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The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) was founded to get racing off the California streets in 1951. Virtually all the drag strips this sanctioning body promot

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) was founded to get racing off the California streets in 1951. Virtually all the drag strips this sanctioning body promoted races at in urban areas have closed (Lions was a famous track in Long Beach sponsored by the Lions club to get racers off the streets for example). Today youtube is full of street racing for money videos and there is a whole genre of fake reality TV shows about street racing glamorizing it. Examples https://youtu.be/Lf9wlvQuxGA https://youtu.be/Lf9wlvQuxGA https://youtu.be/Ltc7e9IIPVc https://youtu.be/Ltc7e9IIPVc The NHRA needs to get back to their core remit and support more legitimate racing venues and local authorities need to help this to happen. There is a thriving electric street drag racing scene too as traction control on Teslas makes it much easier to launch and go fast with no talent, winning races.

olivermarks 9y ago
The TV shows that promote racing on the streets were challenged by the NHRA in 2015. https://jalopnik.com/nhra-cracks-down-on-the-dumbest-fake-street-racing-show-1688422495 https://jalopnik.com/nhra-cracks-down-on-the-dumbest-fake-st... These TV shows are a disgrace and are getting gullible viewers killed emulating a fake show racing their commuter cars on the streets
- olivermarks 9y ago
  Gutted Tesla street racing https://youtu.be/ARzujfRiQ3c https://youtu.be/ARzujfRiQ3c 4.5 million youtube views...
  - jimmy1 9y ago
    To be fair to them, this looks like it is at night in a closed off road to what appears to be an industrial complex. About as safe as you can get, save a drag strip. They also had lighting and people all down the strip.
    - gonesilent 9y ago
      Most races take place in these style locations. Lining the street with spectators is what gets them killed. No crash guards or other defences.
      - jimmy1 9y ago
        Most local drag strips I have been to aren't much better. If you are going to watch cars go over 100 mph, there's always a risk.
sjg007 9y ago
Interesting. I bet Tesla keeps telemetry on the use and gps location of these races/launch mode. I wonder if cops could subpoena the records if they have evidence that a Tesla was there. These races, also intersection take overs and drifting are very dangerous not to mention illegal. I think YouTube and Facebook should shut down the streams and deny monetization.
- mulmen 9y ago
  Surely they would need to know which Tesla was there and subpoena those records specifically?
  - ggg9990 9y ago
    Probably not, if they have evidence of a Tesla committing a crime, and evidence that Tesla could tell them which one, they can subpoena for “all Teslas that exceeded 100mph in this neighborhood on this day”
    - olivermarks 9y ago
      I think these guys are smart enough to strip out everything that is not race winning related - Teslas are heavy...
zone411 9y ago
There is a big NIMBY issue for drag strips that are not in the middle of nowhere because of high noise levels.
- leetcrew 9y ago
  I can't really say that sounds unreasonable. do we really need drag strips within the city limits? by definition, the participants have cars.
  - solotronics 9y ago
    no kid is going to drive an hour+ and pay $100 fee to go race they will set up on some street that's closer and free. also, the street races gather huge crowds of other younger people (girls) so nobody wants to go pay to race where none of their friends are watching.
    - rootusrootus 9y ago
      Arguably we should set up drag strips (formal, or perhaps impromptu where feasible to do safely) in easy to reach locations, charge nothing for entry, and often.
      - olivermarks 9y ago
        that's what the NHRA did in 1951, we've come full circle...
  - JWLong 9y ago
    But also, by definition, anything other than the basic stock car is illegal to street in California.
    - leetcrew 9y ago
      dang, so literally any tune or other aftermarket mods are not street legal in CA? another reason not to move to SV I guess.
Balgair 9y ago
The NHRA is effectively on life-support, or at least on galantamine. I grew up in the Nor-Cal racing scene and my family owned 2 dragsters (Only 1 of which worked at a time). Many many Wednesday nights were spent at Sears Point [0] racing our beaters against each other and chewing on those god-awful hot-dogs. Hot August Nights were one of the few vacations my Dad took, mostly to go place '9ers bets in Reno, but still. The NHRA scene is just too 'rich' and old for the teens. I don't mean in terms of just money, but also in terms of intelligence and experience. The teens can't compete with the older Boomer and the Boomers think they are just idiots. Fact is, they are; but it's only because they are young and inexperienced. If the Boomers would find the wherewithal to just invite the kids over and talk, they'd find a lot of common ground. Also, the teens all speak Spanish and the white Boomers tend to be Trumpy. But their cars are also not as easy to muck with. A 2005 Scooby has a ton of computers and other crud in them. Yes, the aftermarket ODBII cards can help, but it's almost a cheat. This goes for all the regs California has now (smog, etc). There is a lot to learn about modern cars and not a lot of teachers (WyoTech at Las Modanas is pretty good, actually, but rare). Again, the Boomers neglected to teach the next generation. Still, NHRA events and the SCCA are just too old. They have 'dances' on the weekends, but they play The Supremes and The Beatles. If you tried to play anything off the charts today, you'd get screamed at and have a gun waved in your face. I doubt they even know about Spotify. Then the pit fees and the tire fees start adding up, let alone race-gas and the Nomex suits (SCCA here). The weekend to weekend costs are just too much for working at BestBuy, especially if you don't have the tools already. The upfront capital is insane. So, what do they do? Sideshows and the like. They go out on the street, where else? Tracks are not welcoming. Are they dangerous as all get out? Yes. Do the girls pay attention? ... Well, then, who cares how dangerous it is! What choice do they have? [0] Sonoma/Infinion Raceway my ass. It will always be Sears Point.
- olivermarks 9y ago
  I'm in that scene too and have a fairly major car addiction issue...and know all about Sears Point Wednesday nights. The NHRA collects annual dues from a huge number of elderly racers across the USA, which keeps them fat and lazy... and is also the sanctioning body for the increasingly divorced from reality 'big show' nitro car traveling circus, which is in reality a small number of multimillionaire team owners (Kalitta, Arab Sheiks and sponsorship hustlers) fielding multiple cars. All good fun live but hopeless for the average joe in a Honda who wants to race. It's all at a bit of a crisis point and the drifting/sideshow mayhem doesn't help at all...

olivermarks 9y ago

The TV shows that promote racing on the streets were challenged by the NHRA in 2015. https://jalopnik.com/nhra-cracks-down-on-the-dumbest-fake-street-racing-show-1688422495 https://jalopnik.com/nhra-cracks-down-on-the-dumbest-fake-st... These TV shows are a disgrace and are getting gullible viewers killed emulating a fake show racing their commuter cars on the streets

olivermarks 9y ago
Gutted Tesla street racing https://youtu.be/ARzujfRiQ3c https://youtu.be/ARzujfRiQ3c 4.5 million youtube views...
- jimmy1 9y ago
  To be fair to them, this looks like it is at night in a closed off road to what appears to be an industrial complex. About as safe as you can get, save a drag strip. They also had lighting and people all down the strip.
  - gonesilent 9y ago
    Most races take place in these style locations. Lining the street with spectators is what gets them killed. No crash guards or other defences.
    - jimmy1 9y ago
      Most local drag strips I have been to aren't much better. If you are going to watch cars go over 100 mph, there's always a risk.

sjg007 9y ago

Interesting. I bet Tesla keeps telemetry on the use and gps location of these races/launch mode. I wonder if cops could subpoena the records if they have evidence that a Tesla was there. These races, also intersection take overs and drifting are very dangerous not to mention illegal. I think YouTube and Facebook should shut down the streams and deny monetization.

mulmen 9y ago
Surely they would need to know which Tesla was there and subpoena those records specifically?
- ggg9990 9y ago
  Probably not, if they have evidence of a Tesla committing a crime, and evidence that Tesla could tell them which one, they can subpoena for “all Teslas that exceeded 100mph in this neighborhood on this day”
  - olivermarks 9y ago
    I think these guys are smart enough to strip out everything that is not race winning related - Teslas are heavy...

zone411 9y ago

There is a big NIMBY issue for drag strips that are not in the middle of nowhere because of high noise levels.

leetcrew 9y ago
I can't really say that sounds unreasonable. do we really need drag strips within the city limits? by definition, the participants have cars.
- solotronics 9y ago
  no kid is going to drive an hour+ and pay $100 fee to go race they will set up on some street that's closer and free. also, the street races gather huge crowds of other younger people (girls) so nobody wants to go pay to race where none of their friends are watching.
  - rootusrootus 9y ago
    Arguably we should set up drag strips (formal, or perhaps impromptu where feasible to do safely) in easy to reach locations, charge nothing for entry, and often.
    - olivermarks 9y ago
      that's what the NHRA did in 1951, we've come full circle...
- JWLong 9y ago
  But also, by definition, anything other than the basic stock car is illegal to street in California.
  - leetcrew 9y ago
    dang, so literally any tune or other aftermarket mods are not street legal in CA? another reason not to move to SV I guess.

Balgair 9y ago

The NHRA is effectively on life-support, or at least on galantamine. I grew up in the Nor-Cal racing scene and my family owned 2 dragsters (Only 1 of which worked at a time). Many many Wednesday nights were spent at Sears Point [0] racing our beaters against each other and chewing on those god-awful hot-dogs. Hot August Nights were one of the few vacations my Dad took, mostly to go place '9ers bets in Reno, but still. The NHRA scene is just too 'rich' and old for the teens. I don't mean in terms of just money, but also in terms of intelligence and experience. The teens can't compete with the older Boomer and the Boomers think they are just idiots. Fact is, they are; but it's only because they are young and inexperienced. If the Boomers would find the wherewithal to just invite the kids over and talk, they'd find a lot of common ground. Also, the teens all speak Spanish and the white Boomers tend to be Trumpy. But their cars are also not as easy to muck with. A 2005 Scooby has a ton of computers and other crud in them. Yes, the aftermarket ODBII cards can help, but it's almost a cheat. This goes for all the regs California has now (smog, etc). There is a lot to learn about modern cars and not a lot of teachers (WyoTech at Las Modanas is pretty good, actually, but rare). Again, the Boomers neglected to teach the next generation. Still, NHRA events and the SCCA are just too old. They have 'dances' on the weekends, but they play The Supremes and The Beatles. If you tried to play anything off the charts today, you'd get screamed at and have a gun waved in your face. I doubt they even know about Spotify. Then the pit fees and the tire fees start adding up, let alone race-gas and the Nomex suits (SCCA here). The weekend to weekend costs are just too much for working at BestBuy, especially if you don't have the tools already. The upfront capital is insane. So, what do they do? Sideshows and the like. They go out on the street, where else? Tracks are not welcoming. Are they dangerous as all get out? Yes. Do the girls pay attention? ... Well, then, who cares how dangerous it is! What choice do they have? [0] Sonoma/Infinion Raceway my ass. It will always be Sears Point.

olivermarks 9y ago
I'm in that scene too and have a fairly major car addiction issue...and know all about Sears Point Wednesday nights. The NHRA collects annual dues from a huge number of elderly racers across the USA, which keeps them fat and lazy... and is also the sanctioning body for the increasingly divorced from reality 'big show' nitro car traveling circus, which is in reality a small number of multimillionaire team owners (Kalitta, Arab Sheiks and sponsorship hustlers) fielding multiple cars. All good fun live but hopeless for the average joe in a Honda who wants to race. It's all at a bit of a crisis point and the drifting/sideshow mayhem doesn't help at all...