Well, that's one view, but being serious for a moment, the other perspective is that a lot of street races end in really bad wrecks because both drivers had more testosterone than common sense. We had another one this past weekend. Saleen Mustang of some type against an old (but nasty) Nissan 240 with an LS1. Stories differ, but two people are in the hospital and both cars are in the junkyardand a third car, just minding its own business, was banged up and some nince people mildly hurt.

This makes it rougher on anyone driving a performance car, period. The police have put out word they are going to deal tough (helps that the next week or so is nothing but snow and ice anyway).

I'm not above a bit of one- or two-second tussling from a light for fun, but nothing more than that, andmeaning no offense, testosterone doesn't seem to enter into serious "street races."Anyone with a car that they think can take either of mine has spent a bit of serious money (somewhere around $50k for the mods alone) and that seems to mean they have some age and maturity, plus real money tied up in the car so they are not going to risk crashing or having it confiscated by the police by racing on the street. We take it to the track, where one or the other of us has a lot more money afterward!

Oh well, I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

I'm going to agree with Lee on this topic. I love the adrenaline rush of a short burst from a light but I always consider safety first. The last thing that I want to do is to plow into a minivan full of kids. If a GTO/mustang/whatever lined up next to me at a light out in the country, and there was no one else around, then I'd give it a go up to about the speed limit. If it happened in town with traffic around, then no thanks.

You may find that your insurance company won't cover you if you were engaged in a speed contest (or other illegal activity) that resulted in a crash. That would leave you fully liable for damages. It could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars if there are injuries. More if there are wrongful death suits.

On the topic of "yeah but my highly modified {insert car name here} will smoke your stock vette", that's awesome. I love sleepers. But there's always going to be somebody else with just a little bit more money to spend on their car (Take Lee's Z06 for example). Let's face it: HP = $$$. End of story.

 

One thing nice about living here in the Palm Springs area is the neighborhoods are inside of walls and they have lights where they enter the main roads. Most of our roads are arterials with two or three lanes in each direction, center dividers with trees separating traffic. The speed limits are mostly45 to 55mph. This make it great to drive the Vette or my bike, When you are at a light you can see way ahead and there are very few driveways etc to watch for. So its fun to give it a boost from the litght and then tail off to the speed limit. The road where I raced the GTO was one of these and we had a long stretchbefore any business or entrances so I had no resevations about jumping on it. Like I said in the first post, I was talking to my date, he pulled up on the left, I heard the rumble and looked over, and right then the light changed and he hit it. I was a little behind starting but pulled and went by him. Then I got off it so I could coast up to the next light. We were then at where the businesses started and he wanted to go again. I just laughed there was no way I was going to do that with all the driveways, etc and exposure. Also I had already killed him!

The areas I take chances in does not make it right or totally safe to race,but I have always lived a little on the edge in everything I do. Bottom line, we all have to stay within our abilities and try to be careful, limit our exposure to dangerous situations, but we are all driving Vette's, its awfull hard to be good!

 

Think about this. I run into a couple of street cars a year that can take my 'vette. (So far, none that are as near-stock as a daily driver and comfortable as mine, but anyway . . . ). Would you even want to be anywhere near a street-race between something like my vette (0-100 in lessin about 6sec) and, say, a Toyota Supra running 28 lbs boost and 930 RWHP? If cars like that try to prove who's fastest on the street, someone is going to get killed. It isn't much different with stock performance cars like 'vettes, etc.-- in ten or so seconds you are over 100 mph and going faster than you have any right to go, and if the cars are closely matched it can take a half mile to sort out who is fastest.
(By the way, at the track, the Supra won by almost a length -- there is always a faster car).

 

Lee normally I would agree with you completely, but here where I live we lucked into the perfect roll race spot. For the last 2 years and for the next two years we have been running on this spot every week without a single accident or even a single ticket. It is the beginning of a freeway and the cars that already entered get about a minute head start..... so when our light turns green there isn't a car ahead for at least a mile. The cars that are running usually coast to allow them to get even further ahead.

There is a giant ditch separating the two directions of traffic, and a 30 foot wall on our right. The only lives that are in danger are those of the participants.... just like at the track!!! There is only 2 lanes so there are no worries of a speed demon entering the freeway behind us and getting in front. We run bridge to bridge and it is about a mile to get to the first bridge where you gun it and nearly a mile to the second bridge where the race is over. You have over a mile toslow down....Like I said......PERFECT.

You usually don't have to worry about a car with quicker gearing pulling a couple cl's on you and then claiming victory when you both had to shut down, because our race is first to the second bridge....... and 8 tenths of a mile is usually plenty of time for the faster car to stretch its legs. This was evident in my vid vs. a C6 Z06.....he had me the whole race.A friend of mine sometimes brings out his 1200whp supra if the stakes are right. If you've watched the vid of me vs. the C6 Z06 I posted,then you've seen what I'm talking about!!!

 

I pretty much agree with you and I guess I don't consider that a street race. Somewhere back in this section is a thread I did, geez, it mst be 13 months ago now, about a 3-way race between my vette (when it had 590 RWHP), my Camaro, and a new ZO6 with lite mods. We went to a completed but not yet opened stretch of US 540 near here. It was safe as any track.

The street races I'm talking about are when two boneheads pull up next to one another at a light on a four orsix-lane city street late Friday night and decide to settle the issue right there, right then. The latest incident here didn't kill anyone althoug it really pissed off the police and city officials, but over a year ago we had a spectacular wreck (a flying, somersaulting Mustang) with one dead at the scene, one hospitalized and then convicted of public endanger and in jail for a year (he deserved it), and some innocent old buzzard minding his own business watching Jay Lenothat evning who sudeenly needed a whole new front yard.

 

Hey Lee, was wondering if any alcohol was involved with thoseaccidents?

 

Who knows if "demon drink" was a factor in those wrecks? You know, I really had not thought about that much.Probably drink was a factor -- you have a good point: how much chance is there that someone hasn't been drinking at least a bit by 11 PM on a Friday night?
Come to think of it, it is a Friday night now, and look at me: the weather is terrible outside, so I'm at home sipping wine, reading a good book (and hanging out here) because it's too cold and wet to go out cruising. If it was good weather, I'd be sober and out on the street rumbling around in the 'vette, but I don't know about some of these morons I see out there. For some reason I hadn't thought of that -- maybe they've been drinking. Another reason to back off from any action at a stop light.

 

I'm not into street racin', it's just too dangerous! IMO!
When I was younger, we always took it out of town, to a stretch of open and clear road. I guess I'm gettin' old, I don't race at all anymore. Not that I don't have the car for it, I just feel I don't have anything to prove anymore. I am impressed by the performance of a well built hot rod, but I am buildin' the car for me, to do what I want, and no, I don't bite when baited. When out and about in the "Starship", I'm too busy enjoyin' her to see if the other guy is catchin' up or not. Just let me alone, and meet me at the 7-11, we'll talk cars!

 

Works for me.