Deadly Game

Street racing. As far as the import tuning world is concerned, there is no other topic as controversial.

Bottom line: people can die. However, while Super Street will never in any way, shape, or form, condone illegal street racing, we cannot ignore the fact that it exists and is—like it or not—a part of the very tuning scene which we’ve dedicated ourselves to covering.

Racetracks, such as Terminal Island (aka Brotherhood Raceway) was a privately owned dragstrip located in Long Beach, California. In the early ’90s, it was the only track that allowed the public to race their cars. However, it was closed down in 1997 due to insurance liabilities. Pomona Raceway held its street-legal drags every month. Although it was successful in keeping racing off the streets, the drags also ended in late 2000.

We got lucky and found a female street racer from the Los Angeles area willing to give us her perspective on the matter. With this interview, we hope to shed some light on the topic of street racing and to hopefully portray the topic differently from how it’s usually represented and sensationalized by most news media.

SS: How long have you been street racing?
SR: About three years. I don’t go as often as I used to.

SS: How did you get started?
SR: Checking out guys. It was all about checking out the guys.

SS: Mmm-hm. That’s it?
SR: Well, a guy hit me up to race, and I enjoyed the rush. The original reason was to check out guys though.

SS: What kind of car do you drive?
SR: A 1995 Honda Civic coupe.

SS: What have you done to it?
SR: That’s a girl’s secret, I can’t give it out.

SS: Aww, come on. I’m going to get fired, just give me a little mod list.
SR: OK, but don’t tell anyone. I have a Japanese B18C motor, intake, and exhaust only.

SS: How many tickets have you gotten?
SR: Nine. Ouch!

SS: All fix-it tickets or all moving violations or a healthy mix of both?
SR: I would say a healthy mix of both. One fix-it ticket, six moving violations, and two stupid tickets.

SS: Do you ever go to legalized events or are you just a hardcore street racer?
SR: I go to legal events. They’re just not as fun as the street races. It’s all about the adrenaline rush.

SS: Do you think that the $65 entry fee is overpriced?
SR: Sometimes. But if you want to race, you pay for it.

SS: Do you often get underestimated at the races because you’re a girl?
SR: Yes, definitely! I get so tired of hearing, “Oh, you’re a girl.” I am a girl, at least the last time I checked I was. [Guys] never want to race you, it’s like they’re scared to lose to a girl.

SS: Have you seen the movie The Fast and the Furious?
SR: Not yet. I’m waiting for the hype to slow down. It looks good, though. A little too far fetched, but good.

SS: Do you think that the movie will cause a negative increase in street racing?
SR: Not negative, but it will cause more people to go.

SS: What goes through your mind when you hear that someone died from a street racing collision?
SR: It upsets me because it reminds me of all the stupid people out there who can’t drive. I count my blessings that it isn’t me being unwrapped from a tree.

SS: What about when innocent bystanders get injured?
SR: It upsets me. Unfortunately, when you’re racing you can’t think about that. You’re focused on one thing—you just want to beat the other car’s ass.

SS: Do you feel that you’re somehow contributing to such awful occurrences?
SR: Yes and no. I’m there and that contributes to the bad stuff too. No, because I don’t drive like an idiot and I would like to think I’m thinking a little bit smarter than the [reckless drivers].

SS: Do you think that there has been an increase in street racing activity since the closing of Terminal Island a few years back and the recent closing of the Pomona street-legal events?
SR: Yes, but there has always been street racing going on. I can’t say much about Terminal Island because I wasn’t around when they were still open, but the closing of Pomona Street Legals has increased street racing by a lot.

SS: Since there are a lot of really fast street cars, do street racers actually use proper safety equipment?
SR: Honestly, no. I’ve seen cars pass tech inspection with improper equipment, so I know that they’re not using the right safety stuff on the street.

SS: If there were more legalized race sanctions, do you think that would decrease the amount of street racing that’s going on out there?
SR: Yes, if they had them on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights because those are when street races are hopping.

SS: Kind of like Grudge Night at Palmdale only closer?
SR: Yeah, or they could block streets off for street racing. That’s kind of far fetched though.

We want to remind you that Super Street in no way condones street racing and we urge any participants of these activities to engage in lawful and sanctioned racing. Of course, we all enjoy the thrill of driving fast, but we need to remember that there are other drivers on the road besides us. Competition should be kept on the tracks. Illegal street racing is exactly why cops are cracking down and harassing everyone with lowered cars and modified exhausts. Putting other people in danger is not cool.

However, it is true that there are fewer legalized sanctions that are affordable. We suggest that maybe this is what is causing the increase in street racing.

In Southern California, racers used to look forward to paying $10 to run all day at the street-legal races at Pomona Raceway. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, the Street Legal project was killed, leaving racers to turn back to the streets. Street racing is a problem that is prevalent nationwide. If two tracks have been closed in Los Angeles, how many tracks have been closed across the country? It’s easy for everyone to say that there is a huge problem, but who is going to provide a solution? We urge you to contact your local racetrack and demand that they host an alternative event to discourage street racing. Big events such as NIRA do their part by giving people a chance to race their cars and win prizes, but sometimes people just want to time their cars without paying a $65 entry fee.

By Ricky Chu

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