Drifz Wheels says Take It To The Track

Street racing became a popular activity among drivers following 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious,” which starred up-and-coming actor Paul Walker. Nearly 13 years later, in December 2013, the same dangerous activity made headlines when Walker was killed during a suspected street race on his way home from a fundraiser for his charity.

Just a month later, the same activity put Justin Bieber behind bars with a DUI as he drove back to his hotel in Miami from a night club. Even though the open streets seem like a good place to test your vehicle’s limits against the road (and other vehicles), it’s important to save street racing for closed tracks.

Why the Track?

Instead of putting yours and other’s lives on the line racing between red lights down Main St., why not just take a few laps at the local track, void of speed limits, traffic and the risk of a pedestrian wandering into your path?

Not only is the local track the best place to test out your new mods, but also local tracks usually offer the option to do some legitimate racing, not just pulling up to someone on the street and revving up. Also, if you thought that the only place you could check out modified rides was in magazines, think again. The parking lots at most race tracks are completely packed with sport compact cars rocking custom wheels and wild paint job.

Getting to the Starting Line

The first step is finding your local track, which can be done with a simple Google search. Once you find your track, check the schedule. Most tracks offer racing for multiple styles of vehicles and types of races, so figuring out what you want to race is key, whether it’s your every day street ride or a garage project.

For example, if you’ve always dreamed of taking a stab at the Daytona 500, what better way to get started than by

doing a few laps on a full-size track? Tracks allow you the freedom to open up the engine and really see what your vehicle is capable of, especially along the straightaways.

It’s a Cheaper Alternative

If someone tells you that they enjoy street racing because it’s a more cost effective way of racing their car than bringing it to the track, they’re wrong. Aside from speeding tickets, there are moving violations that directly targeted at street racers. According the DMV, in California alone nearly 1,000 tickets are issued every year for street racing, even more disturbing is that more than thousands of people die every year from street racing.

Besides raising your insurance rates, tickets for street racing include a $800 fine, an impounded car, a suspended drivers license and possible jail time to up to the 3 months.

Finding a Track

If drag racing is more your style, most tracks offer that option along the straightaway on certain, scheduled days/nights including import nights that are geared to ending street racing. At most drag strips all you need to do is bring a helmet and sign a waiver to take your ride down the eighth or quarter-mile track. You can also find fun events to watch on the National Hot Rod Association website.

If taking turns is more your style, then it might be a good idea to consider a Sports Car Club of Americadriving school, which provides training from professionals about how to race on a track. From there, you can even get a gig working in the pit at your local track and get some real first-hand experience.

Drifz Wheels has some of the best street racing wheels available.

The local track also is a good spot to mingle with like-minded people. If someone wants to challenge you to a race, you don’t have to worry about finding a quiet, straight stretch of road with the risk of traffic and pedestrians.

So, if you’re yearning for a drag race or bragging rights, don’t jump behind the wheel and become another headline. Get online and find your local track, where you can safely test your vehicle or take on your peers in a real race.

By Sean Bowes

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