|
Here is an e-mail sent to SEMA fwd to EKF-
Subj: FW: Illegal-Street Racing
Date: 4/7/2005 11:41:53 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: greggg@sema.org
To: EthelkilledFred
Sent from the Internet
Another addition to your email outreach.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------
From: OCRacer77
Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 7:27 PM
To: Gregg Guenthard
Cc: d_sommars
Subject: Re: Illegal-Street Racing
Dear Greg,
Thank you for taking the time to write the detailed email you provided. I still think there are some things about street racers you need to take into consideration. These people are groupees and they have their hang out. Of the "alternatives" you provided, there is only 1 event that barely fits the catagory of what a street racer would truely consider. That is the California Speedway event, but it is once a month, saturday night AND and its only an 1/8 mile track.
1)Street racers want: Friday or Saturday night open track
2)Street racers want: A track within reasonable distance
3)Street racers want: A 1/4 mile track
4)Street racers want: (most importantly) A track open consistently so it becomes the "hang out".
Unless a track becomes, "the hangout" all other things become pointless in helping reduce street racing. More and more of these "day" events might help a little, but really its just more things for the legal racers to do. No events anywhere in So Cal are consistent (inwindale is thursday nights who thought of that??) therefore will never become a hang-out for street racers. That is the critical mistake in all efforts by the RASR group. The hang-out simply needs to move from the street to the track.
Please give me more information on who to contact to help brotherhood come back to life. I know many people that will send letters to who can make a difference. How many letters do you need? 10? 100? 1000? 10,000?
My objective is to make RASR aware of what really needs to happen to reduce street racing because right now, I see them missing the point. I'm against illegal activity just like anyone else. My other objective is have a real track for So Cal. THERE ISNT ONE. It's sad we have the largest population and not one track open on the nights, no wonder we have a problem? No hangout at the track = hangout on the streets. Of all these accidents and deaths in San Diego, what percentage happened on the weekends and at night? Probably most.
Thank you,
Dan.
In a message dated 4/5/2005 4:07:25 PM Pacific Standard Time, greggg@sema.org writes:
Subj: Illegal-Street Racing
Date: 4/5/2005 4:07:25 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: greggg@sema.org
To: ocracer77
Sent from the Internet
Hi. I would like to comment on your email concerning illegal-street racing. A quick look could possibly give one an excuse to go illegal-street racing, but there are options that one who truly wanted to go real racing would take. There is an active ¼ mile race track at California Speedway that holds legal street racing at least once a month. There is 1/8 mile track racing on about every other weekend at Qualcom Stadium in San Diego. These, along with the Thursday nights events at Irwindale offer the enthusiast quite a few alternatives to doing something illegal on the street. As far as Brotherhood Raceway is concerned, efforts are currently underway to revitalize the track in the harbor area. There has been a presentation by supporters that was well received by the Harbor Commission and the Brotherhood is currently working with Mayor Hahn’s office and we hope to hear favorable news soon. I will keep your email address and forward any details that may come up about this.
One thing I would like to point out is that while I do understand the need for speed, I also understand when something is illegal. The practice of illegal street racing is not the benign scenes from Two-Lane Blacktop or American Graffiti. Those days are gone and they were not any safer either. Vehicles are faster and more powerful than ever and push the limits of both the driver and the environment the driver is in. This, compounded by the fact that these races are being committed alongside people just going about their daily life, only creates a recipe for disaster. An analogy is that there are not that many shooting ranges in the Los Angeles area either, but does that mean it is ok to set up a target range in the middle of Olympic Boulevard? Just because you may be a good shot, doesn’t mean the guy who lines up next to you knows which end the bullet comes out of. This is not necessarily a ridiculous comparison; the end result of something going wrong can be the same, injury or death. Compound these possible results with the fact that penalties for illegal street racing are getting stiffer and the profiling of what an illegal street racer looks like is getting worse. This just makes it clearer that if you want to race, you need to take it to a track. Just saying that because there is no legal alternative that suites one’s schedule or wishes, does not make it ok to go out and endanger anyone for the sake of a thrill. I hope you check out the links below and I will keep you on my email list for news of more legal racing opportunities or even meetings where your support may induce action to create more tracks.
http://www.californiaspeedway.com/track/CaliforniaDragway2005Schedule.js p
http://racelegal.com/news/news.asp
Subj: Street Racing-Terminal Island's Brotherhood Raceway
Date: 4/9/2005 9:49:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: EthelkilledFred
To: OCRacer77
[i]Please give me more information on who to contact to help brotherhood come back to life. I know many people that will send letters to who can make a difference. How many letters do you need? 10? 100? 1000? 10,000?
[/i]
Gregg from SEMA foward your e-mail to me. Sure we can use the letter writting help. Currently we have been using the internet to voice our stand with the Mayor on reopening up Terminal Island's Brotherhood Raceway. E-mail me back and let me know details of how you can help. Thanks
- EKF
_______________________
Brotherhood Of Street Racers
Things are really looking good for the reopening of T. I. After the Long Beach Grand Prix in mid April, the barriers from that race will be moved to the site agreed for T. I. and T. I. should be rolling towards the end of April. Anything could go wrong at anytime but as of now it is all good. This is the 11th time T. I. was shut down and the 12th time it will reopened.
Previous action:
EthelkilledFred writes:
Hey Terminal Island looks like a go, it's a little soon to tell but we have been in talks with the Mayor and the Harbor Commission here is a sample of what has been said-
Subj: Re: Publicly Thank The Mayor
Date: 3/4/2005 7:30:45 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: EthelkilledFred
To: Mayor Hahn Office L.A. city .org
In a message dated 3/4/2005 2:17:54 PM Pacific Standard Time,
Mayor Hahn Office L.A. city .org writes:
>Unfortunately the Mayor is unavailable this weekend. I will let you
know if we can schedule your proposed event idea at another time. My
office will be in touch. Thanks,
Lindsay Watson
Director of Scheduling
Mayor James K. Hahn
200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
EthelkilledFred writes:
Thanks for the reply Ms. Watson. We can do it during the week, but less people will show up, unless it is late in the evening, like between 9 PM to Midnight would work, then we can have a good size crowd and we would like to do the meeting on the streets of Los Angeles (San Fernado Valley to be specific) where we race with the cars we race with. The point is we as street racers, want to thank Mayor Hahn for getting the ball rolling in getting Terminal Island's Brotherhood Raceway reopened, and want to publicly express that he is getting street racers off the streets of Los Angeles by giving us a chioce other than the streets. Once again thank you very much.
EKF
Brotherhood of Street Racers SFV
______________________________________________
EthelkilledFred writes:
On Wednesday, February 23, 2005, there is a meeting at 8:30 AM at the Harbor Commission's office regarding re-opening Terminal Island's Brotherhood Raceway. Everyone is invited and if you can make it great and if you can't we will keep you posted.
Harbor Commission
425 So. Palos Verdes Street
San Pedro, CA. 90703
On a sad note, Ex-Vietnam Vet Street Racer 'Mouse' who was the starter on the movie "Two Lane Black Top", died last month. Details are unknown at this time but he was working for a military installation in the Northwest when it happen. May God Bless his soul.
Previous action taken @ Oct 2004 that on lead up to this meeting-
Re-open Brotherhood Raceway Park.
213-978-0600 That is the mayor's direct line
Everyone who called Mayor Hahn, especially the out of state calls, give yourself a pat on the back 'cause the mayor called Big Willie yesterday and assigned someone from his office to work our details on return a track to Los Angeles-T.I. is closer to return to Los Angeles, California but not to get everyone's hopes up this has happen in the past but it is still a step forward in the right direction. UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FAIL!!!
It aint about the money for the mayor, it is bigger than that, it is about his reelection. Street racing deaths has reach the global news headlines status. It is big news right now and if he wants to get reelected he has to find a solution-the solution is Terminal Island. San Diego has even told the mayor it worked for them with Qualcomm Race Legal Program, but the mayor already knows that caused it worked here first with T. I. They put all these new laws into effect and this months street racing incidents have gone up with deadly results. The laws were ineffective. The Harbor Commission is all about the money, they got billions from China to land fill the area and increase the Harbor to make more land but failed to include a spot for the track, but on the other side of the harbor there is 2 vacant lots that has been sitting there for 9 years+ that could hold a track. Willie has told the mayor he could be up and running in a matter of weeks, it was up to the mayor to give him the OK. So the mayor has assigned someone from his office to work with Willie and to go over the land site. As Willie said to the mayor, there is nothing to go over I am ready to get started. But it is still the mayors call so we wait and keep calling his office and asking "when is Terminal Island going to open?"
_________________
Brotherhood Of Street Racers
In a message dated 2/14/2005 2:38:34 PM Pacific Standard Time, greggg@sema.org writes:
>I would like to publish this in SEMA enews to rally support, but I need to verify the agenda for the meeting. The official agenda is not up yet. Is there a contact I can call to verify this happening? Any info is appreciated.
EthelkilledFred writes:
They will not have a calendar ready until 2/18/05. Willie is going there to address them on the public forum schedule for comments from the public. Any questions about the meeting can be directed to Audrey at 310-732-3444. Any media questions can be directed to Public Affairs media unit or Julia who will be at the meeting for any assistance. Public Affairs number is 310-732-3508. The meeting will be broadcast on City Cable channel 35 @ one week after the meeting.
Discussions off the net:
>In my opinion--and this is simply my opinion--I think racing on the public streets and highways is about the lamest and stupidest thing anyone can do.
Being a street racer, I agree.
> I believe street racing is where people who can't win on a level and legal playing field
I disagree. Don Garlits, Shirley Mulldowney, Don The Snake Prudome, Larry Dixion, Corey Mac, The founder of NHRA Wally Parks to name a few were all street racers.
> go to try to be "underground" and in the process put themselves and other people at risk.
They are underground so's not to get busted.
> It's no wonder car enthusiasts as a whole get pigeonholed into the "dog piss' category by society.
Most car enthusiasts are reguarded higher then you think-SEMA is an organization that lobbies for car enthusiasts, are you a member, what have you done for the hobby.2004 SEMA Show | Home
IMO:My Two Cents-
I am a street racer, and have been for 25 plus years. Now a 15-17 year old kid does not have the best judgment, and 17-25 also make mistakes, but should those mistakes make him or her a convicted felon. Street racing goes on all over the U.S. and is so underground right now that you would not know it is even going on, we raced on the NEWS one mile from the police station, were the NEWS reporters had been at that same police station the night before interviewing the cops and they said they did not have a street race problem in their town. We are not the ones on the NEWS lately, the ones on the NEWS today are the stop light to stop light high school crowd who have recently lost their lives answer a challenge from someone they do not even know. In the 50's the Santa Ana Police department came up with a solution to get street racers off the street and it turn into the NHRA. In the 70's LAPD also started up an organization to curb street racing, it is THE BROTHERHOOD OF STREET RACERS. Don Garlits, Shirley Mulldowney, Don The Snake Prudome, Larry Dixion, Corey Mac, (hey Freiburger, Corey was street racing around Orange County and Larry was also doing it in SFV around the same time you were street racing in the Valley) The founder of NHRA Wally Parks to name a few were all street racers, today they would be criminals.
Shirley Muldowney
SPEED AND SUCCESS
In fact she became somewhat of a notorious local street racer in the early days, but was quickly drawn to a growing form of auto competition called drag racing.
From:
Shirley Muldowney Biography Page
WALLY PARKS
NHRA Founder
in his high school years, he became active in building stripped-down Model-T's for use on the street
From:
NHRA Media: NHRA Founder Wally Parks
Street racing started as early as the early 40's, by 1950s Wally Parks got together with the local police to try and organize street racers, and it became the NHRA. So Cal had some great tracks to race on and street racing was at it's low, but then property value went up and out went the dragstrips, and in came the street race problem again, we have come full circle again. 60 years later and still have the same problem, but we know the cure and are unwilling to use it. San Diego Police helped to open up the 'Q', Fontana Police along with the CHP help at Fontana and the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department along with Irwindale Police help out with Irwindale.
HOW MANY MORE MUST DIE BEFORE WE OPEN A TRACK IN LOS ANGELES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re-open Brotherhood Raceway Park. 213-978-0600 That is the mayor's direct line
Everyone who called Mayor Hahn, especially the out of state calls, give yourself a pat on the back 'cause the mayor called Big Willie yesterday and assigned someone from his office to work out details on return a track to Los Angeles-T.I. is closer to return to L.A. but not to get everyone's hopes up this has happen in the past but it is still a step forward in the right direction. UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FAIL!!!
It aint about the money for the mayor, it is bigger than that, it is about his reelection. Street racing deaths has reach the global news headlines status. It is big news right now and if he wants to get reelected he has to find a solution-the solution is Terminal Island. San Diego has even told the mayor it worked for them with Qualcomm Race Legal Program, but the mayor already knows that caused it worked here first with T. I. They put all these new laws into effect and this months street racing incidents have gone up with deadly results. The laws were ineffective. The Harbor Commission is all about the money, they got billions from China to land fill the area and increase the Harbor to make more land but failed to include a spot for the track, but on the other side of the harbor there is 2 vacant lots that has been sitting there for 9 years+ that could hold a track. Willie has told the mayor he could be up and running in a matter of weeks, it was up to the mayor to give him the OK. So the mayor has assigned someone from his office to work with Willie and to go over the land site. As Willie said to the mayor, there is nothing to go over I am ready to get started. But it is still the mayors call so we wait and keep calling his office and asking when is Terminal Island going to open?
A soon as Terminal Island closed, San Fernando Rd in the SFV got busy, Compton and Main got busy, Alameda and Del Amo in Carson got busy, 4 lanes in City of Industry got busy (1 mile from the police station) Santa Ana Rd in Ontario got busy, Sand Canyon Rd in Irvine got busy, Nabisco in Buena Park got busy, The Box Factory in Whittier got busy, Aviation Rd near LAX got busy, Edwards in Anaheim got busy, Dale Rd and Commonwealth behind Fullerton Airport got busy, 210 frwy in San Dimas got busy (before they finished it), Bolsa Chica and Westmister Bl in Seal Beach got busy. Bolsa Chica and Bolsa near Skylab Rd in Huntington Beach got busy (Yeah NASA and again a police station a couple miles away). And there is a lot I am sure I missed, and not to worry about rat-ing out these sites, major busts happen at most of these places, and others don't exist any more, but after T. I. shut down street racing exploded again, and is still going on.
Yeah that's me on the video. That is Terminal Island's track on the video, it was a street racer's track, if you look at the cars in the staging lanes, the street cars out number the full race cars in the evening hours. During the day the race cars would use the track, during the night the street racers used the track. When T. I. (Terminal Island) was open, street racing in Los Angeles, San Fernando, Ontario, Riverside and Orange County areas were down to null. It's city politics that keep them from opening it back up, they would rather spend millions on a street racer task force then the track. Why? Well, the task force is paid by the federal government, so the extra cops don't show on the city budget and they use these cops for other things including drug busts. So they would rather keep street racing under control rather than eliminated it. (no street race problem = no extra cops + no money from the feds.)
Street Racing Facts:
From SDStreetRacing.com -- SDMS, Sunday, June 15, 06:46:54pm
All according to the NTSB as early as I could have found.
In 2002, 17,970 people were killed in crashes INVOLVING ALCHOHOL, representing 42 percent of the 42,850 people killed in all traffic crashes (up from the 41% killed in 2001), according to preliminary NHTSA data.(Pretty #### amazing. Think about that next time you see that idiot swerving around.)
2001 STREET RACING led to 135 of the 42,116 which is one-third of ONE PERCENT of all traffic accident for that year. 2001 had 17,448 drunk driving fatalities. For those of you who don't want to do math you are about 130 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE FROM A DRUNK DRIVER THEN AS A RESULT OF A RACING ACCIDENT.
Of course what these statistics don't show is WHO dies. Usually in racing it is the racers who pay the consequences. In drunk driving (as many people will know) the drunk usually goes home in cuffs with a few scratches while the other cars passengers families are notified by an officer in the middle of the night.
Sources: www.madd.org and www.NHRA.com
>this "article" seems to almost condone street racing as if it's okay.
The street racers I know do not condone street racing, but they do street race. It is more orginized but still just as dangerous and illegal. The street racers that make the news are the ones getting killed/or killing someone racing from stop light to stop light. I think it is a normal reaction when you are young to answer the challenge even if you are not a street racer. We had a solution it was Terminal Island. Now San Deigo had took the same steps and started Quailcom. They gave an alternitive to street racing, a place to answer the challenge. Here is how the did it.-
With funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety, both RaceLegal.com and San Diego Police Department's Drag Net Unit were formed with the express intention of addressing San Diego's epidemic of illegal street racing activity. A grass root community based coalition entitled the "Closing the Loop" approach to intervention was also developed. The coalition involved city/county government, law enforcement, Bureau of Automotive Repair, Superior Court, City Attorney, District Attorney, county probation and the safer and sanctioned track alternative to street - RaceLegal.com.
The award-winning program to redirect would-be street racers into organized drag racing.
RaceLegal has a grant of $350,000 from the California Office of Traffic Safety. With funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety, both RaceLegal.com and San Diego Police Department's Drag Net Unit were formed with the express intention of addressing San Diego's epidemic of illegal street racing activity. A grass root community based coalition entitled the "Closing the Loop" approach to intervention was also developed. The coalition involved city/county government, law enforcement, Bureau of Automotive Repair, Superior Court, City Attorney, District Attorney, county probation and the safer and sanctioned track alternative to street. The highly successful RaceLegal program hosts Friday night runs at Qualcomm Stadium. Through the middle of 2003, RaceLegal was run out of a San Diego State University program founded by Dr. Stephen Bender. When Bender decided to retire, he also decided to shift the program from the control of San Diego State to the city of San Diego's Traffic Division. "There was never a problem accessing the grant money while we were with San Diego State," said DeNecochea. "With Steve retiring, the timing of the switch seemed to make perfect sense."
DID YOU KNOW!!! Get busted for an illegal street racing violation (VC 23109) and you are looking at $5,000 plus in fines, repairs, impound costs, attorney fees and community service. Not to mention the mega increase in your insurance costs.
Worse yet, people can get killed (4 so far this year) or seriously injured. Kill someone while illegal street racing in San Diego and you could be charged with second degree murder.
So,is it really worth it? Come on down to the "Q" and for $20 get all the runs you want in a safer and sanctioned environment.
Be Smart-Be Part of the Solution: RACE TRACK, NOT STREET.
DID YOU KNOW THAT..., San Diego's 'Closing the Loop' approach to intervening and stemming the needless loss of young lives to illegal street racing involved crashes has proven tremendously successful. The latest SDPD Drag Net statistics show a 99% drop in the incidence of organized illegal street racing. In addition, we have witnessed a 79% improvement in 2003, when compared to 2002, as it relates to the mortality/morbidity associated with illegal street racing involved crashes.
The 'spectator' and 'forfeiture' ordinances, combined with Drag Net and BAR's continued presence, the 5 counts of second degree murder levied by the District Attorney for fatal 2002 Illegal street racing involved crashes, the City Council approved extended hours to 1:00 AM for the 'Q' based RaceLegal events, have all combined to make San Diego City a poor choice in terms of illegal street racing activity.
All San Diego cities along with the County Board of Supervisors (with the exception of Del Mar) have now passed parallel 'spectator' ordinances which will be followed by parallel 'forfeiture' ordinances, San Diego County is now poised to become an entire county with the reputation for being the last place you want to illegal street race.
Be part of the solution - RaceTrack, Not Street!
UNDER THE LOOKING GLASSS Diego suffered the devastation of 16 deaths and 31 serious injuries that were directly related to illegal street racing involved crashes in 2002. Three of those fatally injured were innocent bystanders. The District Attorney saw fit to charge the 3 defendants involved in these illegal street racing involved crashes that took the lives of 3 innocent bystanders with 5 counts of second degree murder. Two of the defendants were subsequently convicted of 2 counts each of gross vehicular manslaughter and the third defendant still awaits trail.
Final statistics for 2003 reveal a substantial turnaround with 4 recorded dead and 6 seriously injured as a direct result of illegal street racing involved crashes. This amounts to a 79% improvement in illegal street racing involved mortality/morbidity over a one year period.
DRUG/ALCOHOL FREE ENVIRONMENT RaceLegal events are drug/alcohol free events. Anyone abusing this policy will be citied by SDPD. Alcohol/Drugs and the safer and sanctioned RaceLegal alternative to illegal street racing do not mix - period. There is "0" tolerance when it comes to this "Code of Conduct." Your cooperation is imperative. Please report any drug/alcohol non-compliance to the SDPD officers and/or a member of our security team. Thank you in advance for your compliance.
DO YOU NEED COMMUNITY SERVICE?If you need community service hours or want to volunteer, please contact the office at (619) 265-8159. You can also e-mail us at info@racelegal.com. HELP US & POSSIBLY GET CASH!Please donate that auto, boat, or RV that's no longer needed to RaceLegal.com and help us continue providing a legal and safe alternative to illegal street racing. Receive maximum legal tax deduction and possibly a partial cash payment! Free towing or pick up seven days a week at your convenience.
We need your support. You can make a difference. RaceLegal.com is a not for profit 501(C)3 community based program, which is a project of Center for Injury Prevention.
Please call toll free: 866-244-8464
FOR RACE INFO CALL 619-265-8159 Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00AM to 4:30PM
- RaceLegal.com.
Here is another interesting story-
Source: Western New York
Copyright: The Buffalo News
Buffalo, NY - 3 Amish men charged in buggy race, crash
Three young Amish men have been charged in a late-night buggy race in the Town of Leon in which a collision with a fourth buggy left a horse dead. The charges were announced Sunday after a weeklong investigation of the May 19 accident by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Department. Deputies were called to the scene after a dead horse and smashed buggy were found in a ditch on Riga Road last Monday.
Deputies said the three men from Leon were racing their buggies south on Riga Road at 11 p.m. when they crested a knoll and encountered a northbound buggy driven by Eli D. Miller, 17, of Napoli. The unsuspecting Miller collided with the horse and buggy driven by Jacob E. Wengerd, 17, of Route 62, deputies said. Wengerd's horse was killed, and Miller's horse suffered cuts to its legs and chest, deputies added.
Wengerd was charged with cruelty to an animal, taking part in an unlawful speed contest, unsafe passing and failure to keep right.
The other two buggies were driven by Wengerd's brother, Andy E., 18, and Joseph R. Miller, 20, of Riga Road, according to deputies. Both men were charged with taking part in an unlawful speed contest.
No injuries were reported. The three defendants must appear in Leon Town Court on June 5.
|