Street racing isn’t exactly like the movies. Learn some of the most interesting facts about illegal street racing and why it’s not as glamorous as it seems.
“The Fast and the Furious” franchise grossed over $5 billion; obviously, there’s a huge public interest in street racing. But while the big screen romanticizes and glamorizes this activity, you’ll find that it’s not such an amazing world in real life.
In this article, we’ll discuss 6 interesting facts and harsh realities of street racing.
1. No One Races for Pink Slips
In “The Fast and the Furious” and other racing movies watched on services like UWatchfree, racers notoriously put up the pink slips for their cars when racing. But when this is your passion, no one’s going to put their most treasured possession up to be taken from them in an instant.
In reality, most races are just for pride. If they have a prize, then it’s usually just money, not pink slips.
2. Races Aren’t That Fancy
Street races on TV look fancy, with huge crowds looking on and scantily clad women starting the races. But in reality, races aren’t that fancy. In fact, all you have to do is acknowledge one another, and either honk three times or flash their lights to start the race.
3. Cars Are Often Stolen
As you can imagine, people don’t just bring in regular stock cars to illegal street races. They work hard to build cars that not only look nice but have amazing parts inside as well.
Because of this, racers’ vehicles are high-value targets for thieves. The thieves may attend street races to find nice cars to steal once the races are over. Then, they can either sell the parts or the vehicle as a whole for a significant amount of cash.
4. Speeds Can Exceed 200 Mph
With the proper modifications and parts, some illegal street races can exceed 200 mph. As you can guess, this is incredibly dangerous.
All it takes is one wrong move and it’s most likely a fatal accident. Not only would it be instant death for the driver and passengers, but it’d be fatal for any bystanders who are nearby as well.
Should a street racer be involved in a serious accident, they’ll most likely need an auto attorney to get them out of hot water.
5. Some Use “Bottle” Cars
You may know about NOS from “The Fast and the Furious” franchise. NOS stands for “nitrous oxide” and can be triggered to give the vehicle a boost of power. This can mean all the difference between placing first or second in a race.
6. Most Drivers Are Very Young
The majority of illegal street racers are between the ages of 17 and 24. Many are under 21 since they’re too young to go to bars but old enough to own a car.
Since they can’t drink legally, these young adults find their excitement out on the streets instead.
Street Racing Is Dangerous
As you can see, street racing isn’t what you expected at all. Not only is it dangerous, but it’s not glamorous like the movies depict it to be.
For more information about legal racing, please check out our articles on Nascar racing.