Illegal racing

[Palimino]

In my younger and more irresponsible days there was a tradition of illegal racing on a Saturday after midnight between the Cuban Hat (Durban beachfront – now gone) and the Blue Lagoon (if you want something fast, but are on a budget, get a superbike). Generally, bikes could take the cars on acceleration but the cars won on top-end. My particular nemesis was a V12 Jaguar. My technique was to keep as close as possible (preferably in front) and exploit the superior handling of the bike at the half-way point (Blue Lagoon) which was all twisty with off ramps and on ramps etc (which cars were bad at) before doubling back. My winning strategies involved exploiting the ‘Daddy’s Car’ syndrome.

Winning strategies exploiting the ‘Daddy Car’ syndrome.

#1 I knew the V12 guy. It was daddy’s car and he was nervous of bending daddy’s iron in the curves. I exploited this. He became nervous when the car started broad sliding on beach sand.

#2 The halfway point was the Blue Lagoon. The road runs very close to the beach here and it wasn’t unusual to have drifts of beach sand on the road. I went there (during daylight) and cleared a line for my bike so that I could lean to the limits of tyre adhesion while he fishtailed wildly (nervous about daddies iron as well). <Evil chuckle>

#3 The course (this was serendipitous) was just long enough for my bike to be in the power-band when I crossed the finish line (ahead of the Jag if I didn’t fluff a gear change). Another 200 metres and he would pass me.

Aaaaaah. Youth.

 

[Eh!]

...and stupid. The street is not a racetrack, go to the track if you want to race. Looks like you're still the same young imbecile glorifying the 'good ol' days.

 

[Palimino]

...and stupid. The street is not a racetrack, go to the track if you want to race. Looks like you're still the same young imbecile glorifying the 'good ol' days.

In my younger and more irresponsible days there was a tradition of illegal racing on a Saturday after midnight...

What part of that did you have trouble reading? Do you have memory problems? You can’t remember the beginning of the post when you reach the end? Do you even read posts? Doesn’t seem so.

 

[ToxicBunny]

I honestly wish the cops would crack down on these morons...

Crush all their cars and dish out LOVELY big fines.... They're a menace and they should never be allowed to breed ever......

*mutter*

 

[Palimino]

I honestly wish the cops would crack down on these morons...

Crush all their cars and dish out LOVELY big fines.... They're a menace and they should never be allowed to breed ever......

*mutter*

I don’t think it’s really prevalent now (I stand to be corrected). There are some nice vehicles, but not much racing. It’s all posturing, posing and macho rhetoric. Anything involving vehicles seems to be “look how much smoke I can make by burning-off the rubber from my tyres”. Or straight-line drag races – the biggest engine wins.

 

[ToxicBunny]

It still exists, in a big way.......

No matter what kind of "racing" or posturing BS happens.. if it happens on a public road... you should get your fancy pathetic vehicle crushed (and you should be forced to watch this happen) and get dished out a NICE big fine...

 

[Palimino]

.. if it happens on a public road...

I haven’t seen it on a public road. I have noted some rubber-burning exercises in parking-lots (during holidays – when there are no parked cars). The cars wheel-spin and swirl around the parking lot. Not much of a spectator sport.

 

[LancelotSA]

What part of that did you have trouble reading? Do you have memory problems? You can’t remember the beginning of the post when you reach the end? Do you even read posts? Doesn’t seem so.

I am totally with "Eh!" on this one!

You try and defend what you have said by saying that you admitted that you were younger and more irresponsible yet you are still being irresponsible by trying to glamorise the whole illegal drag racing stupidity.

I am usually pretty sympathetic to other's misfortunes but there is a sense of elation within me when I hear that a drag racer killed himself without anyone else getting hurt! Ar_seholes every single one!

 

[xrapidx]

It exists - there are well known places for this sort of thing, surprised the cops don't bust them that often.

 

[LancelotSA]

I haven’t seen it on a public road. I have noted some rubber-burning exercises in parking-lots (during holidays – when there are no parked cars). The cars wheel-spin and swirl around the parking lot. Not much of a spectator sport.

Again you are trying to glamorise what you used to do!!!

And it happens.... you hear the idiots racing around on most evening up my way. I always pray for the huge bang against a street pole!

It exists - there are well known places for this sort of thing, surprised the cops don't bust them that often.

I had a colleague at work who gushed with excitement that they went to watch some illegal drag racing one night. I treated her with the same contempt that I do the actual racers and told her what I thought of the spectators as well as the racers...

 

[ToxicBunny]

Parking lots are public spaces.. therefore the same applies because a member of the public could get hurt by these morons antics.

If it happens in a controlled atmosphere with the right safety.. then its fine.....

 

[ToxicBunny]

I love hearing these morons with their souped up engines GASSING it up the road... then 10 seconds later you hear a BIG bang as his engine lets go..... Least its some sort of payback since the cops don't do anything about them really.

 

[pezulu]

Unfortunately all these morons with their "mine is bigger than yours" syndrome still take to the streets most nights.
The Metro Police try and stop them, but they call or SMS each other to make appointments as to where and what time they will be meeting.

Voortrekker Road in Pretoria is still a favoured spot. Unfortunately it is also one of the deadliest stretches of road in the city.

Better law enforcement, stiffer fines, jail-time and confiscation of the vehicles would also help. (The vehicles have been used in the commitment of an offence, and may therefore be forfeited to the state.)

I have been in the unfortunate position to have to scrape an elderly gentleman out of his vehicle as a result of a "young and irresponsible" @sshole racing in the streets. The particular offender even had the audacity to complain that the elderly gentleman should not have been driving to the hospital to get his aged wife asthma medication.

Let these "young and irresponsible" drivers clean the blood and gunk from vehicles they collided with. Confiscate their vehicles and issue them VERY stiff fines as well as jail time, together with correctional supervision in the local hospital trauma unit and morgue.

 

[JK8]

I dont mind drag racing, as long as innocent road users are not at risk.
As for spectators they willingly chose to be where they are, they know the dangers. Same goes for the racers, they put their own lives at risk.

As for the drinkers that race... they suck!!

 

[LancelotSA]

I dont mind drag racing, as long as innocent road users are not at risk.
As for spectators they willingly chose to be where they are, they know the dangers. Same goes for the racers, they put their own lives at risk.

As for the drinkers that race... they suck!!

Not sure what to make of this post.... not sure if you are condoning street racing or not? You seem to be...

The thing is I really do not give a damn about them putting their own lives at risk. Damn if I had it my way every illegal street racer could happily put a gun to their heads and blow them off. The problem is no public road is ever totally deserted, it is called a public road for a reason, so they are always endangering other people's lives!

 

[Necuno]

In my younger and more irresponsible days there was a tradition of illegal racing on a Saturday after midnight between the Cuban Hat (Durban beachfront – now gone) and the Blue Lagoon (if you want something fast, but are on a budget, get a superbike). Generally, bikes could take the cars on acceleration but the cars won on top-end. My particular nemesis was a V12 Jaguar. My technique was to keep as close as possible (preferably in front) and exploit the superior handling of the bike at the half-way point (Blue Lagoon) which was all twisty with off ramps and on ramps etc (which cars were bad at) before doubling back. My winning strategies involved exploiting the ‘Daddy’s Car’ syndrome.

Winning strategies exploiting the ‘Daddy Car’ syndrome.

#1 I knew the V12 guy. It was daddy’s car and he was nervous of bending daddy’s iron in the curves. I exploited this. He became nervous when the car started broad sliding on beach sand.

#2 The halfway point was the Blue Lagoon. The road runs very close to the beach here and it wasn’t unusual to have drifts of beach sand on the road. I went there (during daylight) and cleared a line for my bike so that I could lean to the limits of tyre adhesion while he fishtailed wildly (nervous about daddies iron as well). <Evil chuckle>

#3 The course (this was serendipitous) was just long enough for my bike to be in the power-band when I crossed the finish line (ahead of the Jag if I didn’t fluff a gear change). Another 200 metres and he would pass me.

Aaaaaah. Youth.

i've done related street dices, but it's not wise to do so- rather go via proper race trek. i suppose most will claim angelic references when we know most have gone a little faster than they should have either by themselves or with/against more than one person.

 

[LancelotSA]

i've done related street dices, but it's not wise to do so- rather go via proper race trek. i suppose most will claim angelic references when we know most have gone a little faster than they should have either by themselves or with/against more than one person.

Well you are wrong here.... I have never been fined going over 120. In fact my GPS set to constantly beep when travelling over 125km per hour (the 5km/h to allow for some leeway). Yes, I have speeding fines by but they are always 74 in a 60, or 92 in an 80! This can in no way be related to drag racing on public roads. So speak for yourself!

Even if I were to go 130 by myself it is not the same as flooring it and having your concentration affected by the fact that you are keeping half an eye on someone else you are racing. This is what p!sses me off about all street racers.

They have absolutely no remorse for the danger they posed even when they say they are no longer "young and irresponsible". They still think what they do/did is cool

 

[xrapidx]

Well you are wrong here.... I have never been fined going over 120. Yes, I have speeding fines by but they are always 74 in a 60, or 92 in an 80! This can in no way be related to drag racing on public roads.

What speed you were fined at is irrelevant - try stop your car on a wet road going 92 in an 80 zone. Breaking the speed limit is breaking the speed limit.

Going 92 in an 80 zone is the same as going 138 in a 120 zone.

I"m fine with illegal drag racing when all they're doing is risking themselves - its their lives after all - I don't like these idiots that do it in residitential area's where anything could happen...

 

[JK8]

Well you are wrong here.... I have never been fined going over 120. In fact my GPS set to constantly beep when travelling over 125km per hour (the 5km/h to allow for some leeway). Yes, I have speeding fines by but they are always 74 in a 60, or 92 in an 80! This can in no way be related to drag racing on public roads. So speak for yourself!

Even if I were to go 130 by myself it is not the same as flooring it and having your concentration affected by the fact that you are keeping half an eye on someone else you are racing. This is what p!sses me off about all street racers.

They have absolutely no remorse for the danger they posed even when they say they are no longer "young and irresponsible". They still think what they do/did is cool

Im not sure about this Palmino guy... racing bikes against cars and cleaning sweeping sand of the road during the day seems a bit dweeby to me...

But its human nature to look back on how stupid you were when you were younger... surely you did some stupid things aswell?
Drag racing, drugs, underage drinking etc all falls in the same category imo.

 

[Necuno]

Well you are wrong here.... I have never been fined going over 120. In fact my GPS set to constantly beep when travelling over 125km per hour (the 5km/h to allow for some leeway). Yes, I have speeding fines by but they are always 74 in a 60, or 92 in an 80! This can in no way be related to drag racing on public roads. So speak for yourself!

Even if I were to go 130 by myself it is not the same as flooring it and having your concentration affected by the fact that you are keeping half an eye on someone else you are racing. This is what p!sses me off about all street racers.

They have absolutely no remorse for the danger they posed even when they say they are no longer "young and irresponsible". They still think what they do/did is cool

i see, so if you kill someone by going yourself over the speed limit its cool, but heavens forbid if you killed someone by dicing, right ?