3 ms·

I used to race cars. Driving a race car on the street is dumb AF. Rollcage will crush your skull if you aren’t helmeted and in the 6-point harness. Suspension i

I used to race cars. Driving a race car on the street is dumb AF. Rollcage will crush your skull if you aren’t helmeted and in the 6-point harness. Suspension is bone jarring (and expensive to maintain). The exhaust is not legal. And on and on. Nobody races steeet legal cars. Except maybe a few drag racers, and half those cars probably have illegal tires or emissions removals, but they drove on the street anyway. Source: Many years in the car hobby.

_bin_ 2y ago
Most street racers have some illegal modifications, but the guy driving the riced-out kia isn't really safety-conscious. The hope is to use punishment to shove those people towards tracks (which more people might use if they hadn't been pushed out by noise complaints and such).
- alistairSH 2y ago
  Is the guy in the riced out Covic or whatever really interested in the track? Actual racing would require most car prep, different insurance (or none), more effort overall. The generic car person is doing it for social reasons, not because they want competition.
  - _bin_ 2y ago
    He might capitulate and put up with it if tracks were more common and not pushed out everywhere and if punishments for specifically street racing were increased. Plenty of places "takeovers" should be addressed by bringing about a dozen cop cars and arresting everyone but aren't.
jjav 2y ago
> Nobody races steeet legal cars. Most people don't but that's an overly broad generalization. I raced Spec Miata in its early days (2000-2010) and it was possible (and I did) to keep a moderately competitive Spec Miata still street legal. I didn't have space for a trailer so had to drive it to the track.
- alistairSH 2y ago
  Ha! I cut my teeth on Spec RX-7. I drove it to the track for a season and it was a terrible idea. The car was nominally legal (catalyst in place, full exhaust). But it was loud AF, the rollcage was dangerous on the street, and getting 4 race wheels in the back with a jack, tools, tent, etc was an endeavor.

_bin_ 2y ago

Most street racers have some illegal modifications, but the guy driving the riced-out kia isn't really safety-conscious. The hope is to use punishment to shove those people towards tracks (which more people might use if they hadn't been pushed out by noise complaints and such).

alistairSH 2y ago
Is the guy in the riced out Covic or whatever really interested in the track? Actual racing would require most car prep, different insurance (or none), more effort overall. The generic car person is doing it for social reasons, not because they want competition.
- _bin_ 2y ago
  He might capitulate and put up with it if tracks were more common and not pushed out everywhere and if punishments for specifically street racing were increased. Plenty of places "takeovers" should be addressed by bringing about a dozen cop cars and arresting everyone but aren't.

jjav 2y ago

> Nobody races steeet legal cars. Most people don't but that's an overly broad generalization. I raced Spec Miata in its early days (2000-2010) and it was possible (and I did) to keep a moderately competitive Spec Miata still street legal. I didn't have space for a trailer so had to drive it to the track.

alistairSH 2y ago
Ha! I cut my teeth on Spec RX-7. I drove it to the track for a season and it was a terrible idea. The car was nominally legal (catalyst in place, full exhaust). But it was loud AF, the rollcage was dangerous on the street, and getting 4 race wheels in the back with a jack, tools, tent, etc was an endeavor.