the street racing scene, they mainly consist of 14 second cars with mediocre drivers.I dont know if this fits any of you guys but it is the case near me.

Street Racing in my eyes is speeding, and anyone with a right foot can speed, and beat a lesser car, I think it takes more skill to run at a track, and especially in a class with rules (which really finds the best drivers, with the best abilities to build a car).

Thats my opinion, I dont know if you can or even want to use it, but feel free!

FbodTrek

The only way to accurately measure ones ability to build an engine is to give them a couple of thousand bucks and see what they can do. I'm not a rich man, I can't AFFORD to build good motors and run good times (good being 7 second range). Thing is, to hit good times like that, your car becomes un-streetable. Where's the fun in that? I enjoy going to the track, just not with my car. My boss wants me to take a turn driving his next dragster (Say's it will be running close to 7.7 ). If I had the kind of money he has, I'd do that too, but I'd also have a nice street ride to clown kids with......

jocww

go to team chevelle. lot of older people there

LUVmy92

Street racing has been around a hell of alot longer than F&F, and there have been lots of street race movies that were big years before Fast & Furry. When I lived in Chicago I went to a street race and there were guys who would trailer in cars, all for money and alot of it to be just a street race. Cops would drive through a crowd of a couple hundred and just keep going. Its a social scene and a place to gamble for money or with your life!

SSC

Mine is bigger then yours, mine is faster then yours, I'm a total bad *S*, ect.. I do it once in a while just for fun but my mind set is mostly just for fun to the speed limit and if no one else is around.


If you have no track petetion local parks and rec along with city government speed shops. It will get the ball rolling.

Jgolden314

I agree with 25th. It seems as though mostly kids wont take the car to the track is they are scared to find out what it really runs. For example, a kid in my town had a thunderbird with a 4.6 in it. He told everyone he was running low 14's, and had no trouble picking of GT's. He finally went to the track because nobody believed him (an HD whooped him) He ran 16 flat. When we asked him why, he said because he had to change the oil.

That is my take on it. Sure my car is real slow, but oh the street, people think it is fast. People at the track think it is slow. So that should give reasoning to why they are on the street, because they want people to think their car is fast.