Help a girl out!

[CivicGyrl_00]

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.

[silentscreams85]

Originally Posted by CivicGyrl_00

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 ^.^

[qr25sentra]

Originally Posted by CivicGyrl_00

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.

[Polygon]

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.

[zWhid]

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

[CassiesMan]

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.

[CivRacer95]

Originally Posted by CassiesMan

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.

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/vbul...d.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...

[DontBanMe]

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

[AWP9521]

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.

[TatII]

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.

[CivicGyrl_00]

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.

[street_racer_00]

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.

[Twizted_3KGT]

Originally Posted by street_racer_00

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.

[CivicGyrl_00]

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.

[GritMaster]

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.