Help a girl out!

hey fellas! I've always been interested in street racing so I decided to do a research paper on street racing. So I was wondering if I could ask you guys a few questions. If you could answer them I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

1)Why street race illegally instead of at a legal track?

2)Why risk death?

3)Why invest so much in a hobby/sport that can kill you?

4)How do you prepare a night out for racing?

5)What got you interested in racing?

6)What are some basic rules to street racing amongst racers?

7)Do you think street racing will always be around for generations to come? or is it just a phase?

Thanks again fellas for your help. Ill be sure to post anymore questions that I might think of or answer any questions that you guys have. Have a good night.

hey fellas! I've always been interested in street racing so I decided to do a research paper on street racing. So I was wondering if I could ask you guys a few questions. If you could answer them I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

1)Why street race illegally instead of at a legal track?

2)Why risk death?

3)Why invest so much in a hobby/sport that can kill you?

4)How do you prepare a night out for racing?

5)What got you interested in racing?

6)What are some basic rules to street racing amongst racers?

7)Do you think street racing will always be around for generations to come? or is it just a phase?

Thanks again fellas for your help. Ill be sure to post anymore questions that I might think of or answer any questions that you guys have. Have a good night.


1) tracks arent always available...and even so they generally prefer catering to "professional" drivers with "sponsors". meaning you would pay to use the track and maybe only get to run once the whole night. lame.

2)for the adrenaline rush...ask the same thing to someone who likes to jump out of airplanes, or go bungee jumping

3)you dont need to invest any money to street race, you just need a car. money can be invested in performance parts and such...but it isnt necessary

4)the media has installed the idea of large race meets...thanks to a movie which shall remain name less. 90%+ of races are random, light to light. highly organized events do happen...just not often as risk of getting caught is very significant.

5)peers

6)typically its supposed to be whoever is ahead...must hit the hazards to "claim victory"/or it signals the end. although i dont really believe in that

7)well if its "just a phase" its been around for a long time...and it always will ^.^

hey fellas! I've always been interested in street racing so I decided to do a research paper on street racing. So I was wondering if I could ask you guys a few questions. If you could answer them I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

1)Why street race illegally instead of at a legal track?

2)Why risk death?

3)Why invest so much in a hobby/sport that can kill you?

4)How do you prepare a night out for racing?

5)What got you interested in racing?

6)What are some basic rules to street racing amongst racers?

7)Do you think street racing will always be around for generations to come? or is it just a phase?

Thanks again fellas for your help. Ill be sure to post anymore questions that I might think of or answer any questions that you guys have. Have a good night.

1.)some ppl think theres more excitement on the street,some ppl dont have a track around the area.
2.) u only risk death if ur an idiot.
3.)any hobbie can kill u.
4.)sometimes ill call a few friends up and meet on a long road where no one is around.
5.)i raced since i was little,running,bikes,swimming, ect. it just came natural.. then i started to love cars.
6.)usually ppl honk 3 times to start the race and hit the hazards when they shut down.
7.)street racing has been around forever,if i was around 100 yrs ago i would have been racin model t's.its normal expecally for younger ppl to race. when u get into ur late 20's u start to chill out..but i kno 16 yr olds that dont race and 60 year olds that do. so it depends.

1. Why street race illegally instead of at a legal track?

Well, here in Utah we don't have many options as far as legal tracks go. For drag racing you can go out to Rocky Mountain Raceway, which is quite a drive for me. Most nights you're lucky to get more than two runs in. That is pretty worthless to me as far as fun goes and if I really wanted to test and tune my car two runs just aren't enough to gather much data. The other option is to join the SCCA and do auto-x, which is a course laid out in a parking lot. It is a test of handling skill not only for you but also for your car. They like to use the E-Center a lot since it has a large parking lot. The problem here is that they only do it on Saturdays or Sundays and it usually isn't every weekend. Also the courses are laid out in cones, which can be confusing to newcomers. As for a "REAL" road course track there isn't one that exists here in Utah. So as you can see the legal choices are very limited.

2. Why risk death?

When I street race it is usually from light to light. I don't do any of the kind of street racing that you see in the Fast and the Furious movies. That is stupid and a quick way to kill yourself, someone else, or get in serious trouble with the law. The kind of street racing I do the most I will get is a ticket and if I do I deserve it and I won't complain. However, I am still ticket free. Sometimes I like to do some canyon driving, not racing. I'm not stupid enough to race someone down a canyon road. I like to drive up the canyon and enjoy the view then when I get to the top I like to drive back down very fast. I prefer the curves to drag racing. Anyhow, this is very dangerous and I tend to go when traffic is light. It would be nice if the SCCA had events for this around here with all the nice canyon roads we have, but they don't so once again I have to do it illegally. As for why I risk death, I am not really worried about that. However, I know the risk is there and that is what adds the excitement. Much like base-jumping, mountain climbing, or any other activity that can get you killed there is a certain level of excitement it adds.

3. Why invest so much in a hobby/sport that can kill you?

Why waste money on a stamp collection or shoes? Why, because I can and I enjoy it. It is as simple as that. It is just nice to build a car the way you want it to be and then look back and know that you built it. Then it is all that much better when you take it out and drive it and enjoy it.

4. How do you prepare a night out for racing?

All I do is head down to State Street in Orem or head down to Prove and cruise looking for someone to race. By the time I get from Alpine to Orem the cars engine is at normal running temp and that I all I need to “prepare” for a night of racing.

5. What got you interested in racing?

I have been interested in cars for as long as I can remember and racing just seems to go hand in hand with liking cars.

6. What are some basic rules to street racing amongst racers?

I wouldn't know, I just race and whoever pulls ahead wins in my book. Some of these guys think it some requirement to put on your hazard lights to signal you've won, but I see little point in that. What would be nice is a warning sign that someone wants to race. It seems I am always having to pull from behind since they just seem to floor it when the light turns green. A honk, yell, inching up, revving the engine, anything to let me know they want to race would be nice. However, I don't know of a set of street racing rules. I don't have any besides be smart and be safe about it.

7. Do you think street racing will always be around for generations to come or is it just a phase?

Street racing has been around since the 30s. I don't think it is going anywhere anytime soon. It has been around far too long to be a fad. It doesn't go away, it just changes.

1)Why street race illegally instead of at a legal track?

its just more convenient to race in the street

2)Why risk death?

you dont think of this when your racing, most of the time your just racing in a straight line, it gets dangerous when you take corners and turns too fast

3)Why invest so much in a hobby/sport that can kill you?

most people think the benefits outweigh the negatives

4)How do you prepare a night out for racing?

call up some friends and ask them if they want to go out, grab the camera, get some gas

5)What got you interested in racing?

first time I put my foot on the accelerator

6)What are some basic rules to street racing amongst racers?

go on three honks/when the light turns green, flashers are a win

7)Do you think street racing will always be around for generations to come? or is it just a phase?

It all depends on how serious police will feel about street racers in the future, but untill then, yes, my dad has his own stories, I have mine, when I have kids they will have their own

I'll tell you why I race and waste money on it if you can explain to me why my girlfriend just bought a purse for 600 dollars.

I'll tell you why I race and waste money on it if you can explain to me why my girlfriend just bought a purse for 600 dollars.

:rofl: That was a good one Cassie

Read through this thread and you'll get a general idea of why we street race. A lot of good answers were posted here. Plus this thread was made about 2 weeks ago, which pretty much is the same question you asked. But you can also get some answers from this thread you made yourself. I've already noticed others have posted very good answers to your questions listed. Also, Polygon and I are from Utah, and what he said pretty much sums up everything I wanted to say.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=373412

EDIT: You'll have to excuse some of the other regular members as well. This thread got way off topic, but just read through the first page, and possibly some of the second to get an answer. L8...

isnt there a new one of these about every month or so????? search back, they always have similar titles too

1) Why street race illegally instead of at a legal track?

I actually prefer to race at the track, I am lucky to have one within 20 miles of where I live. Sometimes though I do succumb to the "redlight to redlight" every once in a while, though it is definitely illegal, it's like they say, "It ain't illegal unless you get caught", guess I been lucky in that aspect.


2) Why risk death?

Just pulling out of your driveway is risking death and not necessarily by racing, one of the many noobs out there on public roads that think they know how to drive can take you out in an instant, speed isn't even required. Racing at the track is risking death, blow a tire on the big end, snap an axle, pick up some fluids from a previous run, or even the other guy going out of control and crossing the line can end up disasterous in a big hurry. At the track they keep the public pretty far away from the track by using walls on the tracks edge and fencing further away from the action so if something does go awry it usually only involves one or both competitors, that is impossible to do in the street most of the time, all it takes is somebody crossing the street or somebody pulling out of a side street and things go bad fast, so in a sense your not just risking your own death but possibly somebody who isn't even involved in the action, and call me a hypocrit if you like because I allready admit that I do it at times, but ANYBODY that has to go triple digit speeds on a public road to win a race is just plain ignorant, if you got to go that fast then take it to the track, there is too many nuts who can't drive for diddly squat out there on the roads that really don't belong and every year there is more of them.


3) Why invest so much in a hobby/sport that can kill you?

I don't look at it as an investment, you want to go fast, you got to pay for the speed, most likely you will not get back the money you spent in a car if you sell it, you actually have a better chance getting rich in the stock market than with a fast car. When I drag raced for 5 years, sure my brother and I spent lots of money on the car but not necessarily to just go fast, but to make it safer to go along with going fast. To go to a drag strip thinking that you are going to make money all the time is actually just throwing your money away, in that 5 years I never made enough money to cover what was put into the car and I won my fair share of races, but we all are not John Force or Dale Jr who make some big money for winning and if it wasn't for sponsorship I guarantee they couldn't do it in their own. I did it for 5 years with no monetary sponsorship, I did it to have fun at the track with my family on a Sunday afternoon, I suceeded on that aspect in spades but I damn sure didn't get rich from it. On the street I would NEVER race for money or a pink slip so I guess I won't get rich there either.


4) How do you prepare a night out for racing?

Other than the regular fluid checks and vehicle lookover (Which you should do frequently anyhow, not just for racing) there is no preparation, you go cruising get some food, gas up the car, and if you find a sucker you think you can take then it's on, if not then well maybe some other time. You don't know if your gonna go and run somebody everytime you leave the house unless you know there is something going down on a deserted road someplace that you heard about, on the other hand, if your heading to the drag strip then it's a certainty that your going to race, ain't no fun being a car guy and watching at a track, I want to be out there!

5) What got you interested in racing?

My Uncle taking me to the Circle Track every Saturday night in the summertime, ABC's Wide World Of Sports had loads of racing back in the day, Indy 500, Daytona, NHRA, you name it they had it, heck even looking at Car Mags in school and drooling all over those Muscle Car pics in them as well as "Hot Wheels" Track setups (Wish I still had those!) in the basement, Slot Car Tracks, Burnout contests at the local public dock, etc.

6) What are some basic rules to street racing amongst racers?

Back in the day, people used to wire their reverse light up to a switch, if you wanted to play you flipped the switch, somebody else who sees the lights and feels froggy will pull up beside you at a light rev the engine once or twice and look over nodding their head, then it's on. As far as the basic rule in my eyes? I prefer redlight to redlight from a dead stop, go on green and the first one to the next redlight wins. Simple as that.

7) Do you think street racing will always be around for generations to come? or is it just a phase?

Just like answered above on an earlier post, it's been happening long before I ever became a life form on this Earth, racing on the street has never ever been a phase, fad, passing fancy, or whatever you want to call it, it is here, it has been here, and it always will be here.

1)Why street race illegally instead of at a legal track?

i plan on goin to the track more often because our cars are starting to become too fast to race safely in the neighborhood. they built a stupid 24 hour stop and stop at our little strip so now we can't' even dare hitting 100mph down the straight no more. every other street has too many cops.

2)Why risk death?

for the races that i do, i mostly do top end highway runs. i wouldn't race when theres too much traffic because then thats begging for a ticket or gettin you and someone else killed. i race when the road is pretty clear and its just me and the other guy on the road so its the safest way possible on the highway.

3)Why invest so much in a hobby/sport that can kill you?

stupidity and bad luck kills you. not racing. also when you race your more comfortable with what your car can do, so generally speaking your a better driver then the average driver which in turn helps you avoid accidents if some stupid idiot cuts you off cause your in his blind spot or avoid stuff in the middle of hte road and your natural reaction will be much greater. also when we upgrade our cars, we also upgrade brakes and suspension. just yesturday some stupid old korean guy cut me off and short stopped!!! i barely missed his car. my car was only 1 feet behind his bumper. luckily i had upgraded my brakes or else i would've rear ended him. also our cars are much much more agile so we can avoid stuff and take corners at much much higher speeds and the car will still have composure. also whatever money we spend on our cars, it shows, its our pride and work.

4)How do you prepare a night out for racing?

we don't. most of the racing i do is a spur of hte moment thing on the highway.

5)What got you interested in racing?

i was always into since i was 3. so before i was racing real cars, i was racing hobby class R/C cars.

6)What are some basic rules to street racing amongst racers?

hazard when you win, or to say F U. high beams usually instigate races.

7)Do you think street racing will always be around for generations to come? or is it just a phase?

i can't believe you think this is a fad. motorsport has been around since your grand parents are kids. back then they use to race hot rods with the flat head V8's. this was waaaay back in the 30's. as long as theres a long empty road, and two big egos, theres going to be some racing action going on. please don't mistaken our culture for the Fast and the Furious crap.

WOW! thanks for all the replies fellas, hahaha and CassiesMan you got one hell of a point but hey im not trying to accuse you or anyone else of anything im just trying to find answers to typical questions that im sure newbies like me ask you know? nothing personal...but thanks for everyones help though i appreciate it alot. have a good night.

I'm calling BS on this one...there was an almost identical question posed a month ago by a newbie...not everyone that comes in here randomly can be psychology majors.

I'm calling BS on this one...there was an almost identical question posed a month ago by a newbie...not everyone that comes in here randomly can be psychology majors.


not everyone that comes in here is a psychology major...like u said a month ago was the last one...school is in session, people need to do research, this is a car site...makes sense to me idk.

BS? why would i need to BS for? and no my major is not psychology its Network Computer Technology and security. Im doing this for my College Composition class and we got to choose our research topic. If anyone else really thinks this is BS and that none of this is legit than why post? no offense im just trying to get some homework done. I'm not tryin to start anything with anybody. everyone have a good night. Thanks again for all the posts from people who were helpful.

There are over a quarter million members on this site.

There are propabbly 10 times that many that visit here or have visited.

2 people asking the same question in 2 months is not all that amazing considering that information.

Eh, oh well...then my answer is...there isn't as much to street racing as you think, psychologically speaking.

I'm almost done with my paper and I just needed one more quick question answered....

How much do you invest in your car?

Thanks again for everyones help. Have a good night.

Depending on the model car you have, the brand you go with, and how much you are willing to spend are also key factors you need to think about. At this point, currently on my Civic I have spent $1500 on my engine bay, and about $200 on my exterior looks. But I can only continue to invest into my car because it is a great hobby that keeps me interested all the time. I literally think about what I want to do to my car 24/7. The possibilities are endless, and making my car faster is always a goal that can't be reached easily. Thus it's a challenge that I enjoy taking on. But I will continue to invest into my car/s for as long as I own them regardless of their style, performance, and manufacturer. I can't exactly say how much I will ever spend on my car, but just know that it will always continue to be a part of my life. L8...

I'm almost done with my paper and I just needed one more quick question answered....

How much do you invest in your car?

Thanks again for everyones help. Have a good night.

Let's just say, a lot.

I buy things for it when I can find them. I am not only modifying the car, I am also restoring it. Right now I am in the process of changing it from a taupe (ugly ass brown) cloth interior to a gray/black leather interior. Finding interior trim for my car is a slow process so I buy it when I can find something I can use. So far I've spent about $500 on interior trim. The car itself only cost me $600 but it is in fantastic condition for that price. As far as actual modifications go I simply budget for the larger ones and simply save up some money or put it on a no interest credit card. Just recently I put bigger wheels and tires on the car which cost me $1,200 total. Next I am doing the suspension which I have budgeted about $1,000 for. After that I am doing the break system which I figure will be around $600-$800 depending. The smaller stuff like exhaust tips, my bypass valve, and the Grainger valve I bought and things like gauges, the small stuff, I just buy when I see a deal come along.

How much I spend in the end means nothing to me as the car itself is priceless in my mind and I will NEVER sell it. After I finish this car I will start on the next one which will be the Stealth TT R/T that I plan to buy in the next couple of years.

I don't see this as an investment but I do enjoy spending money on the car. Just last week I bought a new battery, spark plugs, and ignition wires for the GTC. I can't wait to put those in, fill her up with some 91+ octane, dump in some fuel cleaner, and then have some fun. Even a small thing like that bring me enjoyment when working with my cars.

I don't know about the rest of you, but working on, talking about, reading about, and pretty much anything to do with cars keeps me sane.

.I don't know about the rest of you, but working on, talking about, reading about, and pretty much anything to do with cars keeps me sane.

Exactly how I feel. I swear if I don't do anything to my car for atleast a month, I find something that has to be done, whether it be changing my plugs, oil, changing out parts just for the hell of it, or just replacing parts from time to time with newer aftermarket parts. L8...

Its a great motivaitor, helps me get other things done just so I can get back to it lol.

I personally? I got the car brand new, Invested 6 grand in it, my dad footed the rest, the car new costed about 25 large...I have since then invested between 1-1.5 grand in mods and stuff...not that much considering how expensive the car is...If I was modding a $5,000 civic, that would be the equivalent of about 2-3 HUNDRED dollars...that's what happens when you are a poor college student.

Every penny i get practicly goes into my car, bought it for 5 g's, spent about 2 g's fixin, spent about 2 g's on mods, and about 2 g's on system(audio/video), and i have almost 2500 thats bout to go into my engine. man if i didnt have a car addiction id be RICH!.

Every penny i get practicly goes into my car, bought it for 5 g's, spent about 2 g's fixin, spent about 2 g's on mods, and about 2 g's on system(audio/video), and i have almost 2500 thats bout to go into my engine. man if i didnt have a car addiction id be RICH!.
You know, that name of yours is really bugging me! you sound like a nice guy and your posts prove your not a jerk but that whole "anti-import" thing is gunna rub alot of people the wrong way.

That doesn't mean cars Musashi. He likes Swedish Chocolate imported directly from the Sweeds :biggrin:. L8...

lol, yea i'm an idiot for makin the name i made it a while ago, when i only went to the mustang forum, i do like imports i just hate(with a passion), ricers, the hondas with the huge exhaust, but no engine work, or the fully kitted out huge spoiler, decals, and no engine work, but honestly if i were to buy another car it would probably be a rear wheel drive import.

Hey now, it's not just the hondas :). If you've ever gone to a Pep Boys, Checkers, Autozone you'll actually see that the only Ricer Parts available are to the 92-95 Civics(mostly that is). It's no wonder so many Civs in the generation look so riced out :rolleyes:. Well, looks like APC knew what poor suckers to go after. Ah well...you win some, you lose some. L8...

yeah I noticed you where cool with everyone here and I just kept thinking "one of these days he's gonna turn on us and diss out some poor guy with an import....and I'm gonna loose it and the court is gonna have to issue me anger management...again!"

so you like swiss chocolate too? cool I like chocolote covered swiss bikini models! we should go bowling sometime.

leave it to Civracer to pass the peace pipe.

booyaah

:lol2: :iceslolan wow! i didn't expect to get this many replies so soon...I was thinking all these replies were going to be some April Fool's joke. But thanks for everyones help i really appreciate it. Have a nice day.

I would change my name, but then my posts would go down to ZERO, and all my hard work would be for nothing.

Actually, you can pm iggy to make the change for you. Atleast that was what I remember you have to do to get your named changed without creating a new user name. Or, ask a mod on how you can do it. But I'm 90% sure that is how it's done. L8...

1)Why street race illegally instead of at a legal track?

2)Why risk death?

3)Why invest so much in a hobby/sport that can kill you?

4)How do you prepare a night out for racing?

5)What got you interested in racing?

6)What are some basic rules to street racing amongst racers?

7)Do you think street racing will always be around for generations to come? or is it just a phase?

1. Some people don't live around tracks. Look at what happened to the people at Carlsbad. The city closed down the track for a ridiculous reason, leaving racers to do illegal measures. If you owned a Corvette Z06, would you never race it?????
2. Hmm, why risk death. Well let's see, are you sexually active, if so then you are RISKING death. You can catch an STD. I'm sure you like to do it because it's fun.
3. Why spend soo much money on a hobby that can kill me? Hmmm let's see, some mods are safety mods, such as brakes, roll cage, etc... Also people regularly take up sky diving, bungie jumping, etc.. for the thrill of it.
4. Usually I set up a race on an abandoned road, late at night with a buddy.
5. Going to the illegal races when I was 20 brought me into the street scene.
6. Basic rules are: stay in your lane, don't be drunk, and be as quick about the run as you possibly can. Alert friends of cop cars coming as well.
7. Street racing has been around since the 60's in Detroit. Alot of automobile designers use to run what they had on the street to gauge a car's peformance. It will be around for a long time.

yo civic girl you better come back and post some races, do some "hands-on" research "in the field", nomsayin?

damn you bastids post too quick

well street racing been around since cars were around, as for today, tracks arn't always around, and there not open late or when ever. and yes it can kill you, but only if you dont know what the hell your doing. and i dont really street race, but i do run it sometime on freeway so it a bit diffrent then what your talking about, as for the street there never a "safe" street to run you cars, in Los Angeles where i live.