Six less ricers in Charlotte

**jad628** · 08-18-2008, 07:50 AM

I thought this might be interesting to some of you.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/100/story/133075.html

**KyleLs1** · 08-18-2008, 03:20 PM

Police arrested four drivers and seized six cars, all modified and lowered Honda Civics. Investigators are trying to figure out how the group got together and how long – and where – they've been racing.

looks like they seized about 150 hp altogether.. the streets are safe for another night

The group had 20 to 40 drivers, and one reached an estimated speed of 140 mph while fleeing,

**KING Z28 HAWK** · 08-18-2008, 03:22 PM

Dumb asses thats why you leave the racing for the track

**doozjamann** · 08-18-2008, 03:29 PM

Only one car reached 140 out of 40. Stupid ricers

What are the cops going to do with the cars, not fast enough to be chase cars.

**01ws6er** · 08-18-2008, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by jad628

I thought this might be interesting to some of you.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/100/story/133075.html

To be honest, why the hell does anyone even care about street racing if it's done with little to no traffic on roadways...??? How many people a year die or become injured, or suffer monetary/personal loss (i.e: car, preoperty, etc) due to a TRUE street racing incident? I would really like to know if anyone has these facts, because otherwise it just seems like a really big punishment for something not worth taxpayers dollars.

p.s: glad to hear it was 6 gay civics though lol.

**jad628** · 08-19-2008, 03:54 AM

Originally Posted by 01ws6er

To be honest, why the hell does anyone even care about street racing if it's done with little to no traffic on roadways...??? How many people a year die or become injured, or suffer monetary/personal loss (i.e: car, preoperty, etc) due to a TRUE street racing incident? I would really like to know if anyone has these facts, because otherwise it just seems like a really big punishment for something not worth taxpayers dollars.

p.s: glad to hear it was 6 gay civics though lol.

Fair question. I guess a little history of the area might help to explain why the push to combat street racing.

I-485 is a loop around Charlotte (not yet fully completed, only about 75% is open). Over the past couple of years these exact kinds of races (mostly ricers, I might add) have been involved in at least three fatal wrecks just in that area. In addition, Charlotte has had several wrong way drivers on I-485 that have killed several people. Most people are still baffled how those incidents even happened. Anyway, LEO efforts were stepped up because of that.

As far as little or no traffic, that ain't even a possibility in the Charlotte area anymore. I remember getting on either I-77 or I-85 early mornings (say 0400) and rarely seeing anything other than a few tractor-trailers. Nowadays, the number of exits have probably doubled on both Interstates, the population has exploded (Charlotte is one of the highest levels of new homes sales in the US), and traffic has multiplied dramatically. I went to Florida a couple of weeks ago and left on a Monday morning at 0510. When I tried to merge onto I-77S I had to fit in between cars running in the outside lane! I remember the days of drag races on Plott Rd. and South Point business park as the hot spots. Most of that required cars that did well from a dig. These cars (mostly) that are getting seized are running single turbos, NOS, and the infamous VTEC!!! They are mostly sticking with higher speed rolls because they suck out of the hole. Just my take.

Oh, I do believe that at least one managed 140. One of the cars seized a couple of years back is being used as a chase vehicle in driver training for one department. It's an Eclipse with a big turbo and it moves decently.......

I for one do agree that to lose your car for pre-arranged drag racing is a very harsh penalty, and I would like to see such penalties imposed on DWI's who are involved in crashes that involve even property damage. Right now, it takes SEVEN DWI convictions to make them habitual and vehicle seizure available to LEO's. Spontaneous drag racing doesn't cost you your car, just the pre-arranged stuff. I'm sure that the loss of Shuffletown (an 1/8 mile strip) in the Charlotte area caused a bunch more of this "illegal" racing to take place. Now that Bruton Smith is finishing up a new state-of-the-art 1/4 miler just over the county line, I can only hope that they see the usefulness of making that track open for street-level racing as well.

I know I'd like to take a few passes.

**jad628** · 08-19-2008, 04:01 AM

Originally Posted by doozjamann

Only one car reached 140 out of 40. Stupid ricers

What are the cops going to do with the cars, not fast enough to be chase cars.

They'll never put these cars to use as chase vehicles on the road. Most of them are real death traps. A few are well done, but not many.

**predator** · 08-19-2008, 04:46 AM

This crack down on street racing is kinda a joke... I really dont understand taking someones car for racing...

Im sorry, but if i knew for a fact that they were going to take my car for racing... I mean take $20k from me... I'm running... and in the process i might kill me or someone else, but if your going to take my car your gonna have to take it from me... I'm not just gonn ahand you the keys...

-me

**jad628** · 08-19-2008, 05:06 AM

Originally Posted by predator

This crack down on street racing is kinda a joke... I really dont understand taking someones car for racing...

Im sorry, but if i knew for a fact that they were going to take my car for racing... I mean take $20k from me... I'm running... and in the process i might kill me or someone else, but if your going to take my car your gonna have to take it from me... I'm not just gonn ahand you the keys...

-me

I realize a lot of people feel that way, but understand even if you don't hurt anyone you are going to face felony charges. In the grand scheme of things a felony conviction can cost you a lot more than a $20K car.

Of course, don't street race and there isn't a problem.

Edit: And I guess I should add that I-485 itself causes a lot of problems for anyone wanting to run. Separator cables run the length of the roadway as a barrier between sides. With a little planning, stop sticks and cars waiting at exits really limit egress routes. Not saying a motivated driver can't find a way around all that, but the chances ain't good and then even more charges come about.

**doozjamann** · 08-20-2008, 08:57 AM

You stand a much better chance just stopping anyway. I got caught at a stop sign sideways, just rolled through. I stopped and waited on the cop that saw me, ( he got caught by cars couldn't get out to chase me) all I got was a warning.

Then I got caught on a motorcycle, (ran a cops radar out of numbers) I slowed down after the quick run didn't run on that one and got a warning too.

Guess I'm just lucky, but I'd stop and hope for the best.

**chuck4345** · 08-20-2008, 12:50 PM

a civic will do 140mph

i think thats a lie haha

**96Firebirdformula** · 08-20-2008, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by chuck4345

a civic will do 140mph

i think thats a lie haha

What i was thinking.. Guess he had Swaped motor + Turbo

**wenn_du_weinst** · 08-20-2008, 05:17 PM

well all I gotta say if I was a cop and pulled one of those cars over and saw how badly they were put together I would def be taking it I have had my car impounded for street racing when I was young so I know how feals I try to not speed but sometimes it can't be helped (the reason I sold my ws6 a couple years ago) but seriously those cars looked like sh*t and I'm not saying that because they are civics my 3rd favorite car of all time is my cousins 98 gsr integra turbo 5spd

**01WS6475hp** · 08-22-2008, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by 01ws6er

To be honest, why the hell does anyone even care about street racing if it's done with little to no traffic on roadways...??? How many people a year die or become injured, or suffer monetary/personal loss (i.e: car, preoperty, etc) due to a TRUE street racing incident? I would really like to know if anyone has these facts, because otherwise it just seems like a really big punishment for something not worth taxpayers dollars.

p.s: glad to hear it was 6 gay civics though lol.

Because shit happens. You never know when someone could pop up around you when you doing 100+mph. How many people get killed in a bank robbery ? A lot of them get away . It only takes one f*%# up to kill someone.

**Ryans99LS1** · 08-24-2008, 04:43 PM

I like the very end of the article where they are saying "investigators are trying to figure out where they learned these column manuveurs" hahaha. They over analyze and make everything a 100 times more complicated than it really is. Its such simple crap.

**SouthernBornThriller** · 08-25-2008, 01:57 PM

Saw this on the news the other day...and was damn glad to see it.

I'm a student at UNCC myself and have had a few run-ins with them in the parking deck and university area since buying my Camaro last year. The times I had to be on campus any later than 8pm...it became a real hassle to get out of there in one piece and at the speed limit. And yeah, they do turn stretches of 485 into makeshift drag strips late at night.

You mentioned the closing of Shuffletown...and I fully blame it for the street racing issues we have in the area today. It used to be cool to go to the strip on weekends and race, but since they built those houses and apartments, and people were smart enough to move next door to a drag strip and complain about noise...all we have left is Mooresville. And well, ricers aren't quite as welcome in redneck Nascar country as they are around a college campus.

While the new drag strip in Concord is awesome...I dont think it will do a damn thing for the street racing problem we have. I've been in touch with these guys. Going to a drag strip and paying a track fee is lame and boring. They'd much rather have the adrenaline rush of going 140 on a highway, dodging cops and traffic. No highway fee either.

It's no longer cool to race at the strip to these idiots. If anything, they'll race more as a slap in the face to Concord Dragway.

**Y2KArcticSS** · 08-25-2008, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by chuck4345

a civic will do 140mph

i think thats a lie haha

They didn't say how long it took the guy to GET TO 140mph. Whatya think, one maybe two hours

**allbaugh_04** · 08-25-2008, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Ryans99LS1

I like the very end of the article where they are saying "investigators are trying to figure out where they learned these column manuveurs" hahaha. They over analyze and make everything a 100 times mor complicated than it really is. Its such simple crap.

omg, did aliens teach them these tactics on the highway....WHERE DID THEY LEARN TO DO THAT!!!????

wow, that article was retarded

**01ws6er** · 08-25-2008, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by 01WS6475hp

Because shit happens. You never know when someone could pop up around you when you doing 100+mph. How many people get killed in a bank robbery ? A lot of them get away . It only takes one f*%# up to kill someone.

Other than the obvious lol. I fully understand the dangers and consquences of going fast, though I guess not everyone does.

Oh, and if you plan on running from the cops just remember 1 thing, NOTHING is faster than Motorola...

**KahanaReef** · 08-25-2008, 07:19 PM

Originally Posted by 01ws6er

Other than the obvious lol. I fully understand the dangers and consquences of going fast, though I guess not everyone does.

Oh, and if you plan on running from the cops just remember 1 thing, NOTHING is faster than Motorola...

Yep!