Cops Clamp Down on Illegal Drag Racing

[dmarco_4u]

This is straight out of ABC news in NY
I think you guys might wana read this.

(Brooklyn-WABC, May 3, 2004) — Dozens of hot-rodders are now cooling their engines. Drag racing at two notorious strips came to a screeching halt over the weekend.
The races in Brooklyn and the Bronx were broken up by undercover police officers, who then arrested the drivers and seized their vehicles.

It's part of a city-wide crackdown on an illegal and dangerous sport. Nina Pineda is live in Redhook with the story.

Gone are the muscle cars that James Dean popularized in "Rebel Without a Cause." What's popular now is smaller, Japanese models with aluminum engines, built to go very, very fast. Some of them are extensively customized, with as much as $25,000 and $30,000 in parts spent on them.

They were built to go from zero to 60 in mere seconds -- now they're not going anywhere but this pier.

Nine vehicles were impounded through operation Drag Net. The undercover crackdown on illegal dragracing had drivers and spectators trying to get away fast. But they were dragged into the NYPD's net.

Inspector Richard Graf, NYPD Highway District: "It was done, again, through undercovers blending right in with others, spectators, other racers. To make them feel as though they were part of the event. Once we learned the information we had a pre-plan in effect. And once the drag racing began, we moved in, shut it down, and arrested the drag racers."

Racing enthusiasts gun it in the organized heats that draw huge crowds of spectators gathering for the speed thrill, and the high-stakes payoffs in betting on the lightweight compact cars.

Popular secret spots were Flatlands Avenue in Brooklyn, and Sereca Avenue in the Bronx, and South Conduit in Queens. Drivers in those areas say the racers are a terror and a dangerous nuisance.

Police arrested 19 people in the operation, and cops dolled out 385 summonses in the bust.

It's a relief for drivers learning to drive safely at driving schools in the area, now that they can learn on New York's less-mean streets.

Inspector Richard Graf: "If you drag, we snag."

It wasn't just the drivers of the hot-rods that police arrested. They also arrested and charged people with drunk driving, some had arrest warrants out for them, and police say others had suspended licenses


You better watch out, you better watch out, you better not race or a pig will come out!

 

[Mean03V6]

This is straight out of ABC news in NY
I think you guys might wana read this.

(Brooklyn-WABC, May 3, 2004) — Dozens of hot-rodders are now cooling their engines. Drag racing at two notorious strips came to a screeching halt over the weekend.
The races in Brooklyn and the Bronx were broken up by undercover police officers, who then arrested the drivers and seized their vehicles.

It's part of a city-wide crackdown on an illegal and dangerous sport. Nina Pineda is live in Redhook with the story.

Gone are the muscle cars that James Dean popularized in "Rebel Without a Cause." What's popular now is smaller, Japanese models with aluminum engines, built to go very, very fast. Some of them are extensively customized, with as much as $25,000 and $30,000 in parts spent on them.

They were built to go from zero to 60 in mere seconds -- now they're not going anywhere but this pier.

Nine vehicles were impounded through operation Drag Net. The undercover crackdown on illegal dragracing had drivers and spectators trying to get away fast. But they were dragged into the NYPD's net.

Inspector Richard Graf, NYPD Highway District: "It was done, again, through undercovers blending right in with others, spectators, other racers. To make them feel as though they were part of the event. Once we learned the information we had a pre-plan in effect. And once the drag racing began, we moved in, shut it down, and arrested the drag racers."

Racing enthusiasts gun it in the organized heats that draw huge crowds of spectators gathering for the speed thrill, and the high-stakes payoffs in betting on the lightweight compact cars.

Popular secret spots were Flatlands Avenue in Brooklyn, and Sereca Avenue in the Bronx, and South Conduit in Queens. Drivers in those areas say the racers are a terror and a dangerous nuisance.

Police arrested 19 people in the operation, and cops dolled out 385 summonses in the bust.

It's a relief for drivers learning to drive safely at driving schools in the area, now that they can learn on New York's less-mean streets.

Inspector Richard Graf: "If you drag, we snag."

It wasn't just the drivers of the hot-rods that police arrested. They also arrested and charged people with drunk driving, some had arrest warrants out for them, and police say others had suspended licenses


You better watch out, you better watch out, you better not race or a pig will come out!

"if you drag, we snag." Lmfao. Oh man, that's gonna stop street racing everywhere....

 

[marvinmycat]

I think you guys might wana read this.

What's that supposed to mean, or was it just a head's up sort of thing?

 

[Lsredy2kstang]

Good, you do the crime you should serve the time!

I applaude the NYPD!

 

[Penguin]

Good, you do the crime you should serve the time! ...

 

[nomuffler]

this is way off topic, but this thread title doesn't have an underline for me, is this just me or does anyone else occasionaly see a thread title with no underline?

 

[Mean03V6]

Good, you do the crime you should serve the time!

I applaude the NYPD!

So I guess you're saying you have never street raced?

 

[ganador01]

Good, you do the crime you should serve the time!

I applaude the NYPD!

U know i can't agree with you on this one....i think that cops should make it easier for youths to drag race....its gonna happen....why not try and make it safer...close off a part of secluded road on a night....have an actual crew come out and monitor...i know bets will go on at thats illegal, but they can't prove that as it is right now....all they can prove is that people race....you have to be undercover like these guys to get them for betting too....i know i personally never race for money...i race to have a good time...until the cops make it easier, or some sort of track opens up near me for a descent price...i will street race....this doesn't affect me at all....they did a bust on about 120 cars where i lived....problem is that i lived in a rich white part of town...the police department got sued and lost...and the guy heading that raid got fired...luckily i wasn't there....but they paid about nearly 500,000 dollars in damages for the people and physical damage done to the cars while being towed and stored...

 

[Penguin]

U know i can't agree with you on this one....i think that cops should make it easier for youths to drag race....its gonna happen....why not try and make it safer...close off a part of secluded road on a night....have an actual crew come out and monitor...i know bets will go on at thats illegal....

It's called a drag strip. Ever heard of that one? They're legal and supervised. They have crews and are a lot safer without traffic and pedestrians in the way. With all the money they spend on illegal betting, they could easily rent the local track for the night. The only reason they do it is because it IS illegal and it gives them a rush.

 

[2k3stangguy]

I swear they are freakin hipocrits they shut down dragstrips then they start cracking down on street racing well where the hell are the kids supposed to do it if they keep shutting down the tracks the gov't/police are a bunch of retards IMHO

 

[Lsredy2kstang]

It's called a drag strip. Ever heard of that one? They're legal and supervised. They have crews and are a lot safer without traffic and pedestrians in the way. With all the money they spend on illegal betting, they could easily rent the local track for the night. The only reason they do it is because it IS illegal and it gives them a rush.

 

[Penguin]

I swear they are freakin hipocrits they shut down dragstrips then they start cracking down on street racing well where the hell are the kids supposed to do it if they keep shutting down the tracks the gov't/police are a bunch of retards IMHO

Those are two different organizations. The police do their jobs. The government does what it wants to get more money for itself or please it's constituents.

 

[Pro-Hawk]

They do this sort of stuff here in Texas also. They use there undercover drug sting type cars to bust kids now days. They're pretty much easy to spot but the problem is most of the kids still line up any red light. I mean it would be a Friday night while the roads are still packed and you couldn't tell who is who. When we use to street **** we would pick a untraveled county road and race all night. They was a few times where some county people would call the law but you could see the cops coming from miles away. Now days in some of our bigger cities if your cought racing in town they take your car and invite you to spend the night with them and its not really optional on the invite. I believe this crack down is all from that F&F ricer mentality. I've been cruzing down the roads and they pull up next to me wanting to race and before you flip them off ( lol) they floor it. I've seen this in the worst spots you could ever dream of like School zones as kids are crossing the street !! It would be uneithical of me to support street ******* but try to use your brain about this besides that most tracks allows street cars on test & tunes nights. If you got to prove something to someone take it there

 

[Mean03V6]

It's called a drag strip. Ever heard of that one? They're legal and supervised. They have crews and are a lot safer without traffic and pedestrians in the way. With all the money they spend on illegal betting, they could easily rent the local track for the night. The only reason they do it is because it IS illegal and it gives them a rush.

I fail to see the harm in racing in a controlled environment w/o pedestrians or traffic w/o being on a track. Now, I'm not condoning, endorsing, promoting, or defending illegal street racing. It IS a crime, regardless of what some T-shirts may say. But when you take racing to the track, people tend to get all serious about their track times and start fighting with one another. I'm sure at street meets there are lots of fights, but I only hang out with a few friends and usually it's just a social gathering to sit and about whatever might be going on. If we were at a track, we would have to pay to see what our cars can do and it'd be a much less casual environment. Also, if you have two lanes of country blacktop with no traffic or people, then it's the same thing as having a track. The only problems you might run into would be vehicle malfunctions which could happen either on the track or on the street. No racing environment is completely controlled as far as that goes. I used to be really heavy into racing (now I usually just go cruising around like an old man. ) and I tell you, I never did it for the fact that it was illegal. I did it b/c it was and is a hobby, just like building model cars or anything else. It's the kids out there in their parent's Maxima or their first car which happens to be a Trans-Am who get people killed by racing in the worst possible spots imaginable, such as (as Pro-Hawk pointed out) school zones. I just think that, like anything else, if racing is done properly and responsably, then it can be just as safe on the street as on the track. I do find it amusing that movies like Fast and the Furious put the disclaimer on their film that says not to attempt stunts seen in the movie though. If not for the street scene, that movie would have never existed in the first place. In closing, I'd just like to say that I am not condoning, promoting, or defending illegal street racing. It is a crime, bottom line. I'm simply throwing my $.02 into this conversation, which I might regret by the time this thread is done however.... So, everyone drive safe, won't ya?

 

[Pro-Hawk]

Umm...its really hard for anyone to have a complete contolled event on the street. I OPRR when I get the chance and not only do they block off every little tiny road that dumps on to our road/track they also have a person with a radio there also. That= a lot of people on a 118 miles race What I'm getting at is if you run in town you never know who is going to pop out at you at anytime. Even late at night there are people ( like me ) who just loves to drive around ( mostly in big cities exploring).

Now if you run outside of town like I would you got those damn Jack rabbits that usualy don't hang around the race tracks If you hit one at 50-100+ mph it could be pretty bad. Also if you try to avoid doing so could cause more issues

Then you have the worst one of all and has happened to me and my friends more than we want to admit. I can't count how many times I've went out racing and every body was drinking. I've seen minor wrecks because of it and heard of worse on the days I wasn't there ( Thank God). One night I was hoseing down a 5.0L in my killer Chevy n/a truck . I was about to pass him in second gear when I looked over and he was talking a drink I said screw this and got out of there.

 

[H8Eternal]

South Conduit in Queens, it's about time. god dam ricers swarming around there on the weekends. all you hear Is fartcans left & right.

 

[Mean03V6]

Umm...its really hard for anyone to have a complete contolled event on the street. I OPRR when I get the chance and not only do they block off every little tiny road that dumps on to our road/track they also have a person with a radio there also. That= a lot of people on a 118 miles race What I'm getting at is if you run in town you never know who is going to pop out at you at anytime. Even late at night there are people ( like me ) who just loves to drive around ( mostly in big cities exploring).

Now if you run outside of town like I would you got those damn Jack rabbits that usualy don't hang around the race tracks If you hit one at 50-100+ mph it could be pretty bad. Also if you try to avoid doing so could cause more issues

Then you have the worst one of all and has happened to me and my friends more than we want to admit. I can't count how many times I've went out racing and every body was drinking. I've seen minor wrecks because of it and heard of worse on the days I wasn't there ( Thank God). One night I was hoseing down a 5.0L in my killer Chevy n/a truck . I was about to pass him in second gear when I looked over and he was talking a drink I said screw this and got out of there.

I can respect those points. Alcohol and gasoline never mix well...neither do Camaro and Stang owners.

 

[Pro-Hawk]

I can respect those points. Alcohol and gasoline never mix well...neither do Camaro and Stang owners.

Hey...If it wasn't for Camaros I would be bored


How sad...thats comming from a Chevy man

 

[Penguin]

...I fail to see the harm in racing in a controlled environment w/o pedestrians or traffic w/o being on a track....

But when you take racing to the track, people tend to get all serious about their track times and start fighting with one another....

In closing, I'd just like to say that I am not condoning, promoting, or defending illegal street racing. It is a crime, bottom line. I'm simply throwing my $.02 into this conversation, which I might regret by the time this thread is done however....

Ok... I can see what you're saying. I beg to differ on the track thing. On the track it's more relaxed. You feel safer and don't have to worry about anywhere near the amount of things you do on the street. Also, you can't throw about who won and get in fights, because they have actual timing lights and you don't try to block them from getting in front of you (like some people do on the street). Someone else mentioned the 'illegal gambling', which I'm sure they do. You may not have the money to go to the track, but they do. Especially since they spent $25k on their sport compact.

I agree with most of what Pro-Hawk said.

It wasn't just the drivers of the hot-rods that police arrested. They also arrested and charged people with drunk driving, some had arrest warrants out for them, and police say others had suspended licenses

Drivers in those areas say the racers are a terror and a dangerous nuisance.

If you look at the article again. You can see there was drinking and endangering of other drivers.

I wasn't referring to the guy who every once in awhile just happens to line up with someone at a light and they want to race. Then if there's no traffic, give it a little go. It's quite fun sometimes, but if you get caught, don't whine, you knew what you were doing and you took the chance. Nothing wrong with taking what you deserve.

 

[Pro-Hawk]

I agree with most of what Pro-Hawk said.

I wasn't referring to the guy who every once in awhile just happens to line up with someone at a light and they want to race. Then if there's no traffic, give it a little go. It's quite fun sometimes, but if you get caught, don't whine, you knew what you were doing and you took the chance. Nothing wrong with taking what you deserve.

First of all its the Jack Rabbit part you disagree with isn't it...

As for the the, "Once and a while happens to line up at a light," Part...I admit nothing

Speaking of 25k imports I know this is :OT: a hair but I thought it was funny.

I was watching I think Tunner Transfermation ch 52 which allows me to check out the comp and its funny sometimes. Anyways they have this dyno truth or dare which people put there car an a dyno and see if it matches what they think there car does. Well this guy with a Honduh Prelude ( how ever its spelled) said he hopes around 190hp. This car had a CAI, 2' wing, strut brace, and some wheels. Once it was all done his car did 154hp I was thinking to my self this guy really believe that crap adds tons of power uh