What happened to 'street racing?'

[AndrewR85]

I'm sittin' watching "Dazed and Confused" on Comedy Central and they're showing some kids cruising around (this was set in the '70s) in their rides on a Friday night. I remember stories my dad and uncle would tell me about hanging out on Friday and Saturday nights and watching stoplight-to-stoplight drag racing. Listening to these stories, I wonder why the "scene" of "street racing" has changed so drastically over the years. Back in those days, there wasn't the intense violence, there wasn't gambling (maybe some), there weren't insane numbers of fatalities (that I know of). I suppose our grandparents didn't look too kindly on these activities, but I have a feeling they were just like "Well, kids will be kids." But it's not that way anymore, the "scene" is much more dangerous and outlawed. Note, i'm not condoning street racing, i'm simply pointing out my observations and inquiring what you all feel about this.

[93rollaracer]

three words:fast and furious...nuff said

[FDTT]

The times have not changed as much.

The street racin was the same then as it was now. The cars were different.

My father would tell me stories about him and his buddy taking his buddies road runner and poping wheelies and doing dooks of hazard crap.
There was betting on races then. There was violence.


The reason why it is so much more prominent in society today is because all these kids getting powerfull cars and trying to impress someone. The parents of today are alot more slack about things.
They dont beleave in anythiong more sevear than a grounding. Where as in the 60's and 70's youd be lucky to not get beat by your father for saying "shit".

Kids live in a dream world. Untill they get a full time job and there out on there own. Then reality hits.

[Jm93]

i somewhat agree with your logic here FDTT, however i have some to add.


Kids these days have thier parents buy them civic's and integra's and shit like that, have parents pay for plates and so on and so on. they get away with so much these days. and take that logic to the street. where they think they can get away with spining tires at every light, and cutting people off, becuase they needed to go 50 km/h faster than then everyone else.

Not all kids are like this, but it is something i see more and more.

I myself am young at 17, but i paid for my car, pay for my plates and gas. and i dont race the hell out of it, or do stupid shit all the time, simply because i would probabely kick my own ass if i caused a bad accident or some thing like that for a dumb reason.

Plus, that costs $ in a T/A

[duffman667]

i would have loved to live in the 70's and stuff to watch those street racers. street racers back then were smarter it seems and werent fucking with deadly shit like NOS. plus back then u could buy a car with like a hemi or a 440 6-pack and get a stock 425+hp now people buy civics with like 160hp and "trick them out" and spend thousands of dollars just to get up to 425 hp. plus cars with blowers look so cool and you cant make a cheap civic wheelie.

[-The Stig-]

Originally Posted by duffman667

i would have loved to live in the 70's and stuff to watch those street racers. street racers back then were smarter it seems and werent fucking with deadly shit like NOS. plus back then u could buy a car with like a hemi or a 440 6-pack and get a stock 425+hp now people buy civics with like 160hp and "trick them out" and spend thousands of dollars just to get up to 425 hp. plus cars with blowers look so cool and you cant make a cheap civic wheelie.

Whoa, Hey there Dr Spock.

Back your thought train up there buddy. With thoughts like that I'm suprised you're alive to talk about it.

Deadly shit like NOS? Interesting, I don't think I've ever heard of a fatality directly caused by the use of nitrous.

Yeah, You could buy a Mopar with a Hemi or a 440 6-pack. Or any of the Hi-Po Muscle cars of the days. But, those cars were usually two to three times the cost of the base model of that particular car. There is a reason why there aren't many around today. People couldn't afford them, plus insurance agencies were cracking down on people who bought the best of the best. No matter how much they (the manufacturers) underrated the vehicles.

People buy Civic's and other such similar cars because they're the some of cheapest cars you can buy used. Just like in the old days, where used Muscle cars where cheap... It's the same cycle just in a different era.

And so what if they're spending a million dollars to build a 400+hp motor in a civic. It's their right to do so. And yeah, I agree old muscle cars with blowers sticking through the hood is a sweet sight.

And on a final thought, doing wheel stands can actually hurt performance. A little bit of raise of the wheels isn't going to hurt, but if the car goes too high it'll lose forward momentum and thus it's E.T. will suffer.


Oh yes, one last thing. Time's have changed, the new hotrods of today are the import cars. The age of the "American Muscle Car" as I like to think of it has past. Doesn't mean I won't enjoy my Nova, it'll still kick the snot out of most things that come across it. But I admit that technology has me beat.

Nostalgia keeps it going for most people like you and I.

My point is, Grow up Junior. Learn to respect what other people choose to do. It'll get you farther in life than you'll ever expect.



RedNeck383's book "Life Lessons That'll Get You Poon" maybe purchased thru PayPal with Visa or Mastercard

[street_racer_00]

how would you know your nova would kick the snot out of most cars out there....it doesn't even run .

you know I'm messin with ya....BTW, how much is your book? I'm interested. :P

[GTR2b]

So many young people out there just love blaming 2F2F for the cops cracking down on Street Racing.

I got news for you kids... it started WAY before that movie came out.

When I was in high school I used to street race on different nights of the week in the industrial areas south of Seattle. Back then it was Mustangs, Camaros, and Vette's running the show but the general setting was still the same. Cops were busting us up quite regularly and this was before ANYONE had ever even heard of a fatality from it or a wreck.

In '93 the city of Seattle inacted an Anti-Street racing Task Force dedicated to eliminating the street racing "problem" that the city faced. Along with it came higher fines, stiffer penalties, and the budget to hire more officers.

One year before the movie came out, there was another law in WA state that made it illegal for spectators to be there, and any person starting a race (flagger) could be charged with Reckless Endangerment.

Here it is 14 years later and I think most of you know risky it is to race in urban areas. WA and CA have some of the harshest penalties in the country for street racing.

Ultimately, I think the reason for the crackdown over recent years that didn't exist back then is primarily due to the accessability of high powered vehicles to people without brains. IMO, people driving like jackassess and being stupid got street racing curbed, not any movie. Anyone out there old enough to remember American Graffiti?

[youngvr4]

i think i agree with him^^ see i was at t he street races way before f&f came out. when it did i say about 50 extra cars a weekend showed up. wich would make it about 250 cars, its since then went down but this stuff has been going on way before, you got to remeber regardless how gay the movie is, its based on us and what we do at the races, the movie copied us! atleast thats how its is up here not too much has changed just a few more ricers.

[-Josh-]

My dad was telling me one night, that in the 60's and 70's everyone had a hotrod, and if you didn't, you drove it like it was. I dont see how that has changed much from today. Just more people hate more people for the cars they drive. So terms like ricer were thought up. After hearing him say that, i dont make fun of a stock civic with bodykit anymore; racing down the freeway, unless he's acting like a total dick. Not sure the point i was getting at but i just wont hate on someone's car unless i know they are a douche bag.

[TerminalVelocity]

I just hate everyone in general, right Red...you sombitch....

Originally Posted by RedNeck383

Whoa, Hey there Dr Spock, Grow up. Learn to respect what other people choose to do. It'll get you farther in life than you'll ever expect.

What street racing is now, is simply a choice to break a law, or multiple laws. Some people, especally younger ones feel like gods from this. I had a friend recenly loose his car and his licence and also, is in jail right now. He was out racing with me, well the cops came and busted us, he ran and made it away I didnt *nothing happened to me but a $15 ticket*

He said it was the most thrilling thing he ever did.

He was on his bike the next week and was going roughly 70 in a 45 zone. Nothing too bad, just a speeding ticket. A Sherriff light up his suburbon and tried pulling him over...he ran. He made it only to get caught by another cop a few blocks away.

Point being, the whole culture IS breaking the law. Wether it be gambling, fighting, driving 50 over the limit at all times and cutting off old people giving them the bird as you sip your big gulp in your lowered chevy wagon saying "HANDLING!" as you make your friends head slam into the window....

so, street racing exists, just the same as always, but people know it diferently if they weren't part of it then AND now.

Taken from Terminal Velocity's ramblings, found scratched into a wall near you!

[LjasonL]

Originally Posted by duffman667

plus back then u could buy a car with like a hemi or a 440 6-pack and get a stock 425+hp now people buy civics with like 160hp and "trick them out" and spend thousands of dollars just to get up to 425 hp.

People always say this, but they don't realize that doesn't necessarily make the cars any faster. Todays cars are so much more advanced and efficient they can do more with less power. Technology is a good thing. For example, the 2nd gen Camaro came with something like 400hp and even more torque, yet it was still a 15 second car. Nowadays a 200hp/160tq RSX-S can break 14's with a good enough driver. A 300hp/300tq STi can get 12's.

[cheapkike]

HEY FDTT apparantly the parents have slacked in the teaching of spelling also.
if you typed 25 words 18 of them are spelled wrong.
the only reason you race is because you can't spell and im assuming you can't add. hell im surprised you can write at all or even read.
you can read right? your mom isn't reading this to you is she?

[LjasonL]

Originally Posted by cheapkike

HEY FDTT apparantly the parents have slacked in the teaching of spelling also.
if you typed 25 words 18 of them are spelled wrong.
the only reason you race is because you can't spell and im assuming you can't add. hell im surprised you can write at all or even read.
you can read right? your mom isn't reading this to you is she?

"apparantly the parents have slacked in the teaching of"... nevermind, I can't work with a nightmare of a sentence like that.

[TerminalVelocity]

Originally Posted by ldelaysionl

"apparantly the parents have slacked in the teaching of"... nevermind, I can't work with a nightmare of a sentence like that.