Street racing

For sanctioned racing taking place on temporary circuits erected on city streets, see road racing.

Street racing is a form of unsanctioned and illegal auto racing which takes place on public roads. Street racing can either be spontaneous or well-planned and coordinated. Spontaneous races usually occur at intersections where two cars stop at a red light before they begin racing. Well coordinated races, in comparison, are chosen before the race night and often have a people communicating via 2-way radio/citizens' band radio and using police scanners and GPS units to mark locations of local police hot spots. (See participants, below). Street racing is reported to have originated prior to the 1930s due to prohibition in some parts of the United States. At the time smugglers of unrefined and illegal alcohol would try to find ways to make more power and better handling from their engine and suspension. Which also created the basis for stock car racing, it also became common after the war, as a result, it became credited with the origins of drag racing as well.^[1]^[2] Opponents to street racing cite a lack of safety relative to sanctioned racing events, as well as legal repercussions arising from incidents, among street racing's drawbacks. Most duels are drag races.

Types of racing encountered on the street

Free Racing

A more common form of racing, in which two or more can cars compete until one party is the clear winner. This differs from the drag race above, in which a set distance on a straight road is reached. Drivers typically line up while moving under the posted speed limit. Once all the cars are ready one car will sound a horn 3 times, the third time is the final signal to start the run. A car will win the race by simply outrunning the other vehicles by a considerable margin. If the race is tight it will usually be a mutual agreement who the winner is or having another race to prove their side. Another way they signal a race is by flashing their high-beams. This is typically run by high horsepower cars. Drivers are forced to race in a competition of Power-to-Weight ratios rather than an actual competition of skill.

Touge

The export of drifting and touge racing from (primarily) Japan has led to its acceptance in other parts of the world. Touge (pronounced "toe-gay") generally refers to racing, one car at a time or in a chase Inital-D format, through mountain passes (the definition of which varies per locale and racing organization). Examples of such roads include Del Dios Highway^[3] in Escondido, California and Mount Haruna, on the island of Honshū, in Japan. However, street racing competition can lead to more people racing on a given road than would ordinarily be permitted (hence leading to the reputation of danger inherent). Touge races are typically run in a best out of three format. Opponent A starts the first race with Opponent B directly behind. The winner is determined by the time difference between the cars at the finish line. For instance, if Opponent A has pulled away from Opponent B at the finish line, he is determined the winner. If Opponent B has managed to stick on Opponent A's tail, he is determined the winner. For the second race, Opponent B starts off in front and the winner is determined using the same method.

Circuits

"Cannonball Runs" are illegal point-to-point road rallies that involve a handful of racers. They harken back to the authorized European races at the end of the 19th century. The races died away when the chaotic 1903 Paris - Madrid race was cancelled at Bordeaux for safety reasons after numerous fatalities involving drivers and passerbys. Point-to-point runs reappeared in the United States in the mid 1910s when Erwin George Baker who drove cross country on record breaking runs that stood for years, being legal at the time, and the term "Cannonball" was penned for him in honor of his runs. Nowadays they will race from one part of a town or country to the other side; whoever makes the fastest overall time is the winner. A perfect example of an illegal road race was the 1970s original Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, aka "The Cannonball Run", that long-time automotive journalist Brock Yates founded. The exploits spawned numerous films, the best known being "The Cannonball Run". Several years after the notorious "Cannonball", Yates created the family-friendly and somewhat legal version One Lap Of America where speeding occurs in race circuits and is still running to this day. While nowadays it's difficult or impossible to organize an illegal and extremely dangerous road race, there are still a few events which glamorize dangerous driving, such as the Gumball 3000, Gumball Rally, and Players Run races. These "races", better known as rallies for legalities sake, are mostly comprised of wealthy individuals taking sports cars racing across the country for fun. The AKA Rally however, is designed for individuals with a smaller bugdet (approximately $3000). Entrance fees to these events are usually all inclusive (hotels, food, and events). Particiapnts 'rally' together from a start point to predetermined locations until they arrive at the finish line. The AKA Rally in particular has organized driver oriented events e.g., autocross or drag strip races, off of public roads to minimize the risk of drivers getting too enthused on public roads. The latter such racing community has even spawned numerous TV and video series including the Teckademics film series and Bullrun reality TV Show.^[4] The Cannonball run type race also spawned numerous games of its type, most famously Sega's OutRun arcade game.

Variations on the above

Because of the spontaneous nature of street racing, many variations are given on any of the larger "racing" themes. An example (possibly apocryphal) variation would be the duct/gum tape deathmatch (as described by Keiichi Tsuchiya [3] and depicted in Initial D), in which participants race with one hand taped to the steering wheel, ostensibly using the other to shift. Drift racing could be considered a variation on the above. However, the nature of drift racing is in its origins in street racing in Japan. As such, it may be considered a technique rather than a variation to increase difficulty of the race. "Roll Racing" is thought of by many as being a variation of drag racing, while it is truly a type of race all in itself. Roll racing typically helps the racer who has a chassis that won't work well for drag competition. In the southeast United States, roll racers are known to have their friends slow traffic down behind them, and the car that negotiated to start the race will honk his horn 3 times. The race begins on the 3rd honk. "Tag Team" is a form of cannonball racing except that it involves two teams of racers and the racers go from one end of the street to the other and back. When the returning racer crosses the finishing line, then its teammate starts his/her lap.

Terminology

An "official" lexicon of street racing terminology is difficult to establish as terminology differs by location.

Participants

Any or all of the belowmentioned activities may be considered illegal, depending on location of the race.

In addition to the people racers, there are generally observers present at organized street races. A flagger [4] [5] starts the race, this is typically accomplished by standing fore of those racing, and making an up-down motion with the arms indicating the race should begin. There are variations on this theme, including the throwing/dropping of a handkerchief, ribbon, and so on. This act would be analogous to the tree in a typical sanctioned drag race, and has been portrayed widely in popular culture, from ZZ Top music videos to American cinema.

Race specifics

A dig may refer to all participants toeing a line, aligning the front bumper of the vehicles, after which all vehicles race from a stop to a pre-arranged point (typically a quarter mile in the United States, but may vary by locale).

A roll generally refers to a race which starts at a non-zero speed, and continues until all but one participant have stopped racing. This may be accompanied by three honks which would be analogous to a countdown.

To be set out lengths is a system of handicapping that allows a slower car to start their race a number of car lengths ahead and requiring the faster car to catch up and pass the slower car. There are often heated negotiations to determine a fair number.

To get the break, kick, or move is to start the race without the flagger. This is another system of handicapping that requires one car to wait until they see the other car start to move before they are allowed to leave their starting line.

To jump is to leave the line before the flagger has started the race, either with his hands, a flashlight, dropping a shirt, etc. Generally if a racer jumps, the other racer has the option to sit at the starting line. If the flagger agrees that a racer jumped then usually the race is redone. If both racers leave the starting line, regardless if one or both jumped the race is considered legitimate.

Motivations

The motivations for street racing are manifold, but typically cited reasons include:^[5]

Generally, street racing is not sanctioned and thus leads to a less rigorously controlled environment than sanctioned racing, to the enjoyment of some participants.
Street racing is cited as an activity which is available to persons who are otherwise underage for entertainment at traditional venues such as bars.
A community generally springs up around the street racing "scene", providing social interaction among the participants and cliques therein.
The opportunity to prove the worth of one's money invested in a vehicle.
The simple and uncomplicated excitement of racing without the entry fees, rules and politics, typical of the sport.
The excitement of racing when law enforcement is certain to give chase.
A lack of proper, sanctioned racing venues in the locale.
Street races are sometimes wagered on, either by the participants or observers. This is the origin of the term "racing for pink slips" (which means that the winner keeps the opponent's car), which seldom happens; most wagers involve cash.
To settle a bet, dispute, etc between fellow racers (ex. one believes that they are the better person, vice versa, and turns into an argument, which leads to a race (if it comes down to that)).

Consequences

The Kent, Washington police department lists the following consequences of street racing [6]:

Traffic collisions, including fatalities [7]
Trespassing on private property
Property loss from theft and vandalism
Auto theft rates, carjackings
Increased gang activity

Because vehicles used in street racing competitions generally lack professional racing safety equipment such as roll cages and racing fuel cell and drivers seldom wear firesuits and are not trained in high-performance driving, injuries and fatalities are common results from accidents. Furthermore, illegal street racers put ordinary drivers at risk because they race on public roads rather than closed-course, purpose-built facilities.^{[citation needed]}

Because racing occurs in areas where it is not sanctioned, extensive wear can occur to the roads (from high-powered vehicles damaging the asphalt) and damage to the fences/gates closing the area off (in the case of industrial parks, etc). Further, as the street racing culture places a very high social value on a fast vehicle, people who might not otherwise be able to afford highly modifiable -- but very expensive -- vehicles such as the Acura NSX and Toyota Supra may attempt to steal them, violently or otherwise. Additionally, street racers tend to form teams which participate in racing together, the implication above is that these teams may be a form of organized crime or gang activity.^{[citation needed]}

Worth noting is that the astronomical theft rate of the Acura Integra and other popular street racing cars is associated with street racing [8] [9] [10], in addition to the usual claims of chop shops.^{[original research?]}

Fatality and injury statistics

U.S. Government Agency National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 135 fatal crashes in 2001 involved street races. This represents a significant increase in the fatalities listed in 2000, (72 street-racing-related fatalities reported by police). • There were 16 fatalities and 31 injuries attributed to illegal street racing in San Diego alone, in 2001. • 49 people are injured for every 1,000 who participate in street racing.

Street racing by locale

Street Racing in Australia

Street racing in Australia is most prevalent in its two largest cities; Melbourne and Sydney, and occurs far less often elsewhere in the country. People who participate, specifically the drivers themselves, are referred to as hoons in both Australia and New Zealand. The term is also used as a verb to describe reckless and dangerous driving in general; "to hoon" or "to hoon around".

In Melbourne, since the 1970s, several legal off-street racing events have been held regularly at Calder Park Raceway (recent additions include drifting events). More recently, legal on-street racing events have been organised and sanctioned by Victoria Police to encourage people to participate in the events safely. Street racing is also prominent in the Victorian country towns of Sunbury and Sheperton.

It is common in Australia to have impromptu drag races with others when stopped at traffic lights. Although illegal, most drivers are aware of the de facto rules surrounding the drag. To signal ones intention to race, one may look over and make eye contact with the other driver. Alternatively, or to get their attention, the engine may be revved. The race then starts when the green light comes on, and concludes when it is won by the person who reaches the speed limit first. Impromptu drag racing is most likely to occur on a multi lane highway, with many people in the car.

Laws exist in the states of Victoria and Western Australia that limit modifications done to vehicles, as well as impose strong penalties for street racing such as confiscating/impounding the vehicle and loss of licence.

In Queensland there is an evergrowing scene that is slowly but surely clawing its way in to the forelight. There are many places where races are held in Brisbane alone, Computer Rd in Yatala poroving to be one of the more popular in the south side.

Street Racing in Hong Kong

Street racing in Hong Kong is very similar to that in other Asian countries and tends to consist mostly of modified Japanese cars and motorcycles. The Hong Kong Police Force, responsible for road safety, are in the practice of placing roadblocks in areas where this commonly occurs.

The Hong Kong street racing scene has spawned numerous movies that have sequences of street racing.

Street Racing in Japan

Street racers, known natively as hashiriya (走り屋),^[6] can also occur on expressways and highways, infamously in Japan, where they are known as kousoku battle or commonly known as Roulette-zoku as they drive round and round on circular expressways^[6] and frequently occur on the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo. The most notorious group to be associated with it was the Mid Night Club (which turned into a game based on the actual group) who gave street racing worldwide attention with its 300 km/h (186 mph) antics and was known for its high standards and organization until they were disbanded in 1999 following a fatal accident involving a group of motorcyclists.^{[citation needed]} With heavier punishments, patrolling police cars, crackdowns in meeting areas and speed cameras; expressway racing in Japan is not as common today as it was during the 80's and 90's but still occurs on a not so regular basis. Persistent racers often install spring assisted license-plate swiveling mechanisms that hold plates down at speed or picture-proof screens over their plates. ^{[citation needed]} In 2001, the amount of hashiriya have dropped to 4,365 last year from 9,624 in 1995 and police arrests in areas where hashiriya gather are common, where their cars are checked for illegal modification and if there is, the owners are fined and forced to remove the offending modifications. The expressway racing scene is portrayed in the manga Wangan Midnight, as well as in the biographical (Tsuchiya) Shuto Kousoku Trial.

One of the causes of street racing in Japan is, despite the numerous and famous race circuits, they can become overcrowded. Furthermore, such circuits may cost as much as 20,000 JPY to race,^[6] while a highway toll may cost less than 1,000 JPY.^[6] Also, with Japan's high cost of living; many young drivers prefer to put their savings into, or take out loans on their vehicles where they would usually gather with like minded people at either the Shibaura parking area, the Tatsumi parking area or the best known of the lot, Yokohama's Daikoku Futo service area.

As in other countries, street racing also occurs on long straights in industrial areas, which are used for drag races, known natively as Zero-Yon (ゼロヨン).

Street Racing in Malaysia

Street racing in Malaysia is illegal, as is watching a street race; this is enforced by the Malaysian police. Many streets, roads, highways and expressways in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Johor Bahru and other cities have become sites for racing. Among the participants are teenagers driving modified cars or riding motorcycles.

The motorcycle street racers in Malaysia are famously known as Mat Rempit in Malay Language. These Mat Rempit are famous for their "Superman" stunts and other feats performed on their motorcycles. They are also notorious for their "Cilok", a kind of racing in which racers weave in-between moving and stationary traffic at high-speed.

Most illegal car racers in Malaysia use modified general cars or bargain performance cars such as the Proton Saga, Proton Wira, Proton Satria, Proton Waja, Perodua Kancil or other Japanese cars such as the first-generation Nissan Cefiro, old Honda Civics, and old Toyota Corollas. Illegal drift racing often takes place on dangerous hill roads such as Bukit Tinggi, Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands or Teluk Bahang, Penang. Meanwhile, illegal drag racing takes place on expressways such as the Second Link Expressway in Johor Bahru. Illegal racers can be distinguished by their over-modified vehicles which do not follow road regulations in Malaysia.

On 12 July 2006, the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link in Johor became a venue of illegal racing. The Johor police and the Road Transport Department, together with the highway operator PLUS Expressway, have launched major operations to crack down on illegal racing. More than 600 people have been arrested in these operations and some of them are Singaporean.^[7]

Street Racing in Sweden

Street races are most commonly done between two stoplights or over 1/4 or 1/8 mile (402 or 201 meters). Street racing was very popular in the 1980s but during the 1990s many drivers abandoned the illegal street races for legal races at Tullinge Raceway. In late 1990s the interest in street racing increased. Causes given include the movie The Fast and the Furious and the internet based community Zatzy. A legal form of street racing called blackrace has also been introduced. They are run on closed streets against a clock (although two cars start at the same time).^[8] During 2006 Stockholm´s (the capital in Sweden) dragstrip, mentioned above called "tullinge raceway" closed the gates. So in 2007 and the years to come streetracing will expand atleast in Stockholm. Stockholm´s streetscene is probably one of the fastest in the world with sub 8-sec quartermile cars running on a regular basis. The most wellknown competition is "Birka Cup" among with the legendary "Stockholm Open" race, that runs on the first weekend of september, here you find competition from all over the nordic countrys, the number of attending racers ranges from 15-30, most cars capable of running sub 9-sec quartermile runs. The rules are simple: -run what you brung.

The fee to participate in a race ranges from 300-500sek (approx. 40 USD)

Street Racing in the United States

There is a strong racing culture in California [11], particularly Southern California [12]. Considered to be the birthplace of North American drag racing [13]. This area was covered in some depth by magazines^{[citation needed]} such as Turbo and Hi-Tech Performance and Sport Compact Car in the late 1990s.^{[citation needed]}

In some cases, this popularity has led to tough anti-street racing laws which give more strict punishments (including misdemeanors for attending race events) than normal traffic citations and also often involve dedicated anti-racing task forces. In 2005, a law in Tennessee was passed prohibiting cars to have nitrous oxide hooked up to, or even present inside a car^{[citation needed]}. Penalties include impoundment of the offending vehicle and/or the suspension or revocation of the offender's drivers license.

Some police departments in the United States have also undertaken community outreach programs to work with the racing community to educate them to the dangers of street racing, as well as to encourage them to race in sanctioned events. This has also led to a campaign introduced in 2000 called RASR (Racers Against Street Racing) a grass-roots enthusiast group consisting of auto manufacturers, aftermarket parts companies, professional drag racers, sanctioning bodies, race tracks and automotive magazines devoted to promoting the use of safe and legal raceways as an alternative to street racing.^[9]^[10] Kent's Beat the Heat is a typical example of this type of program. Other such alliances have been forged in southern and central California, reducing the incidence of street racing there.

Some police departements have lost control of the events, thus they make public safety the priority. Allowing racing and keeping safe public traffic flow becomes the priority in areas less used at night.

Street racing in popular media

File:Fast and the furious.jpg

The Fast and The Furious theatrical poster.

Comics/Manga

Wangan Midnight
Over Rev!
Initial D
Kirin (known as Thunderstorm Rider in Asian releases)
SS

Films mentioning street racing and its consequences

The Back to the Future series, which also shows fast driving in parking lots and in the street associated with time travel

Computer and video games

File:Need for Speed Most Wanted.jpg

Cover art of Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PC DVD version)

The street racing video game series "Midnight Club" has been very successful on the market and is available on many platforms. This series includes the first title "Midnight Club" for the Playstation 2 and Game Boy Advance; "Midnight Club II" for the Playstation 2, PC and Xbox; and "Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition" for the Playstation 2, Xbox and then later released on the Playstation Portable. "Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition Remix" was later released for the Playstation 2 and Xbox.

The Need for Speed computer and video game series includes several later titles affiliated with street racing. Among them, the Underground series (encompassing Underground and Underground 2), takes place at night in various urban areas, but lacks any police to pursue the player. Need for Speed: Most Wanted reintroduces police pursuit into gameplay and is set in daytime. The latest Need for Speed title, Need for Speed: Carbon sees the return of night time racing and features police pursuits.

The popular multi-platform (Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSP, Gamecube) series "Burnout" showcases fictional cars racing at highspeed through traffic, with crashes rewarded by highly detailed slow motion destruction sequences. Later iterations include speficic competition modes rewarding the largest monetary damage toll in specifically designed maps.

Another game that has street racing is Juiced by THQ. The game mentions that is was developed with the intention of giving the gamer the thrill of high-speed driving.

To meet commercial expectations, these games often compromise the realism of the car handling physics to give the user an easier game play experience, which is an asset to the game's enjoyment by general users (and helps the game to sell well). The greatest disparity is that in most of these games have the player's vehicle completely indestructible, where it's possible to crash head-on at 200 MPH with a truck and continue the race as if nothing had happened. The indestructible car from those games makes possible to devise strategies that would be impossible in real life, such as using a wall to stop lateral acceleration through a turn — rather than picking an appropriate line, which takes more skill, and slows the vehicle down, sometimes substantially. By using the wall, the user is able to halt lateral acceleration, while retaining axial acceleration, thus exiting the corner at a much higher speed than braking, turning, and accelerating.

This lack of realism could give gamers a different impression of driving in real life.^[11]^[12] However, it should also be noted that car manufacturers who license their vehicles for use in video games do not allow car damage. Strangely enough, similar vehicles used in live-action movies are routinely crashed.

In a German-made game, Emergency 3, one campaign features an illegal road race. However, the mission isn't a first-person race to avoid police. It is a third person game that requires the player to coordinate emergency forces. In this case, arrest the drivers, put out the fire from a car accident, and treat the injured.

References

External links

[1] [1]

[2] Google Answers: What is the history of import car speed racing, "the fast and the furious"?

[3] Elfin Forest-Del Dios-Rancho Sante Fe

[4] Mischief 3000 at IMDb

[5] [2]

[hotrodtribe-6] Hot rod 'tribes' roar into the night

[7] "Swoop on illegal racers", Lau Meisan, 10 July 2006, New Straits Times

[8] Blackrace.nu

[9] ttp://www.rasr.info/

[10] ttp://www.shadetreemechanic.com/curtail%20illegal%20street%20racing.htm

[11] GameSpot: NFS found in fatal drag-racing car crash

[12] CTV: Street-racing tragedy ends cabbie's Cdn. dream

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