I'm relatively new corvette owner (March 06) and have observed several things since I bought it. The first and foremost observation; everybody, and I mean everybody; from chevettes to old Ford 150 pick-up trucks, want to race! When on my Hayabusa motorcycle, I get side glances but rarely does a cage ever want to give the bus a go. In the vette, it seems that every person takes personal affront that I am lined up next to them at a light and they must show me how fast their neon is! I'm a rather mature and responsible person, but I can't help myself my smoking their asses. Does that make me a bad person? I have not yet had a real sports car line up with me yet, but I have seen several GTO owners drool and look for a quick turnaround point when they see me go past. One of my Soldiers has an STi and he is praying for the day he catches me on the open road or at a light.

I know my behavior may be construed as juvenile and immature but I really love my vette and it's capabilities (which are far above mine). I know there are bigger and badder machines out there with bigger and badder drivers, but I really just can't let that 1976 El Dorado go home bragging to his buddies that he smoked my vette. I have no issues like this on my motorcycles. I wonder why it's different in my car?

Does anyone else notice this kind of thing?

I don't know if people want to see if they can beat the Vette, or just want to see what the car do do, knowing that they don't have a chance in the world. Since I have had my Vette the only competition that I have raced was a old Maverick a few Sundays ago. I won that race buy he gave me a pretty good run.

I used to own an Eldo (97).......dang cheek ;) It was a fine car!

No one ever wanted to race my Eldo! They used to avoid me, probably assumed that I was the wrong side of 80!

Everyone wants to race my C6 and my Porsche. I usually simply ignore them as they are not serious contenders.

A few weeks ago I was in my Porsche and this hot chick in a C6 wanted to race me from the lights.....so what the heck......decent competition! The Porsche won by a length, until we both had to hit the brakes to turn into our driveway........turned out the hot chick was the wife!

Yeah, everyone wants to race, and there is nothing wrong with that as long as you don't RACE. I've known idiots who won't give it up until over 140 on city streets -- that is grand stupidity. But just a little tussle off the line up to, say to 10-15 over the speed limit usually won't get you into trouble if you watch yourself.

Problem you will discover is that there are cars that will really be a challenge, and even smoke you every once in a while - sleepers: the apparently stock Mustang Cobra running a 12 lb pulley on its SC and putting 570 Hp to the rear wheels, or an old Nissan 240SX with an cammer LS6 in it. It happens . . . and when it becomes clear it is going to be a long hard race, win or lose, the only thing to do is shut down, even if it hurts the ego. So be prepared to put brains before testosterone any time you street race -- as an example, the same thing happened to me in the Porsche - an older, much modified BMW M3 challenged me at a light a month ago - my Porsche is not that fast (its does 1/4 times consistently without wheelspin at 13.5 -- never faster or slower ) but this mid 90's M3 should not have been that fast. We came off at a stoplight even - I put a length on him by 40 and then he gained it back by 60 -- at that point I did the sensible thing and shut down then -- getting too serious for a street race.

that is well put lee,take it to the track guys,all it takes is a car or motorcycle or person to pull out in front of you and ther is a mess,street racing is ok on a back road with no cars or houses,think before you race,a stray animal will mess your day up very quick.just be smart thats all:)

that is well put lee,take it to the track guys,all it takes is a car or motorcycle or person to pull out in front of you and ther is a mess,street racing is ok on a back road with no cars or houses,think before you race,a stray animal will mess your day up very quick.just be smart thats all:)

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I know exactly what you are talkin' about C4 Silver Guy!! I refuse to be engaged in that stuff myself, but man alive... it takes a whole wheelbarrow full of restraint!!!

The other day on the way home on the highway, some idiot in a real beatup 318i piece 'o junk tried to get into it with me. He was dartin' around like AJ Foyt, behind me, in front of me, back behind me... trying real hard to goad me into lettin' the beast LOOSE! I just smiled. :) Sometimes I think just having confidence in knowing is enough... for me, at least.

But, I completely hear you on that. And I'd be an absolute liar if I said I never dropped the hammer on the beast. I just don't put me or our beloved 'Vette in danger....

Anyways, cool thread! I enjoyed it immensely.

I generally don't RACE. I will take off quick enough to know they never had a chance in the first place and then throttle it down. I've been a responsible sportbike rider for years to know enough not to open it up on the street. Not worth dying for or having someone else killed for an ego stroke.

ORIGINAL: C4 Silver Guy

I generally don't RACE. I will take off quick enough to know they never had a chance in the first place and then throttle it down. I've been a responsible sportbike rider for years to know enough not to open it up on the street. Not worth dying for or having someone else killed for an ego stroke.

*nods emphatically* I totally agree. Besides of which, takin' on a Neon is akin to takin' an elephant gun to a flea party... kinda a lil' one-sided, really. That really falls into the "what the hell were you thinkin'??" category of things, eh?? :D

I've had a few monster muscle cars and I found one thing that works just as well as blowin' the other guys doors off. When I get a challenge, I look 'em over then smile. (I'll even lean over to get a better look) Next they usually rev their engine, I look at the driver an' smile. With each challenge increase my humorous reaction to a visible laugh ( they can't hear me laugh, and most times I don't laugh, just look like I am). Then when the light changes he blows the dust off the road, I pull away nice and slow, slower than normal. Some times they'll be at the next light. That's when I pull up laughing. I can see it in their faces, a big question is on their mind, how bad is this car I'm tryin' to race. They lose when you make them think they can't win! I can hear them thinkin' This guy ain't goin' to waist his gas on my POS. In short, you beat them mentally. In their mind you just stomped a mud hole in 'em and then stomped it dry.

If you want to get serious, me me at a track. Straight or roundy-round (this is where I'm leathal)!

Absolutely correct, Starship. The thing to remember guys is that you can really get to the other person by being this cool. They are not even worthy -- that really digs at them. Deep down inside they know you will clobber them.

And some of it is a complement, of sorts: part of the reason that some of the hopeless cases want to race is just to see your car in action: the kid in the 10-year old Civic with the fart-muffler really knows he has no chance, but he just wants to see "a real car" blast off and if he can provoke you into lighting your bottle rocket, its fun for him -- something better than racing his best friend driving his Mom's Camry again.

ORIGINAL: C3 Starship

I've had a few monster muscle cars and I found one thing that works just as well as blowin' the other guys doors off. When I get a challenge, I look 'em over then smile. (I'll even lean over to get a better look) Next they usually rev their engine, I look at the driver an' smile. With each challenge increase my humorous reaction to a visible laugh ( they can't hear me laugh, and most times I don't laugh, just look like I am). Then when the light changes he blows the dust off the road, I pull away nice and slow, slower than normal. Some times they'll be at the next light. That's when I pull up laughing. I can see it in their faces, a big question is on their mind, how bad is this car I'm tryin' to race. They lose when you make them think they can't win! I can hear them thinkin' This guy ain't goin' to waist his gas on my POS. In short, you beat them mentally. In their mind you just stomped a mud hole in 'em and then stomped it dry.

If you want to get serious, me me at a track. Straight or roundy-round (this is where I'm leathal)!

Every time I read one of yer posts, my friend, it brings a huge smile to this face! :)

*standing ovation* Well put! That's sorta what I was tryin' to say, myself, just didn't manage to do as good a job as you!!

ORIGINAL: Lee Willis

Absolutely correct, Starship. The thing to remember guys is that you can really get to the other person by being this cool. They are not even worthy -- that really digs at them. Deep down inside they know you will clobber them.

And some of it is a complement, of sorts: part of the reason that some of the hopeless cases want to race is just to see your car in action: the kid in the 10-year old Civic with the fart-muffler really knows he has no chance, but he just wants to see "a real car" blast off and if he can provoke you into lighting your bottle rocket, its fun for him -- something better than racing his best friend driving his Mom's Camry again.

Bingo. I totally agree Lee. I didn't actually put all this together until recently, but yeh... I kinda wandered back in my mind to an earlier time in my life, and remembered I really love to watch a fast car launch... Lord knows I prolly provoked a couple dudes in 'Vette's myself back in the day... :D

So, yeh, if I could have the old me tryin' to goad on the new me... I'd think the old me was an idiot. :D Actually, to many I still am an idiot.

ROFL,ROFL!!! I'......m........sorry, but mom's Camry got me!

I have to add in case y'all don't know...I'm a 40+ y.o. woman AND I get all these teens with their lil ricer/weed eater muffler sounding cars (that's what my daughter calls em) that pull up next to me wanting to race hehe! like I'm really going to race them, I just pull off slower than normal & smile. Right after I got the car, I was at my daughter's high school with all these kids round it & this guy was trying his best to get me to "burn out" in the parking lot, he pulled out a dollar & told me he'd pay me a dollar to do it. I just laughed & told him to keep his dollar because he needed it a lil more than I did! I kno that sounds kinda mean, but he was really being a cocky jerk so it shut him up...poor kid!

At $300.00+ a tire for the fat 40-17's just a simple bunout cost more than any weedeater with seats. Jerks at lights?....thats why most local tracks have grudge maches. pay your entry fee,,,,burn the tires,,,,go home safe.

ORIGINAL: percentages

I used to own an Eldo (97).......dang cheek ;) It was a fine car!

No one ever wanted to race my Eldo! They used to avoid me, probably assumed that I was the wrong side of 80!











I owned an old '72 eldo...sweeeet ride. land yacht. had 8.2(501)punched 30 over shaved decks and milled heads ported, pollished and spit shined with flattops. had to run JP4 108-115 oct. in it. Smoked a lot of vettes and mustangs. they could get me in the 8th but once that tub got rollin and the tires stoped spinnin' it was ....Laaatta' duuude. 7200lbs of leather covered luxureous muscle. talk about a sleeper.

ORIGINAL: 06 Vette

I have to add in case y'all don't know...I'm a 40+ y.o. woman AND I get all these teens with their lil ricer/weed eater muffler sounding cars (that's what my daughter calls em) that pull up next to me wanting to race hehe! like I'm really going to race them, I just pull off slower than normal & smile. Right after I got the car, I was at my daughter's high school with all these kids round it & this guy was trying his best to get me to "burn out" in the parking lot, he pulled out a dollar & told me he'd pay me a dollar to do it. I just laughed & told him to keep his dollar because he needed it a lil more than I did! I kno that sounds kinda mean, but he was really being a cocky jerk so it shut him up...poor kid!

I'da done the exact same thing. I usually tell folks, "Sure, you buy me a new set of booties, an' I'll light 'em right up for ya." That quiets things down purdy quick... seems everyone is full of ways to try to get you to do it, but when it comes to droppin' $1K+ on rubber, they all of a sudden aren't that interested anymore....

Just had to tell you my racing story. Guess it was about 20 years ago. I was driving my 61 vette everyday. One particular Friday night I was sitting at the stop light on the main drag. The kids that were in the other car , kept patting the dash board for the take off. I started out at my regular speed and was cruising at 35 miles an hour. My daughter called me in about 30 minutes said she was at the mall and two boys were telling everyone how they blew the 61 vette off the road in their little pedal car. Daughter spoke up and ask was the vette red and white and a older lady driving. They said yeah, that was her, daughter promptly told them they must have been driving 36 miles an hour and I drove wide open at 35 always. I can imagine they must have told their story forever of how they blew away the vette.

ORIGINAL: CORVETTE LADY

Just had to tell you my racing story. Guess it was about 20 years ago. I was driving my 61 vette everyday. One particular Friday night I was sitting at the stop light on the main drag. The kids that were in the other car , kept patting the dash board for the take off. I started out at my regular speed and was cruising at 35 miles an hour. My daughter called me in about 30 minutes said she was at the mall and two boys were telling everyone how they blew the 61 vette off the road in their little pedal car. Daughter spoke up and ask was the vette red and white and a older lady driving. They said yeah, that was her, daughter promptly told them they must have been driving 36 miles an hour and I drove wide open at 35 always. I can imagine they must have told their story forever of how they blew away the vette.

Sweet Mary and Jesus.... LOL...