Here's what I don't like about what some of you are saying about the "race what you brought, etc" stuff:

Theres no challenge.

Racing isn't "Fast & The Furious", where 4 cars line up each one worth seventy grand, driving down the street for like 12 miles listening to music & triggering NOS however often they like.

Racing, real racing, is a human challenge. Its a challenge of reflexes, patience, timing, comprehension, and experience. The racing you're talking about is simply pitting one machine against another - any idiot could judge the outcome of an uneven race as long as they knew the details of the car. You might as well jump out of the car, plug in a remote control, you'll be able to street race to your hearts content. But if you really want to know if you're better than someone else, if you're a true driver, get in the same car as your opponent and find out.

 

First of all, I'll apologize for inadvertantly hijacking the original thread with the "run what you brung" comments. They're more directed at the kind of person that shows up at any kind of race spouting his mouth off, gets his *** handed to him, and then comes up with a long list of excuses.

I completely agree with you guys saying organized racing should have regulations to keep cars on equal footing. Every form I've done was set up to keep power/weight ratios in line with each other, and the result is often racing deep in traffic. Fun stuff. Frankly, if I ever wanted to get into competitive drag racing (which will most likely never happen) I'd gravitate towards bracket racing, as that's a test of driver's skill and not driver's wallet.

I will say that it irks me to see people bash racing of any type that they don't happen to enjoy or appreciate. Most of the road race and circle track guys I know (myself included) think it's pretty stupid to AutoX or solo track a street car, but you don't hear me knocking you self-proclaimed "road race" guys for not racing wheel to wheel in traffic. Something to keep in mind next time you're about to spout off about how drag racing takes no skill.

 

Sorry for two posts in a row, but there's something that's being left out here. Sure, most non-gearheads love to talk about spec-class racing as a true human challenge, but the tinkerer in some of us would get quickly bored with a true spec car.

For gearheads that fancy themselves amatuer racers, there needs to be a balance of man and machine. I've beaten better drivers because I spent more time wrenching on my car, and that feels as good as beating someone on a completely level field.

 

Oh no, don't get me wrong, I'm a tinker-er myself, I love the art of tuning a car, getting more out of something than what was there before. My current living situation (apt complex w/ no garage available) leaves me without the ability to do all the work to my car I would like, but back when I had my z32 I would love to work on that during my free time. I think there is also a real world - equivalent to how you work on your car and how well you can race your car. If you know how the car works - if you've helped take parts apart and put pieces back together - you understand the machine better (sort of what I was talking about in terms of "comprehension"). That makes you a better driver, because you are actually more in tune with your car.

Lets face it, the odds of getting a true street race going where the cars are equal is slim to none. And I COMPLETELY agree with you about people mouthing off about "well my civic can smoke your p-o-s camaro" or those sorts of comments. I've been forced to throw down on a handful of $hit talkers myself, simply because they won't understand until you prove it to them the hard way. But I don't consider them competitors, they're simply people that have to lose to a car before they can get it through their head. And if they beat me, I don't whine about it, I simply walk up to them and learn from them - often times then it comes out they're running 100hp Nos w/ a J-Spec & Turbo'd integra. You get my drift. But if I was out-driven, theres an opportunity for me to talk to them, learn what they know, improve my experience (kinda like those RPG video games), and hopefully my skill improves with it.

Take care

 

Don't get me wrong, they're fun to watch.

Just don't like seeing it on the streets.

 

I guess we all mostly agree on all of this. I am sorry also if I allowed "pasion" to reflect on my opinions. I just disagree in a couple of places :

A) If I have a 500hp Vette and the Yugo kid blows his mouth, I would just ignore him and tell him to go F himself. I would not even waste my time racing him. I think it would make me look like a fool to have to prove that. Of course, not all cases are so extreme.

B) Even in "race what you got", I would go for full disclosure. I have turbos, I have NOS, if you still think you are faster than me, come show me. Winning with "hidden" power looks more like gambling to me. And I don't gamble either. Tried it, didn't like it.

And here is another. I think drag strips all over the world would do many a favor to open the lanes and encourage street racers to get a time slip. Then, If you want to race me, produce a slip that is reasonably close (1 or 2 secs) or better than mine, and we can see. If I have a 6.5 slip and your best is 10.8, don't waste my time... That way at least you know the race is "close" and some driver skill is involved.

Cas, I don't race because (unfortunately?) at my age safety seems to override my testosterone. Since I have the Z I have been into a couple of take offs on the street, to then realize what I am doing and lifting off. It is not safe out there in the streets. And to prove what? I don't know what they have, they don't know what I might have, and the result might mean nothing in the end.

Anyway, be safe. Sorry again, did not mean anything int he wrong way.

 

See you touched on the one important thing there in street racing: Testosterone. The natural male need to go out and destroy other males. If all cars were equal in a race, then to many variables would effect the outcome. Thats why on the street when you pick on somebody you never know how its going to turn out. Disclosing your mods before a race just seems awfully "wuss" to me. Sure Ill tell people after a race whats done to my car, but before its always "gears, and exhaust". And what it proves when you defeat someone is a matter of opinion. I love the adrenaline rush and the sense of danger, and the exhiliration of winning. Although technically that may not prove anything in the grand scheme of things, but to me its a release and a justification for living. You may not like heads up racing, but thats your opinion, and if you have passed that point in your life when you feel the need to be better than somebody else, thats great, but dont tell you were never there, cause in the end were both male. Like I said you do your thing and Ill do mine. And no I dont race in heavy traffick or any thing like that so dont tell me Im endangering anybodys life but my own, which I can live with.

 

Sukkoi, it is your right to wrap your Z28 around a post if you whish to. It is also my right to try to pass on what I might have learned after all these years.

In the end, if you wrap the Z28 on a post, I might not even hear about it, the kid with the Civic might feel bad, and the question will be : who won?

You defend your right to endanger your life. You also have the right to buy a gun and play russian rulette if you want. Some of us might try to stop you. You might think you are Mr. Macho. Either way, if it fires... who won?

You have your opinion, I have mine, I am sorry we don't agree. If I outlast you, I won't be able to say I told you so... but, hey, you won. Congrats.

 

It would mostly likely be my Mustang that would get wrapped around a pole. It isnt a desire to endanger my life, its an adrenaline rush, just like jumping out of an airplane or big wave surfing. Why did you buy a fast car? So you could look good? I dont think so, you want to go fast, if you didnt it would have been a waste money big time. Part of going fast is going faster than other "fast" cars on the road. Its an American tradition, and its not about being "macho" whatever that means, but about being young and male. You take your car to the track and race right? Dont you think that has some inherent danger? Last year 3 people died at our dragstrip, now Im sure that the ratio to fooling around on the street vs racing at a track is very much in the tracks favor for safety, it still has a level of risk that has to be accepted. You make it sound in your posts that any display of power is "macho" and childish, but you still display power at the track dont you. Do you not feel good when you defeat someone at the track? Just translate that into a street race, but allow for greater oppuritunity. Im just trying to be honest with the emotions and underlying psyche that I think everyone that has an interest in fast cars has.

Anyway Im not trying to make it sound like Im some sort of diehard street racer here, its actually very rare when any of my cars see much more than 2000 rpms when driven. Hell I drive an 18 wheeler for a living. Now tell me your not a little scared now heheh.