hb_racer

Glad I left town for the weekend! But this is jacked. Our little racing community down here is taking action on this one. The ACLU has been contacted and it is interesting to find out what the turn out will be.

Peace

Here is the article


Task force brakes up drag racing

By STEVE E. SWENSON, Californian staff writer
e-mail: sswenson@bakersfield.com

Monday July 22, 2002, 10:28:00 PM


Responding to citizen complaints over street drag racing, several Kern County police agencies have banded together to crack down on the problem in rural areas around Bakersfield, officials announced Monday.

The task force's first major deployment occurred Saturday night, when 47 officers converged on Bena Road east of Neumarkel Road and cited 53 people on misdemeanor charges of unlawful assembly at an unlawful act, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Travis Mitchell said.

The charge is punishable by up to six months in jail or a fine of up to $1,000. All who were cited are from the greater Bakersfield area, Mitchell said.

But other drag racers contacted by officers in recent months have come from Los Angeles and Ventura, and have congregated near the Buena Vista Recreation Area to engage in drag racing for money, he said.

Drag racing generally involves two cars racing a quarter-mile, Mitchell said. Sometimes the participants win money or car parts, he added. Spectators can number from dozens to a couple hundred, and the activity generally occurs between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., especially on weekend nights, he said.

Some of those cited on Saturday responded quickly on a message board on a Web site called bakersfieldstreetracing.com.

They criticized the crackdown as a futile effort to stop drag racing, and said police should have been out catching real criminals.

Mitchell replied that the whole effort was, and will be, financed in overtime budgets by the participating agencies -- CHP, Kern County Ssheriff's, and Bakersfield and Shafter police departments.

He had no cost estimate, but said if the officers weren't there, they would have been off duty.

The officers believe the project is important because, they say, it is just a matter of time before participants or spectators -- some of whom can be seen in Web site photographs standing just a few feet away from racing cars -- get killed, Mitchell said.

The sergeant said he agrees with complaints on the Web site that the law enforcement effort won't end street racing -- which has been around for decades. But it is one thing officers can do to discourage it.

Another deterrent is to encourage would-be racers and car clubs to take their activity to the Famoso Raceway, where, for a nominal fee, they can do it legally, he said. Plus, the cars are checked first for safety, and both fire suppression and medical help are available on-site, he said.

Races on rural roads such as Zachary, Zerker, Famoso, Old River, Rock Pile, David, Wible near Herring and other locations near Lamont and Shafter are far from medical aid, he said.

A recent crash involving vehicles suspected of drag racing occurred July 13 on Zachary Road south of Shafter, just as Shafter police officers were on their way there in response to a complaint of street racing, Shafter Police Chief John Zrofsky said.

Two cars collided head-on at relatively low speeds, causing minor injuries. But it illustrated the potential for a more serious accident, Zrofsky said.

The recent movie "The Fast and the Furious," about illegal street racing, sexy women and hijacking muscle cars, may be contributing to the glamorous image of street racing, Mitchell said. But a death or critical injury will quickly dull the shine, he said.

Officers are targeting sophisticated and well-planned events, where portable Christmas tree lights are used to signal the start of races, participants listen to scanners to see if police are nearby, and cars are matched by type and power, Mitchell said.

One law enforcement tool used to disrupt such planning is to respond to complaints by business owners to break up large gatherings around muscle cars in their parking lots, Bakersfield police Lt. Tim Taylor said.

Police would inform the crowd that the business doesn't want them in the parking lot, detracting from its ability to operate, Taylor said.

Another aspect to drag racing is the use of nitrous oxide gas to boost the power of the vehicles. But that causes unlawful emissions, which are subject to a misdemeanor citation, Mitchell said.

article can be found on: http://www.bakersfield.com/top/story...-1584350c.html

tonyxcom

You guys got OWNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glad to see morons get what they DESERVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ACLU???? HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA

You think your civil rights have been violated because you got busted doing an illegal act?????????

hahahahaha.

OWNED!

IM ALL BOB

hahah seriously.. regardless u guys got busted.. and they are trying to save lives and that is why we pay taxes to have police on the street.. just say I'm driving down the street with my family and all of a sudden a car spins out of control becuz he was speeding in excess because he wanted to show off and see if he can beat the car next to him.... and kills my wife... now u tell me what the hell am I suppose to do huh... STREET RACING is BAD

bryan305

lucky you weren't around. Going to any kind of organized illegal drag is just dumb. The cops know you're there, and you can bet you're going to be busted sooner or later, so why not stay away. I'm all about stoplight dragging, but I stop at about 5 over the speedlimit. I think that's still safe. And I only do it if there aren't any other cars around besides us 2.

fOmaNPu

I don't pay taxes to have crooked cops sell drugs and South County cops beat my friend Kerry so bad that he has scars all over his face from stiches and he has a permanenet stutter now... I pay taxes for police to do more beneficial things.

I agree that cops are beneficial and street racing where people can get hurt is bad. Just a few weeks ago when I was out streetracing a Mustang GT rolled 5 times into a ditch because HE was being an irresponsible driver....

Drag Racing in a deserted area with good people who know what they're doing


Drag racing in a crowded area with retards

.Ryan

"God Damn Street Racers."

Street Racing

Krow

Haha

CunninLynguist

Street racing is just stupid...if you have the skill or wanna show your **** off...go to a track
"street racing"
"legit track racing"

PSU

iTrader: (2)

j00 = owned

keep it off the streets


[Modified by DxHatchback, 8:41 AM 7/24/2002]

hb_racer

Actually... the ACLU is coming because of the whole pop your hood stuff. Also, the local track (out of town) charges 18 bucks and doesn't prep the track. It is worse than the street. Much more dangerous. And the races take place away from civilization, warehouses, and businesses. You guys should visit our site: http://www.bakersfieldstreetracing.com

We don't condemn the retards. We do are best to tell the retards to leave. We are very organized, believe it or not. But yeah, it is illegal and it should not be done. But if any of you drive your modified vehicles on these streets, it is illegal, at least in Cali. Carb exempt, doesn't mean ****. You'll still have to waste your time and pay for the courts time. Also, cops here have been popping hoods and stuff like that on the street. They can't do that! Legally they can't, but they do and no body does anything about it. Perhaps the ACLU will. I doubt it, but oh well. Anyways... just letting you all know... Don't come to bako with your cars for awhile...

Peace

.Ryan

The Point of Fighting something you are doing thats illegal in the first place? Theres a lot more the cops could have done. Street Racing KILLS, no matter how safe you think you are, or drive.

97hb

How do they know your squeezin. Thats just a bunch of bullshti

EKB18BPR3

street racing is all fucked up. that baby on my avatar is my daughter..if any of u come crashing into my car with her in it and if ur still alive, i will kill u, i promise

IM ALL BOB

actually they can tell you to pop your hood on the basis of probable cause... like lets say u have a modified exhaust or after market exhaust.. you make it alot easier for cops to pull you over... honestly I can say this.. because after I switched to a stock exhaust.. no cops can even touch me hahah .. but probable cause is enough even for them to search the car so why not pop the hood just giving you the reasoning that most Lawyers can use and what judges will go for when you try to go to court..now if u want to weaken the Power of the Police go right ahead...just my .02 cents.. and you even state it's illegal.. so why even try to fight it? just because you feel since you have a shitty track that's it's better to go run outside and race in the streets.. well we all have different perspectives on how we view Street racing and I guess up in central cali.. where it's like Cow land I guess it's pretty empty..

Kalokohan

That's like getting mad at a cop after he busts you for smoking weed. It's illegal,
period. When you decide to cross that line, don't be a bitch when you get busted.
If you're not slick, you have two options:
a. Don't do it.
b. Be a man and deal with the consequences.


[Modified by Guardson3r3, 4:44 PM 7/24/2002]

tonyxcom

they broke the law, and they got caught. DEAL WITH IT.


there are some real stupid people in this world.

Zer0DazE

if it wasnt for you guys racing, neither i nor my g/f would get pulled over for driving to work, or to the store. but since meatheads like you are too cheap to go to the track i get harrased.

thanks

B96v6

More dangerous to whom?? The car drivers or the innocent bystanders?

Street racing gets 2 thumbs down....waaaaay down



Save it for the track and save lives because even if you don't kill anyone, someone else will.

B96v6


[Modified by B96v6, 9:52 PM 7/24/2002]

vtecvoodoo

come se dice "owned"? lol

tonyxcom

This one is for you ryan

Doctor CorteZ

Glad I left town for the weekend! But this is jacked. Our little racing community down here is taking action on this one. The ACLU has been contacted and it is interesting to find out what the turn out will be

what the *****? you guys drag race down populated public streets and the cops bust you and your pissed

you and your friends are a bunch of morons

you should all get friggen tickets

vtecvoodoo

I just pooped my pants

vtecvoodoo

maybe johnny cocKran should get involved, too. ****, maybe Michael Jackson will be down for the cause haha

brcivic411

my thoughts exactly!!

<--has a 2 month old baby girl

.hugo

yeah this is one of the reasons hondas get harrassed so much.