What Drives Street Racers? Three Facts about the Underground Community
Did you know that people who participate in street racing in New Zealand and Australia are called “hoons” and “boyracers?” Street racing has been popular for many decades now in spite of the risks that drivers assume for themselves, their vehicles and their licenses. Interested in knowing more about the culture of street car racing? Here are three facts that you should know.
1. The Best Street Racing Cars
There is no one brand of car that is for “street racing”; rather, cars that excel for both speed and performance are often bought (or stolen, as the case may be) and modified with special engines, exhaust alterations, and more. Mitsubishi cars are easy to modify and have a sporty appearance, and hence are rather popular in the street car world. Other popular brands include Honda, Chevrolet, and Nissan. Street race cars are often equipped with nitrous oxide or turbo chargers to increase their power.
2. Racing Culture
During a typical street race, two racers in different vehicles will meet at a street that sees little or no traffic during the night. Spectators will be present along the road. Usually, cars will have police scanners in order to avoid cop cars. A “flagger,” the individual who starts the race, will stand in the middle of the two cars and wave a flag for the start. An interesting documentary by National Geographic uncovered other aspects of street racing; though many members in the Los Angeles group they followed had had previous connections to street gangs, racing helped keep many young people out of the drug and violent gang world, and helped to foster friendships.
3. The Penalties
The penalties for illegal street car racing can be severe, depending on the circumstances in which someone is caught. For every 1,000 people who take part in street racing, 49 are injured. On top of this, the courts can revoke licenses, impound cars, and imprison people if the situation seemed potentially dangerous, or was. Not to mention, your insurance rates will go through the roof. For this reason, some avid street racers transition over to racing at legal facilities.
What do you know about street race cars?
