The real fast and the furious!

[bluevette74]

i wrote this for my highschool newspaper, tell me what you guys think of it!

The Real Fast and The Furious

Streetracing originated back in the 50’s. Young kids would spend days and nights trying to pull out all the horsepower (hp) that their big blocks would provide. Then on Friday nights they would polish up their T-birds and Corvettes to their maximum shine, just to impress the girls and mostly the other drivers. They would meet at a local diner, pop their hoods and let everyone look at what they had. After midnight and all the car displaying was done they would head out to the local drag strip. Races were already established back at the diner so bets and trash talking would be done on the way to the drag strip. The two challengers would come to the line revving their big blocks as hard as possible. Usually a female would stand between the two cars raise her hands for the start, and as soon as she dropped her hands the ten seconds (which to drivers feels like ten minutes) of fun finally begins. The T-bird takes off with a good amount of low-end torque, but the corvette is still hugging its bumper. Then as they pass the half way point an 1/8 of a mile the Corvette and T-bird are neck and neck. With the Corvettes lightweight fiberglass body and, high end-torque engine transmission combination it easily passes the T-bird for the win, the cash and the respect. The 50’s is the backbone for today’s street racing. But the days of four thousand pound 300 hp cars had to end sometime.
With the turn of the century a new breed of streetracing has emerged from the Bronx of New York, all the way to Los Angeles California. Although the same age groups and the same attitude is still there, this streetracing is far from the 50’s. Today’s kids are no longer boring out 350’s and 454’s for more hp. Instead they are adding turbo chargers, air induction systems, top of the line ignition systems and not to forget NOS, or Nitrous Oxide. Instead of heavy four thousand pound cars, they are using two to three thousand pound cars, making it much easier to launch off the line. The most dramatic change in streetracing is the reducing numbers of domestic vehicles. Although Dodge Vipers, and Chevy Corvettes are still at the top of their game, they are out of the streetracing kids price range, leaving them with Civics, Eclipses, CRX’s and other imports. These cars are by no means grandma mobiles. With good investments and a lot of hard work you can tweak a Civic with modifications to smoke a Viper or Vette. But with more and more 2,500-pound imports that can be easily made into a street racer for under $10,000, kids will tend to buy imports rather than domestics. Just like the 50’s, kids will meet Saturday nights at a local parking lot, to show what they have and of course to talk trash. As the week ends and Austin goes to sleep after a hard Saturday, the new breed of street racer comes to life. As you stand next to car in the meeting parking lot you can hear over your shoulder the high revving, highly tweaked, highly pitched import cruising down congress. Mean while in front of you, you can hear the low rumble, high out put Camaro that with much pride drives by you showing off his SS, or super sport, emblem on the side of his car. And just when you thought you saw the fastest car of the night you hear the sweet turbo blow off coming out of a Toyota Supra’s carbon fiber hood. As soon as you catch your breath everyone starts to meet in the same lot as you and with you they begin to talk and pop their hoods.
As I was taking in all this pandemonium I took the time to interview one of these street racers. Not only is he a street racer but, he also attends Elgin High School. Joseph Vasquez is 17 years old and races a 96 Honda Civic, he has done a few modifications on it, but the one that he is most proud of is his turbo. “A turbo is a turbine that rotates off the exhaust coming from the engine. When the turbine turns it forces more air into the combustion chamber or cylinder which creates more explosion which then creates more hp.” Joseph says, “ I street race because, I like to get away from everyday life, I also like the intense rush, and stepping up to the next level of speed. I really like it when a guy in an expensive car pulls up next to me and gives me the ‘my car can blow your car away look,’ and when the light turns green I can see his face go from confidence to insecurity, and that’s what makes it all worth it. If anyone is interested in Streetracing I have three tips for you. First, you have to have money. Second, you have to have connections. Third, most of all you have to know your car, and what parts will create more hp.
Joseph Vasquez, Jimmy Saliangnak, and Jonathan Beltron introduced me to street racing around August of 2001, so to them I’m a baby to Streetracing. Since August, I have been going to south Austin pretty much every Saturday night, and from my experiences I have found people with all sorts of personalities that come to street race for the same reasons as Joseph. For the adrenaline rush and most of all for the love of the cars.
When I asked my boss about Streetracing and how it’s changed over the years, I was rather surprised by his answers. His name is Danny Bennett, he is 37 years old and is the district manager of Texaco Xpress Lube. Danny was involved in Streetracing back in the 70’s, he owned a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda which was equipped with a 426 cubic inch Hemi, which has the potential to produce more than 500hp. I asked him what he thought about today’s Streetracing and he replied, “I think it’s great for the kids. Streetracing allows kids to harness their time by building engines and creating goals for themselves. I am also glad that Streetracing is back in style, it was missing there for about 25 years. I’m glad to see kids using their time for the improvement of automobiles. I think Streetracing has changed dramatically since I was hot rodding, Streetracing is a lot more high-tech with a lot more electric parts, kids are also a lot smarter than we were back in the 70’s, which allows kids to create faster and more efficient cars. Another thing that has changed is the law, people are really uptight about Streetracing these days. When we used to race cops would designate a couple of secluded blocks of a neighborhood for Streetracing, not only did it give us a place to race it also eliminated dangerous racing. I think if the public would provide tracks or roads for Streetracing, it would reduce wrecks and injury’s.”
The thrill for most Austin Streetracing is being able to cruse around downtown and show off your car, and at the same time “drop a gear” and beat a competitor. The most misunderstood aspect of Streetracing is, that these racers are young thugs running around in fast cars with no objective in life. Which most people find it not to be true when they spend a Saturday night in Austin.
Justin Tumblenson, a first time Streetracing spectator says, “Streetracing is not a bunch of punk kids running around in suped up civics, it is very organized. Street races are not held in heavy traffic with innocent bystanders who can be easily hurt. Instead they are held in remote areas at 2-3:00 in the morning.”
Ever since the model T, man has had a love for cars. But to some people cars and especially Streetracing is a way of life. Streetracing is no different from any other hobby, it just takes a lot of time, money and of course you have to have a love for cars.

[LjasonL]

i like it. i like they way it shows how us racers arent a bunch of race-gangs involved in all sorts of illegal activities to pay for our cars (((fast and furious im looking in your direction, thanks for giving us all a bad rep. i appreciate that ))) but in reality fixing up our cars and racing actually helps keep us out of illegal activity, which is what u showed in this article.

[TatII]

very interesting read. could've made it more idiot proof. i doubt that the general public would understand what a turbine is. or anything. but atelast you tried.

[NismoDrifts]

Excellent man, seriously. Seriously the general public needs a LOT more education on what goes on out there. Not sensationalized lies and stories about how a bunch of punk crashed their saturn. I think half the crashes werent even race involved, just assumptions coz the guy wrecked in a car that "fit the profile." Well, back on track, awesome job

What did the teacher or whoever heard it at school think about it?

[AlexB]

We got a 64 T-bird 390 at the shop... would that be any good for racing? I thought they were pretty heavy. I don't see how would compete with a Corvette -- or would it?

[bluevette74]

I appreciate the complements.

tatll- i think most people would know what a turbine is, but i see what your saying.

Nismodrifts- My teacher really liked it, he thought what most people thought,"just a bunch of punk kids in civics" Ive kinda persuaded him in the other direction, but he's hard headed!

alexb-Well anything can compete with a corvette, if its got the hp/torque, i was just trying to use 50's cars for examples. i couldnt think of any other sports cars.

[BUFF_dragon]

hey man, I really liked the article, and I agree COMPLETELY, my cousin and I both do actually. eventhough I drive a fullsize truck, and he drives a Prizm, we both enjoy goin to town revvin the engine and runnin the roads. the only times that I will race someone is on an empty road, unless they serously piss me off.

Thanx for the great representation

[RiceRocket]

Good post!