Something everyone who street races should watch **graphic warning**

ahhh the good old days, must have been nice.

Nice-I feel more validated now, like there's someone who can verify the big fish stories I ramble into, about how it used to be when I was racing. If I get any of it wrong, have him PM me- I'm not a security breech, any and all secrets safe, or a stalker-fan, but, idk, those guys who wrote that stuff I went and lived, I looked up to them, good guidance counselors for proper street protocol. The rest, well, on Chicago's south side, just came natural. I'm not sure my dad knew what he did when he bought our neighbors 69 Goat, had me help push it home, when I was 13. You aren't really sure of your place in the world at that age, least I wasn't. When my grandfather, dad, and myself got that motor back together, fired it up that first time, the sound, the smell, all of it, went right to my soul. I knew my place then, found my direction. 1980. If you find the action now, report back, we'd all prolly like to know the state of affairs, good or bad. All I know is, its not home for me anymore- all us guy from the day, families, jobs, and toy cars. But some kids nowadays, idk, angry or something? Act like they need to be the center of attention, swearing loud, acting obnoxious, doing increasingly stupid chit(what IS with those vibrating stereos?) And absolutely no regard for anyone but themselves, like we all owe them something. Bobby, from the story, was right. Whats under the hood- whatever, hamster on a wheel. Your video shows what they're up to.

There are no words, man. Like I posted earlier, I think back, someone asks, "Hey when you guys were racing, did you ever..." I can't help but smile. When my 88 was 6 months old, cruising Ridge Rd in Lansing, at Burnham Ave light. Couple guys pull up in a SWEET 80 Trans Am, one of those last 400 cars(they said T/A 6.6 on the shaker), blue like my Regatta. Lights red, we're first up, cars everywhere, summertime, right?. Passenger and driver looking dead at me. I just sit, premium sound working over Dokken or something. My car was dead stock. Passenger says, "Hey, can that light 'em up?" Me, without hesitation, and not the slightest bit of apprehension about their little Pontiac, I answer, "Which gear?" They just laugh. And when the light changes, they just sit there, too. It was good to be the king.

Awesome story.

Amazing post.

I know I know. My uncle is a cop haha. I know there's some good ones out there. I'm just sick of "street racers" all being put in the same category. There's still some decent, safe, respectful racing out there and it shouldn't be bashed at the fault of the ignorant douchebag kids of today. I guess I'm still a kid at 21, but I'm thankful for the way I was brought up and not dragged down with them.

Well put! And I totally agree.

You're right, idk what the condition of the hobby is today. If it still exists, in the fields, industial parks, the dark corners, where it was when I left it, then the traditions I learned are being upheld. Low crowds, little notice. The TRUE racers, you didn't know we were there. If you want to look, you'll find it, if its still there. We had our SPOTS- teh White Castles, where you'd find other guys, heavier duty machinery. Bring friends. When they leave, all at the same time, follow them. There will be no invitation. They won't say,"Hey, we're going to do some illicit, illegal activities with our motor vehicles, for anyone that wants to join us" cuz those morons that think you can actually street race in a Honda will go with. Those cars, those guys, aren't invited. They may take you to a really bad nieghborhood, or into the cornfields. Its ok, you prolly won't be found in a shallow grave(again, prolly). You have to appear as though you've done this before, happens all the time, cool. They don't need guys snapping pics with their phones(Michael Phelps), calling buddies with the "This is so cool" calls. It is, but it isn't conversed about-til later. I highly suggest you do not race. No matter who asks, what they offer, how much fun it sounds like. If they ask, tell them the cars broke, its your brothers, it don't run well without direct sunlight, anything, you ain't racing. Newbies will be set up. Watch, be quiet, and learn the language, the people. Guys will argue, over money, if someone wants the swing, cars set out, takes hours sometimes. I hated that portion of events, I'm not a salesman. We had Ray for that. Talk to guys he never met like they were fishing buddies, into making concessions they maybe shouldn't have- Ray made us a LOT of money. There was a whole society theat existed after dark, real street rats, hardest core car nuts in the country. Running cars you can't believe- guys with chassied Buick 225's, Plymouth Fury's, Dusters, those late 70's Malibu's were easy for a build. We had a guy with a Chevy Monza, I didn't know they had 8's in them til I saw that run. They're good guys, most of them. Here, some 20 years later, when Suzy and me hook up with what she calls my "Car guys", we laugh, remember when we used to go the dark side. Smile the whole time, every one of us. This year, Bubba(every group has to have a Bubba) finished the tattoo of a drag parachute on his back. Really. And he's a big guy. He used to run an 87 GT, and for real, a 70 Chevelle. Him and his wife just had their second baby, he manages a local machine shop/parts outlet, thats gonna build my motor. These guys become your family, if they're anything like my guys were. Its always been a good thing for me to have met my "car guys".

strippt88, will you be my grandpa?

haha... one word, respect.

So you're a cop? From Canada? Doesn't that mean you ride around on a horse and wear a red jacket? I keeed I keeed.

+1. strippt88, I used to skip over your posts because they were so long and all mashed together and hard to read. But then I actually took the time to read one and DAMN. I'm hooked. You tell some great stories, sir. Keep them coming.

this thread should be renamed "anyone who thinks they know anything about street racing should listen to stript88 talk ***GRAPHIC WARNING, MAY BE TOUGH TO DECIPHER AT TIMES***"

keep them coming buddy

Thank you guys, for the patience of reading through this stuff I write! All my people know our stories, so I don't get to tell them much anymore! I think too fast, so it gets long, after a while. I'll try and shorten it up. I leave words out, and it probably makes it harder to understand, but I'm a race car guy and a construction worker, not an english major. I put in what needs to be there. Anyway, swing is also known as the bust, or the jump, its just the term for who starts the race by leaving first, a concession given to someone who sells the idea that they have a slower car. Doesn't mean it IS slower, just, they made the deal work with their movement as the start. The car with the swing or bust moves, and the race is started right then. Set cars out is where the guy in the aforementioned slower car gets to start 1,2, or more cars ahead, from a dead stop. If you line up the cars even, the guy who gets cars set out moves his ahead 1 car length, a guy marks the spot, then ahead however many car lengths was agreed upon. You can also get cars AND the bust. Example, I race Dennis and his 89 Formula heads up, $100. I beat him, by 3 or 4 cars. Now, he wants to go again, and wants 4 cars, and the bust. I say ok(cuz I sandbagged bad, and would like to make this months LX payment tonight, on him), give him the deal, now for a newly agreed upon $150. He leaves(launchs), then finds out my LX is a LOT faster than in the first race. Sorry, Dennis. As soon as I am ahead, just into third gear, I sandbag again, so as not to ruin any more action this evening, and draw the attention of guys I want no part of racing. Thanks Dennis. We'll discuss how to use these rules to your advantage, next time. Damn, look how long this one got, too. Sorry, fellas.

Is that what it is? My son calls it "chat language", I never learned it, I tend to stay with your basic english. There is no way to shorten a good yarn, if you want to convey to the reader all the facets of the occasion, try to put them there, to hear it, smell it, SEE it, even if its for just a few lines on the monitor. My stories are a history of sorts, and they felt like so much more, when living them, than I think I can put on a page. Your entire combination......sure, thats all that rocket is packing, Chris! Wanna take a spin to South Chicago Ave next week? You never have to open the hood once, it ain't any of their business! Make some spare coin with that beast? Tell them its gear drive, but stock, we'll get a couple cars and the bust, for like $500, first run?

I hate it when you post stuff to respond to people, and it wind up buried on the page before, nobody knows its there, nobody takes the time to find it

good video even though there was no street racing but there was careless driving and yes street racing is careless as well and every body who has seen this by now is prolly thinking the same thing there is a time and place to race /speed and thats the drag strip a few years ago i lost one of my best child hood friends from the time i was 8 i had been friends with im im now 25 and 2 years ago he was rideing his motorcycle down the rd and one out of two cars street racing ran a red light and hit him and killed him when it slammed him into a touring bus. Im not perfect and have street raced but i can honestly say that it doesnt happen now and any time i have it has been on a completely empty rd/parkinglot but doesnt happen nemore. everybody who is on this site should watch that

Is that the chat language my 11 year old understands?

This thread is an excellent reminder to anyone that hits the streets on a Friday or Saturday night, ready for anyone that revs it up at any redlight.

I wanted to pass on another situation that lead to death and jail time. In Southhaven MS a few years ago, a kid with a brand new Cobra was racing another stang down Goodman RD which is the main artery down thru the new part of Southaven. Anyways, they were haulin it about a buck 10 or 20 and woman who was heading home from work didnt gauge the cars speed and pulled right out in front of them. I suspect it just didnt register to her that those cars would be closing in on her as fast as they did and the one kid in the new Cobra t-boned her at 110mph. Killed the woman instantly along with a friend that was riding along with him. The other racer, I cant remember what happend to him but both racers where charged with vehicular homicide in the first degree or so...as close as you could get to being charged with murder.....anyways, the kid in the cobra is now spending his time in prison with a 50 year sentence and the other kid I think pretty close to the same deal. The kid with the new cobra had been given the car as a 16th birthday present and didnt have a clue about how to drive it or anything. Parents should also be held responsible for giving kids cars like that and not educating them about how to drive it ..........l8r

Did they remove the video? I can't seem to find it with the link provided....
I would love to show it to my 17 year old..

Thanks...Kevin

damn!....2 girls 1 cup is saturday morning cartoon stuff compared to those ads

man, i just watched this again, i know i watched it a couple years ago. i couldnt watch the entire thing, a friends boyfriend died a few weeks ago of random causes at 28 and that was tough. cant imagine it happening from something like this.