What happened to races on the street?

[Blown 89]

Racing is dangerous and you might get your feelings hurt. Modern society can't handle either of those things.

Every race I go to has someone in the pits grabbing someone else's helmet and yelling at them for impeding their race. Me, me, me me.....you ruined MY race....well **** you dude, they're racing too. God forbid you have to go two wide, make contact or, *gasp* manage traffic. The automotive culture has gone soft as shit and its bled down to street racing.

 

[q6543]

I think street racing died off as cars got faster

People used to street race 12 and 13 second cars all the time, not much of an issue.
Then they started running high 10 second cars on the street and people started getting killed, spectators too.

Nowadays it’s all too common to see 8 second cars rolling around so people don’t even want to race, the faster and more serious it got the less fun.

The only people I run into in the street now want to “take it to the freeway for a 60 roll… no interest in dig racing as “they spin goin from 60”

 

[SVTdreamin04]

Maybe I'm old. Theres an unwritten code that I've always followed.

If you run into another car on the street, you either slow down a little bit to get traffic to get ahead of you, to give you some room to run, or you get ahead of traffic. Then you get going roughly the same speed. You line up with the other guy, honk it off, or yell 1-2-3 go, give them the hit...whatever you do.

The last couple guys I have ran into...

2024 Mustang GT, kid wouldn't even look over. We were on a one way for over a mile, all the room in the world. We hit a light and got mixed up with a little traffic. A couple minutes later he does a ricer fly by that a only Honda Civic would be proud of, swerving in front of me, right when we get "into town" and there's stores, traffic, etc

Then today, i come across a loudass Charger and he just floors it weaving through cars, we go to the highway and before I can even get close to him he starts passing people on the shoulder. I took the first exit because I'm not being part of that bullshit or getting my plate called in.

Just floor it when you see another car even though they aren't even next to you. Doesn't make any sense. Do these people go home thinking they "won"?

They've watched too many movies. I've had two Challengers take off like maniacs and they didn't even say a word about making a hit or anything.


Sent from my iPhone using the svtperformance.com mobile app

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

I think street racing died off as cars got faster

People used to street race 12 and 13 second cars all the time, not much of an issue.
Then they started running high 10 second cars on the street and people started getting killed, spectators too.

Nowadays it’s all too common to see 8 second cars rolling around so people don’t even want to race, the faster and more serious it got the less fun.

The only people I run into in the street now want to “take it to the freeway for a 60 roll… no interest in dig racing as “they spin goin from 60”

that is where less power seemed to be more fun in hindsight.

just too much traffic around here and way too much of a risk at this point to run some random idiot. There have been plenty of incidents around here where random guys run and one of em hits/kills someone and they all end up in serious shit.

 

[Klaus]

Maybe I'm old. Theres an unwritten code that I've always followed.

If you run into another car on the street, you either slow down a little bit to get traffic to get ahead of you, to give you some room to run, or you get ahead of traffic. Then you get going roughly the same speed. You line up with the other guy, honk it off, or yell 1-2-3 go, give them the hit...whatever you do.

The last couple guys I have ran into...

2024 Mustang GT, kid wouldn't even look over. We were on a one way for over a mile, all the room in the world. We hit a light and got mixed up with a little traffic. A couple minutes later he does a ricer fly by that a only Honda Civic would be proud of, swerving in front of me, right when we get "into town" and there's stores, traffic, etc

Then today, i come across a loudass Charger and he just floors it weaving through cars, we go to the highway and before I can even get close to him he starts passing people on the shoulder. I took the first exit because I'm not being part of that bullshit or getting my plate called in.

Just floor it when you see another car even though they aren't even next to you. Doesn't make any sense. Do these people go home thinking they "won"?

I know a dude building a SICK gt500 that wants to race if you can wait until spring of 2025.

 

[gimmie11s]

Motorsports are in free fall, check out this level of desperation.

 

[Roots-type]

I think street racing died off as cars got faster

People used to street race 12 and 13 second cars all the time, not much of an issue.

I find it just as much fun racing 13 sec cars as I do 10 sec cars. Shit, I could race tricycles and have fun. Be a hell of a lot cheaper too.

 

[DaleM]

It stopped in TN/KY border for me when a State Trooper seen us going the opposite direction. He did a u turn and I was already pulled over.

He asked what I was doing and I told him I just installed my boost and egt gauges (which was true) and just hopped on the throttle a few times to see if they were working.

He asked about the other guy and I said maybe he thought I wanted to race him. Gave me the spiel about penalties and risks of road racing.

We sat and talked a for several minutes about car engines and blowers.

He told me about a lonely backroad near Amish country that would not see much traffic if I needed to check my car again.

Lol. I sort of seen the light and it was blue. That trooper forever changed my road habits.

 

[decipha]

Yeah x2 most cars are just too fast to race on street tires these days. Back in the day Id race anything from a chevy beretta to a stock thunderbird or even a lincoln town car all of which was only 200 hp. Now when I get in a car making 3x 4x or even 5x the rwhp the last thing I want to do is get on it with street tires to shut some punk up. Not worth the vehicle getting away from you. Also not fun when you get a little too greedy and the ass end steps out on you at triple digit speeds.

 

[VRYALT3R3D]

For me, racing on the street is very boring compared to being on the road course. I will be going to TX2K tho

 

[DaleM]

For me, racing on the street is very boring compared to being on the road course. I will be going to TX2K tho

I really enjoyed it when I did road courses. Unfortunately my military income did not support more than a couple money sucking hobbies. Fishing and watches won out. Now that my eyes and reaction times have taken tue age hit I would need to drive with warning cones on all 4 corners. Though my exhaust has eaten a few cones over the years on scca.

 

[93Cobra#2771]

Current gen is more interested in "stance" and the backfire/popping tunes during decel than they are about going fast. Oh, and bouncing off the rev limiter, can't forget that.

And let's be honest, they are crappy drivers. I have no interest in being beside one of them while they try to learn how to drive.

Current gen simply aren't as interested in actually working on their cars. By the time I was 16 (1986) a buddy and I were already wrenching on our own cars. Just after high school, I did a v8 swap on a mini truck I had. Also helped my buddy build a tubbed 66 Chevy truck, frame off, backhalfed four link, yada yada yada.

Point being, when was the last time you saw a current 20yo doing something to a vehicle other than adding lights?

Heck, a new Honda accord is faster than most sports cars from twenty years ago. Guess they don't have to tune/work on them to make them fast.

 

[Blk04L]

The south Florida Need2speed and snap off days were amazing

Man when Moroso shutdown for PBIR renovations it really peaked in the PBC area for street racing.
Hang out at the publix and then go to beeline. Was fun till it got really busy and people would stop semi trucks out there.

What ever happened to N2S. Remember one time trying to login and the domain or something expired.

 

[Blkkbgt]

that is where less power seemed to be more fun in hindsight.

just too much traffic around here and way too much of a risk at this point to run some random idiot. There have been plenty of incidents around here where random guys run and one of em hits/kills someone and they all end up in serious shit.

Shit like that is why I stopped street racing ages ago. I've got way to much shit to lose and I can't control the dumb **** next to me.

I've always been more into corner carving anyway and finding twisty back roads to drive fast on is far more fun to me.

Honestly with some of the roads near me the corners are so tight you don't need to be hauling ass to have fun. A LEGIT 25 mph uphill hairpin is fun at 35-40. Not to mention if I lose it that 35-40 mph crash into the hillside is mild compared to one at 100+ into an on coming car.

What I am saying here is I have fun where I can and where the cost of failure is low.

 

[93Cobra#2771]

Shit like that is why I stopped street racing ages ago. I've got way to much shit to lose and I can't control the dumb **** next to me.

I've always been more into corner carving anyway and finding twisty back roads to drive fast on is far more fun to me.

Honestly with some of the roads near me the corners are so tight you don't need to be hauling ass to have fun. A LEGIT 25 mph uphill hairpin is fun at 35-40. Not to mention if I lose it that 35-40 mph crash into the hillside is mild compared to one at 100+ into an on coming car.

What I am saying here is I have fun where I can and where the cost of failure is low.

Good friend of mine's favorite saying is "it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow".

As the one who daily drives a Geo Metro with 55hp, I'm not so sure about that. I will say, though, that it really feels more like a big go kart than a small car haha.

 

[VegasMichael]

There's an arm wrestler in Nebraska with a 2000 Pontiac who can beat anyone in a street race.

 

[Klaus]

As the one who daily drives a Geo Metro with 55hp

Please tell me it is either teal or lavender.

 

[DaleM]

Please tell me it is either teal or lavender.

Either is aesthetically pleasing when on a soft pallet. Warm colors that almost cause a masculine torsion of ones genitalia.

 

[bull_dog190]

Maybe I'm old. Theres an unwritten code that I've always followed.

If you run into another car on the street, you either slow down a little bit to get traffic to get ahead of you, to give you some room to run, or you get ahead of traffic. Then you get going roughly the same speed. You line up with the other guy, honk it off, or yell 1-2-3 go, give them the hit...whatever you do.

The last couple guys I have ran into...

2024 Mustang GT, kid wouldn't even look over. We were on a one way for over a mile, all the room in the world. We hit a light and got mixed up with a little traffic. A couple minutes later he does a ricer fly by that a only Honda Civic would be proud of, swerving in front of me, right when we get "into town" and there's stores, traffic, etc

Then today, i come across a loudass Charger and he just floors it weaving through cars, we go to the highway and before I can even get close to him he starts passing people on the shoulder. I took the first exit because I'm not being part of that bullshit or getting my plate called in.

Just floor it when you see another car even though they aren't even next to you. Doesn't make any sense. Do these people go home thinking they "won"?

Nothing stays the same.

I feel like the cost of cars has alot to do with it.
Im not that old but even back 2005-2009ish, kids working in high school or any regular job as an adult could afford to build a fox or catfish or something cool and be legitimately fast for the time.
I remember a kid in my High School had a orange LX Fox he build in his shop class for credits! For the time that car was still quite fast.
They would all hangout at the local McDonalds at night and it really influenced alot of local kids to like cars. Me included.

Back in the day you could pickup Fox bodys, 2V/4V/ LT/LS cars DIME A DOZEN. You didnt need a six figure income to be fast.
If you did that you were basically at the top of the food chain performance wise... I remember 5-600whp was like GOD STATUS.

Now most of those cars are blownup/totaled/stolen/rotten.
And IMO because of Youtube and new trends, only the BIG MONEY cars get the street cred now. Hellcats........ 900whp this.......1100whp TT that.....

Its so saturated with unobtainable goals imo. 95% of people that love this hobby cant do builds like that...i think it discourages people.

Also so many kids today don't identify with American Graffiti or CLASSIC muscle cars, or that style of racing. I grew up riding around in my dads 69 Z28....... reminiscing about old builds he did...cars his friends had at drive ins in the 80s....ect ect.....those days are gone...those kids all grew up...and the percentage of their' kids having the same experience is low....because of the COST of everything now.

Blame fast and furious...blame CLASSIC AMERICAN ICONS being forgotten and replaced.
Blame social media for replacing IN PERSON interaction.
Blame Democrats.

Atleast the online forums survived. SVTP, ModFords, LS1tech...ect.

 

[93Cobra#2771]

Please tell me it is either teal or lavender.

Unfortunately, it's "arrest me red", and the only way I'll get arrested in it is for impeding the flow of traffic in the slow lane.

On the positive side, I can drive 375 a week on roughly 6.5 gallons of fuel. Believe me when I say that's the only positive side.

Also have a 96 Escort wagon. Almost teal, it's actually Calypso green.