Discussion Forum - Northstar Chevelle Club

John D · 2K+ Club

Street racing accident

bowtie · Secretary

OK, I waited a day to post this:

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/06/04/2-injured-after-man-hits-bystander-in-drag-race/#.T80jbgmwnW8.facebook

For those who don't know the area, it's a couple blocks South of St Anthony and 35W between Industrial Blvd and Stinson, about 2 blocks north of Hennepin. (a couple blocks to the east of Pioneer Rim and Wheel).

Now, I can't tell anyone to NOT street race, I have done it, I have watched it, I know it's still going to go on...... What I can say is that he had a car built for power, it was caged and belted, and have read that it was track legal. It had a ton of power and though still on the street, it was done off the normal traffic areas, and essentially closed to other cars (though bystanders should have been behind the cars). From what I heard, the main issue was that he wasn't used to the power and he might have hit a 2nd stage of nitrous when his car went awry. I'm sure there's more rumors too, but in the end, he's seriously hurt, someone else got hurt, and there's one less Camaro driving around now.

I also heard his kid was watching when it happened.

dashboard · 2K+ Club

I don’t do much drag racing but do you think he might have snapped an axle?

Too bad looks like it could have been a nice Camaro. Was it John Wayne that said “you can’t fix stupid”?

I think we may have all done a little street dragging but not with that kind of horsepower.

Tony Hoffer · Moderator

The more I hear about supossed details of this accident.. The more I realize not everyone should own a car like that... hope he lives ...He has a tough tough road ahead of him.

Bowtieman427 · Active Member

My 2 cents you want to drive like that pay to go to the track. You have a car with that much power go to the track. I am still getting use to my car and found goin to the track makes me respect it a lot more on the street and releaves the temptation to hammer it and race it against some body would not even consider it. I let others drive like A**holes wave to them and save it for the track. I do nto even do I think the Cedar Falls drag strip has a great idea with the "Midnight Mania" Just like street racing instant greens and cost a whole $20. Burn out contest etc. I am even considering a cage for my car to be safer on the track.

Things like this idiot ruin it for the reat of us. More idiots doing this will raise our insurance give etc...

GO TO THE TRACK.....That is what the track is for.

Tony Hoffer · Moderator

I should probably add that...

as an organization...The Northstar Chevelle club does not condone or participate in Illegal street racing..

-- Edited by Tony Hoffer on Tuesday 5th of June 2012 03:30:44 PM

Scott Parkhurst · Super Poster

I used to run the streets in the '80s too, but we'd go out in the orange groves and away from people. Still not right, but safer than this stuff.

That being said, yes- it was too much car and the guy can't drive. He got dusted out of the hole and then got sideways and over-corrected before he lost it.

What I can't figure it out is why he'd pay to get good harnesses installed and then choose not to wear them- even just for the race. Stupid.

I'm surprised the video is so good though. Haven't seen much of that when these stories happen. The street digs in SoCal are mainly late at night, so there might be a few flash photos but no nice video like this.

Cars are just plain faster now than they were in the '80s too. We ran 12s, some 11s. Today guys can go 10s easily and some go 9s. That's nuts on an unprepared surface.

Tony Hoffer · Moderator

Years ago we used to race on Red Rock rd behind North Star steel in Newport... In 1981 we had just a few of us motorheads who would go down and run.. as word got out it grew.. We had a couple of guys ( The Schwartz brothers usually) would take charge and make sure things were run right... Some basic commonsense was followed.. Keep people back behind the line, run two races then let the 4 cars return slowly single file before running any more..

A few years later it had grown into mob rules with 100's of people just there to watch..
I remember my last day down there ever.. People were lined up to watch well past the 300 foot mark.. they couldnt see the cars at the line so they curved out onto the road and then would step back as the cars went by.... Imagine what a snapped axle would do to those bowling pins??
The last straw was when I saw someone launching a race in one direction with two cars coming back full on in a race from the other... I got in my car and left... I didnt want to see someone die..

bowtie · Secretary

I remember Red Rock well, I was one of the masses down there at night from about 1989-1992 or 93. I thought that was pretty well "run" since it was a dead road off the beaten path, flat and straight. Sometimes they would block everyone in and do vehicle checks. Lots of inop license lights. I just cleared the bumper height test in my Jeep.

Closer to me back then was Black Dog Rd. The start was just east of 35W and you'd race towards the power plant. Usually there was someone at the far end watching since it was still a service road. It was 3 miles to the power plant so you could also see headlights coming. There were some hitters back then, even one that would take on crotch rockets. Same deal, though-people stayed behind the line and off to the side, if you couldn't see you stood on a truck bed parked in the weeds off to the side.

Chris R · 2K+ Club

Am I the only one having problems getting the video to load in that article? Ive refreshed the page about 10 times.

Derek69SS · Founding Member

Scott Parkhurst wrote:
Cars are just plain faster now than they were in the '80s too. We ran 12s, some 11s. Today guys can go 10s easily and some go 9s. That's nuts on an unprepared surface.

Not that many years ago you had to be a heck of a mechanic to just keep something running with any kind of serious horsepower, much less build it. With modern EFI, better heads, roller cams, turbos, and/or big cubes, any idiot can have 800hp in a street car.

gearlube · Active Member

What amazes me is how fast life can change with a choice.
1. He will be cited for reckless driving and illegal street racing.
2. His injuries are extensive and no medical plan covers 100% so he will have hefty bills
3. He injured a bi-standard and I doubt his insurance will pay.
4. His insurance will not cover his lost car because of the recorded street race.

So in 2 seconds it changed his life....

bowtie · Secretary

Probably more like 6 seconds..... I totally agree too.

Scott Parkhurst · Super Poster

Tony Hoffer wrote:
I should probably add that...

as an organization...The Northstar Chevelle club does not condone or participate in Illegal street racing..

-- Edited by Tony Hoffer on Tuesday 5th of June 2012 03:30:44 PM

...says the guy doing a burnout on the street in his avatar pic. LOL!

This is a private board, so it's less important. Also, we're all way past the point where this is okay, and we all know that. We all have spun tires a bit or accelerated hard on the street at one time or another, but nothing as stupid as what was seen in this video.

So stop being a PC **** Tony! hah hah!!

John D · 2K+ Club

This is a private board, so it's less important.

This is not a private board - it's as public as anything on the internet. The only "requirement" or reason to register is to be able to post, but anyone can access and read the threads.

bowtie · Secretary

On Tony's behalf, I will say that he barely even drives his on the street. He knows what it can do and he practices all summer long, but he's still smart enough to keep it trackside.

I'm definately more conscious of doing stupid stuff now, partly because the law is more stringent, partly because I have kids, and partly because I'm so cheap that if the car gets wrecked Icn't afford to replace it so the back garage ends up as a hot tub/game room.

Tony Hoffer · Moderator

Scott Parkhurst wrote:
Tony Hoffer wrote:
I should probably add that...

as an organization...The Northstar Chevelle club does not condone or participate in Illegal street racing..

...says the guy doing a burnout on the street in his avatar pic. LOL!

So stop being a PC **** Tony! hah hah!!

LOL.. Me PC? God I must be getting old..

BTW.. My avatar picture was taken on privaute property at in invite only event.. Not to say Im not a kid at heart and wouldnt lay some rubber on the street..

Chris R · 2K+ Club

Ive been to drag strips with less tire rubber at the starting line then that street has laying on it. At least from how it looks in the video. Must be quite the popular place for this sort of thing. If there is that much rubber at this "starting line" (as the pavement almost looks like concrete thats near entirely blackened), then I have to believe as mentioned in the video, the cops are well aware of what goes on, on this stretch of road. For people to be street racing at 6PM or late evening time, on a week day is sure ballsy and just plain stupid no matter what time of day or week it is. Not wearing your seatbelt, or harness or whatever, its even more stupid IMO.

I recognize both of those cars. That Camaro and the GP are both regulars at Car Craft and a few cruise spots every year. Camaro sticks out because its Hugger Orange pro street with the RS lights in the open position, not common on the RS Camaros I always see to be open all the time. The GP I remember because its actually one of the nicer G body GPs around. If that Camaro had drag slicks, not only was there the likelyhood of an inexpierenced driver, but the combination of a loss of traction and too much power also contributed to the accident. Its not like a city street is prepped like a track would be. Hit a patch of sand and gravel is all it takes. Hopefully those injured continue to recover and since no one has said it yet...It sucks to see a 1st gen Camaro or any piece of vintage tin go out like that. Car probably wont ever get fixed with the extent in damage it appears in the video.

OscarZ · Treasurer

Chris I think the car with the Camaro is a Hurst Olds thats been around quite a bit at different events. Back when I had my Cutlass I paid similar cars a little more attention than I otherwise would have and looked the car over a few times. Nicely done car. I expect even that driver will feel the ramifications of being involved in the incident.

-- Edited by OscarZ on Thursday 7th of June 2012 07:31:13 AM

Chris R · 2K+ Club

OscarZ wrote:
Chris I think the car with the Camaro is a Hurst Olds thats been around quite a bit at different events. Back when I had my Cutlass I paid similar cars a little more attention than I otherwise would have and looked the car over a few times. Nicely done car. I expect even that driver will feel the ramifications of being involved in the incident.

-- Edited by OscarZ on Thursday 7th of June 2012 07:31:13 AM

I had to go back and look at it. Your right, its a Hurst Olds. Come to think of it, the GP I am thinking has the same cowl hood but that car has T-tops as well.