Another Deadly STREET Race
Another illegal street racing event ends in disaster. How many times should we be reminded that its dangerous, ILLEGAL, and not a smart thing to do? We have tracks for this now... many tracks offer "Grudge" nights that immitate the whole street scene, but without the inherent dangers it presents.
What's worse, is that because the media tends to classify these illegal activites as DRAG RACING, our very legal, much safer, sport suffers. These accidents and their improper classification by the media cast a bad light on the sport, and have ultimately led to potential sponsors backing away from the series.
Mitch Perkins, a reporter and photographer for Drag Coverage, said it best in a letter to the media orgazinations covering the accident:
What's worse, is that because the media tends to classify these illegal activites as DRAG RACING, our very legal, much safer, sport suffers. These accidents and their improper classification by the media cast a bad light on the sport, and have ultimately led to potential sponsors backing away from the series.
Mitch Perkins, a reporter and photographer for Drag Coverage, said it best in a letter to the media orgazinations covering the accident:
Dear Sir, As a participant and media reporter for the "REAL"
world of drag Racing, I find it disturbing that this illegal activity of STREET
racing is referred to in news broadcasts as Drag Racing. While it is an
"acceleration contest" which is the definition of a drag race, it is being done
in a illegal, unsanctioned and very dangerous way by the participants.
True racers and fans of the legal sport of drag racing DO NOT condone or
support this activity. And to have the "Tease" about the story be stated
as "A day of fun gone bad" is a insult to the good, honest and law abiding
citizens who participate in the legally sanctioned sport of drag racing.
In the eyes of the general public, that type of reporting gives all
drag racers a very bad and disturbing image. I have been around the
sport since the late 70's and I can tell you that it is a safe, fun activity
enjoyed by thousands of people around the US and several other countries as
well. If some fools were driving like madmen around a neighborhood ,
sliding around the block making left turns' would you report that as Nascar
racing? I think not. So why would the fools who choose to undertake the type of
activities that led to that tragedy in B'Ham be referred to as Drag Racers?
I think in the interest of fair and truthfull reporting, it should be
called what it is Illegal Street Racing. I would even be so bold to ask
that a retraction of the way that story was presented would be the right thing
to do. I have always had the highest regard for WSFA and for the way news
is presented by your station, but things like this undermine that
respect.
Sincerely, Mitch Perkins
Dracoverage.Com Staff Photographer
Below is the footage of the crash, and the associated news broadcasts.
Posted by Erica Ortiz on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 10:52 AM | Permalink 
And a DRAG RACING TRACK OWNER DOES SOMETHING PROACTIVE TO HELP!!!
Hank Schmitt
Jim Howard Racing
Montgomery Motorsports Park
334.467.0043
hankschmitt@charter.net
An Open Letter to all Street Racers from Jim Howard of Montgomery Motorsports Park:
Eight more deaths in a street racing incident this past weekend and many more seriously injured. I don't understand it. Just a few weeks ago, we had two of our fellow racers and friends killed right here in Alabama. As a matter of fact, one them drove right past MMP just to have a fatal street racing incident 90 miles away. .
I am a rookie track owner-operator, so every place I go I ask people, "Do you like drag racing?" Last Saturday, I got an answer that scared me. I was talking to a young lady (an employee of a local business) and I asked her the same question, "Do you like drag racing?" She said "I have never been to a drag strip but my friends and I enjoy watching the street racing that goes on in Montgomery". I asked if she heard about the people who had been killed the night before; she had not and it scared her to death!
I gave her free tickets to Montgomery Motorsports Park and invited her and her friends to come out and enjoy running their cars and watching during one of our Friday Test and Tune sessions (beginning March 7), to race in a safe and controlled environment. She was very excited at that idea. But I want to do more.
I am committed to stop the street racing and bringing it to the drag strip. Over 75 percent of all street or grudge race machines are cars or bikes that are trailered to the race site, then unloaded and raced on our streets. Why? I am calling on all street racers in the River Region and everywhere to stop killing and injuring themselves, their friends and neighbors.
Beginning March 8, I will open Montgomery Motorsports Park every Saturday night and will let everyone who has a car or bike on a trailer run for free. Car and driver will be admitted free. If you want to find out whose car or bike is fastest, bring it to MMP and get it off the streets. If you have a grudge race and want to settle the score, call me at 334.260.9660 and I will let you and your opponent in free and we will make a big deal out of it on the PA.
I have lost two friends in street racing accidents and I will do everything in my power to stop it. That is why we're beginning Saturday Night Street Wars on March 8. We will open the gates at 7 pm and race until 11pm. We will have no scoreboards, just the Christmas tree for starting and a win light on the scoreboards That's it! On Friday nights, beginning March 7, our Test and Tune sessions will race on the full quarter-mile with full scoreboards, time slips concession stand and PA announcer.
During Saturday Night Street Wars, we will race on the 1/8 mile and everything goes! Just like street racing, except we have a safe environment, a paramedic on duty, and lots of bleacher space for people to hang out and watch in safety. Our concession stand will be open and dishing out great food. Think about it...it's a place to race where no one gets a ticket, goes to jail or gets hurt. Sounds like a winner to me. What do you think?
I hope everyone will help me with this issue and spread the word. There will be a small charge for spectators but that's it! You can come hang with your friends on Saturday night, run your car, figure out whose ride is hot and whose is not. You can do this for less than it costs for a few gallons of gas.
There are no winners when street racing goes bad. So why not move it to Montgomery Motorsports Park and get all the rush of racing without any of the negatives or risks of doing it on the street.
I would like to hear what everyone thinks about my idea and lets stop street racing and bring it back to the strip and help us get our good name back. We are Drag Racers NOT Street Racers! I will have this program every Saturday night that we are not having a Special event, which will be at least twice a month.
Hope to hear from everyone and as always I will see you at The Track!
Jim Howard
334-260-9660
Posted by
Erica Ortiz |
2/20/2008 8:32 AM
Post a Comment