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Robert Ogorchock kisses his girlfriend, Darilyn Winter, while leaning against his 1998 Corvette before a race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month. Street legal cars start a race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The speedway lures illegal racing onto its dragstrip. Another Midnight Mayhem racing event is scheduled for tonight. Photos by John Locher/Review-Journal

Friday, June 21, 2002
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Dragstrip taking racers off streets

Illegal street racing a growing hobby

Some teen-agers and young adults are turning public thoroughfares into racetracks.

Car enthusiasts have been racing on roads for decades. But recent technology improvements have taken low-budget, high-performance cars to new levels with bolt-on, after-market parts. For less than $1,000, owners of cars with turbochargers or fuel injection can nearly double their horsepower by changing computer chips and exhaust systems and plumbing nitrous oxide into their intake systems.

But the growing hobby is illegal and dangerous, so the Las Vegas Motor Speedway provides a safer, legal outlet for these racers' "pocket rockets." The speedway's dragstrip will host another Midnight Mayhem racing event tonight to lure illegal racers off the streets.

Under supervision, participants can race on the quarter-mile dragstrip for about four hours beginning at 10 p.m. Drivers pay $10, while admission for spectators costs $5. The speedway is located at 6001 Las Vegas Blvd. North.

The first event in March attracted 212 cars and about 1,500 spectators. By the fourth race in early June, 399 participants and 2,751 spectators were on hand.

Racers must have a valid driver's license, show current registration for their vehicle and have proof of insurance. Those younger than 18 must provide a parental consent form.

"Illegal street racing is a problem not only in Las Vegas, but across the country," said Chris Blair, the speedway's director of drag racing operations. "This program is designed to allow the street racers to compete in their own style, without the dangers of pedestrians, oncoming traffic and curbs."

"At the speedway, it's controlled, it's regulated," said Las Vegas police Sgt. Frank Weigand. "They're not going to hurt anybody. Why even consider racing on the street when you don't have to?"

At least twice a month through October, younger speed demons seem content to take their need for speed to the track, where they can race, talk about cars, listen to loud music and hang out in a supervised environment.

But the rest of the time, many of these speed junkies look elsewhere for a fix.

"It's a need for speed. I don't have it constantly. I drive the speed limit more than people think I do," said one 19-year-old racer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

He graduated from high school two years ago and works as a supervisor at a Strip amusement ride. A seemingly responsible adult, he owns a late-model Chevrolet Camaro and throws common sense out his tinted windows when he wants to compete. He said he has driven his car as fast as 130 mph on the street.

He admits to racing on city streets, occasionally participating in organized, and illegal, racing events on the outskirts of metropolitan areas.

Hot rodders meet late at night at a prearranged destination, such as a shopping center parking lot, and head to a remote location. Word of mouth, cell phones and e-mail get the message out.

"On some nights you pick the right spot and get to race for two or three hours," Anthony said. "You just have fun socializing. Just being with cars. It's a great feeling. An adrenaline rush."

He has attended two of the Midnight Mayhem events and has enjoyed it, but he misses the outlaw "high" from the streets.

"You can do it when you want (on the streets)," Anthony said June 7 at the speedway. "You don't have to wait for nights like this at the track."

Some illegal racing participants have said several hundred people, including nearly 100 cars, line the side of the road during some races.

The races, however, are risky, and sometimes deadly.

A 23-year-old has been hospitalized for five days with life-threatening injuries authorities say he sustained while street racing near Owens Avenue and Christy Lane.

Three months ago, a 15-year-old passenger was killed in a street race when an unlicensed teen driver smashed into the back of a Citizens Area Transit bus in North Las Vegas.

They probably won't be the last people hurt in the growing illegal hobby.

"We haven't had that many fatalities from street racing, but one girl is still critical after what appears to have been a street race on Sunday," said Detective Bill Redfairn of the Las Vegas police traffic division.

"We won't say it was (a race) unless we can prove it. I know it goes on out there."

But Las Vegas police do not believe street racing is a major problem in the valley.

"When we find it, we address it," Weigand said. "They do brag about going places (to race). We can't be everywhere at once. We come down very hard on them when we come across them."

Weigand said "exhibition of speed" can be punished by a $95 fine and having six points against a driver's license. Street racers also can be cited for reckless driving, speeding and being involved in a speed contest.

"We have the option of taking someone to jail and writing them a citation in the jail, and that means we would have to impound their car," Weigand said. "When we have information (races) are going to be held, we send them the proper message that it's not safe to be racing on the street.

"We respond when someone calls to complain, but it's not a big problem."