Culture of Street Racing
This article arose from personal experience and discussion with several friends in the racing sub-culture. During my time I attended 2 street racing events in Richmond and Maple Ridge. ... The Races Only a very small percentage of those present at an illegal street race actually compete. ... If they do not already own a racing car, most spectators seem to be in the process of preparing their own race vehicle. ... The number of people involved in an illegal street meet depends on when it is held. ... Occasionally, the racing attracts far larger crowds. For example, street racing on the evening of Easter Sunday generally attracts over one hundered racers Attendance at street races fluctuates accordingto the amount of police resources which are invested in controlling it. ... Policing of street racing is discussed in more detail below. The gender balance of street racers is typical of crowds at most motor racing events with 90-95 percent being male. ... The socio-economic background of the participants is one factor which distinguishes street racing from other forms of juvenile crime. ... In very general terms, street racers are from a lower to middle class background, but their participation in employment or full-time education appears to be marginally higher than that of their peers. A purely functionalist explanation for this is that building cars for street racing is an expensive hobby. ... It seems that most street racers have not abandoned many of societys traditional goals, or the conventional means of attaining these goals. Each night of street racing, the street racers meet at a central location (usually a McDonald’s restaurant). ... The crowd then drives in a slow convoy to the predetermined street - usually in a deserted industrial area (Industrial Roads of Richmond and Annacis Island seem to be the most popular). The atmosphere at an illegal street race seems like a large social gathering.