Me and this girl were going to her friends house and we were driving through our neighborhood and these two guys on sport bikes had been flying through our neighborhood all day. They do it all the time, one guy is prolly about 30 something and the other is 19 the 30 year old is the uncle of the 19 year old. And so they always use our neighborhood as their race course. They live a street up from my house. And so EVERY weekend the nephew comes over to his uncles house (the uncle lives near me) and they both race around. The 19 year old has a yellow bike and the uncle has a red one. So today they were riding around some about 11:00a.m. to about 2:00p.m. (I think). So today after I went and checked out some fourth gen Camaros I went home and ate. So my friend came over and her and I were going over to her friend's house so we were going out of the neighborhood and guess who gets in front of us. The two guys on the bike. And so I was behind them chilling listening to my music and talking to my friend and we turn on this road that is pretty straight and the two guy punch it and leave me like I am totally standing still! So about 20 yards in front of me the guy on the red bike gets next to the guy on the yellow bike and they are racing on a two lane road on going the right way and one going the wrong way. So about 100 yards in front of me they touch each other's bike and the guy on the yellow bike starts to loose it and goes off the road but he keeps it under control somewhat. While this is happening the guy on the red bike is doing the same. So the guy on the red bike looses it and hits a tree and I swear I think they had to have been going 100+ mph. So the yellow guy went through like 3 yards and finally hit a sitting Jeep and flys off his bike and lands in a yard at the end of the road. The guy on the red bike was rushed to the EM room and they dont know if he will live or not and the guy that was riding the yellow bike died at the scene. I figure he broke his neck when he hit the ground. But my friend and I couldnt believe we just watched that happen. I will never forget that. It sucks cause all it would have taken was for me to be in front of them and that would have never happened . But I just had to get that out. Sorry guys I know this isnt tech.


Here is a map of what happened.

Red is my path
Green is the bikes path
Orange is the yellow guys path off the road
Purple is the red guys path

 

Tech or not, it's an important thing to realize what we get into with our street racing. I'm not gonna preach, and yeah, we're wrapped in steel, but still, just keep it in mind next time you're on the pedal...

-Reno

 

I respect your tact, Reno, but I am going to preach.

I'm 47, and I've been a "hot rodder" (term from my era) all my life. I've raced dirt tracks, asphalt, SCCA, etc. I've owned a bunch of souped up rides - most of them pretty hot. And yes, when I was Monkie's age I did a bit of street racing too.

I don't post much, but I love this board. I bought my 3rd gen 6er 2 months ago and found this place looking for info, as this is my first Maro. The technical info here is superb, and I love that a V6 board exists.

But I have to say that most of the 6ers seem to be very young and many of the posts relate to street racing and killing Stangs and ricers.

Street racing kills. 16, 17 and 18 year olds don't have much experience. Before you get bent out of shape, consider that the ***** you're dragging against is also a 17 y/o.

Most of you look up to and respect TomP (as well you should, since his technical knowledge is superb). Note that he races on the strip. Nuff said.

Oops - forgot to mention this. Monkie, I admire that you titled your post "Worst thing I've seen". It shows that this incident didn't blow over your head, but caused you to think about the risks associated with reckless behavior.



[This message has been edited by 25thRS (edited February 03, 2001).]

 

Just saw on the news that the guy that was riding the red bike will live and has minor injuries. Im glad to hear that! He would have left 3 kids behind if he had died . But I still cant believe that other guy isnt gonna be around. It kinda grabs you when you see someone alive on second and then the next they are dead.

 

Ok... time for me to throw in my two cents....

I'm not trying to make excuses on why it's ok to street race (it's really not...), but the fact is, EVERYONE is gonna do it at one point or another. It's usually the people who take it too far that get killed though. I have a perfect example.

Me (87 LT) vs. Camaro RS
Take off from a light, hard on the gas.... run down the straight as long as we can, trying to out brake each other... also trying to see just how fast our cars will go... He had a 145mph speedo, so he was the judge. before the corner, we're side by side, and I can tell we're doing at least 115.... I then decide that the turn coming up isn't gonna be the best place to be at 115mph. So I start to brake hard, but see my friend in his RS continue to accelerate. I'm thinking, "He's insane!" I get down to around 90, then see his brakelights... I'm down to 80-85, and all of a sudden, I see a cloud of dust.... I go through the corner, turn around at the nearest place I can, and come back. His right fender is buried in the ditch... he was ok, luckily, but his car was trashed.

Yes, I still race occasionally, even after seeing that, but if it gets too out of hand, I'll always be the one to back out, because I value my car and my life.

Like I said, I'm not trying to say that it's ok to street race... but I'm just saying that once you push it to the point of insanity, you will get burned... and usually bad...

------------------
--'87 Camaro LT --
Contemplating a 2.8->3.4 swap.....

 

man, thats terrible. on the topic of street racing,i must say that i'm 17 and have been driving for over a year, and not once have i street raced. i beleive that if you want to race, take it to the track.

 

Thats some crazy stuff Monkie. I had a friend who was killed running from the cops. Its very serious ****. I do street race but only in straight lines and no traffic. And I know when I've lost or won and quit after that. To me, thats enough.

I'm wondering how that Uncle is going to cope, knowing that he encouraged his nephew to take it that far.

 

I raced the first night i got my maro lol. But now when i race i make sure no one is around ive raced some people where when you win and slow down they try to run you off the road... But when i race i make sure i feel comfterble. Like if i think something is gonna happen ill back out of the race or jsut not do it. Even seeing how fast our cars go ive gotten up to 6500 RPM doin well over 140 and backed out becasue I got scared.
Ever notice when soemone else is driving you dont feel as secure as when you are driving. maybe its just me becasue i ride with teenagers and stuff.

 

I too have seen some nasty things result from just about any form of street racing... most not from intentional drags, but racing none the less.. one day someone thought his car was quick and didn't want to wait for a line of traffic to pass before turning over the highway into the theater.. his passanger, one of my friends, is now gone.. and that was his 18th bday present.
Even I have done my share of racing.. and I've got my fair share of kills.. but I call the race over at the speed limit. They can blow past me all they want after I hit 55. Funny thing is, most of my kills weren't even intentional.. take off from a light on the highway like I do every day.. and suddenly someone zips past me after I hit the limit.. and my passanger's busy going "Man, you should have seen that guy trying to power shift!" .. some weird drivers out there, 'course my stripes kinda beg to be challenged.
You wanna floor it for a 1/4? take it to the strip.. let the innocent people that drive on the street live.

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'86 Camaro SC, black /w silver racing stripes
2.8l MPFI/700r4
In search of new v8 engine & transmission
MSD coil, Accel 8mm wires, SplitFire plugs, Gabriel hijackers

 

Several years ago I to saw something similar to this. I was just in 8th grade then but I remember it like it was yesterday. My dad and I were doing some yard work, both of us doing different things. I noticed my dad walked out toward the road (we live a little off the main rd). After he didn't return after 5 mins I decided to go check. I was shocked to see a couple ambulances, a few cops, 3 wrecked rice bikes, and 3 bloody men. Aparently all 3 were racing down the road and lost control. One was hurt a lot worse than the others. Some just had some nasty cuts on their shoulders. One had to be put into the ambulance and taken away. I never heard about what happened to him till last year. This guy lost control of his S10 in the same spot and smashed into a power poll doing about 50. His airbag saved him. While on the scene I overheard him saying that how the cop told him about the bike wreck about 4 years ago and how that man had died. It was something I'll never forget. I didn't see it actually happen like Monkie, but you just don't forget it when you see stuff like that. I try to not race too much anymore. I'll admit to a few street races. Hell I raced a 2000 Celica tonight. Got burned but it was all in fun, we both backed out at around 55 or 60. Just drive responsibly. You still can't help what some other idiots do on the road. Not a day goes by when I'm not about hit by someone. I just try to drive w/in my means, and make sure that if I'm in an acident its not my fault.

------------------
Red 1986 SC, 2.8L, rebuilt 700R4, 3.42 Posi, t-tops, 135K miles and counting, K&N air filters, hopefully more to come!

 

Yea I know what ya mean man. You dont forget something like this. Especailly when you see them do it. I couldnt believe it. And it seemed like it took them forever to finally land on the ground. But the guy that hit the tree was home today. I drove by his house going about 15mph and he just looked at me straight in the eye and I shook my head and went on. He was limping badly. He is very lucky though. Could have been worse. And to believe the people in my neighborhood! OMG, today they just stood around the scene all damn day. Looking at the hole that that guy that died left when his head hit the ground. I couldnt believe it! That pissed me off badly. I think its just no respect.

 

i hate sport bikes. ppl who drive motorcycles are more ****y than teenager drivers (yes im 18). hot shot *******s. always swerve in and out of high speed and low speed traffic nonadmittantly showing off.
i hope that guy gets arrested for vehicular homicide. motorcycle riders always give me a hard time on the road...

 

That story is the stupidest thing i've ever heard. not that they deserved it, but in a way you cant think that that wouldnt have happened. good thing i dont ride my bike any more!

 

i have had a similar experience. i had a friend who died a few months ago in a car wreck. he was in a 98 1/2 contour svt and and he tore the car in half. he was going around a bend doing somewhere around 85 - 100 and he lost it the care went off the road and tore in half. he died on the way to the hospital

 

I had a friend, my neighbor, die in a car accident back in September. He went to the mall ealier that night to get his former girlfriend some jewelery to win her back. When he came home, he called one of her friends to get her opinion (I guess) if he still had a chance with her. The friend told him that she was in another town just a few miles away hanging out with another guy (which she wasn't). He apparantly told his sister to leave the back door open so he could sneak back in later on. He leaves at about midnight. My mom got me up at about 5am and told me "[he's] dead." That hit me like a ton of bricks. Since I was really good friends with his ex, I was the one that called her. After I told her, there was dead silence. Then I heard her start to cry. That was The hardest thing I have had to do. I went over later that morning to check on her. She told me that she saw his car go by a little after midnight. It was foggy and the roads were damp and slick. On his way to the town, he couldn't make a hard right turn. Apparantly his front tires lost grip, he slid into the other lane, and another car essentially t-boned him. That tore the back of the car off behind the front seats, and sent him and the front of the car into a pole. The driver's side door hit the pole. Apparantly the car bounced back from the pole a little bit and he fell out. He was alive when the paramedics arrived and he told them he could't feel his legs. Everything from his pelvis down was crushed. He died either on the way to the hospital or at the hospital. The highway patrol judged from the skid marks that he was doing 99mph. Kinda dumb when it is foggy, wet roads, and for what?? A girl!! He was driving a dodge daytona w/ a 3 liter.

------------------
My only mod: Flowmaster 40 series

 

Well I have had to real bad experience with stupid drivers, one resulting in the death of one of my friends at the Age of 18 and another involvin the destruction of a 91 1LE Z/28.
My friend Josh was driving down a country highway one mornign a few years back. Well to make a long story short he was dfoig the speed limit when entering a turn around a Rock that was sticking otu from a cliff so he couldn't see around the corner. Well when he hit the Apex a dump truck was half in his lane and smashed his S-10 like a pop can. He was pronounced dead on the scene. By no faul of his own. When the police arrived the other driver said that Josh was in his lane and that he had been drinking becasue there were cans all over the road and Bla bla bla. Well the idiot did even look to see what kind of cans they were. When the cops investigated the accident they found nothing but Mountai dew cans. They also saw the marks from the point of impact on Josh's side of the road. After finding this they arrested the man on the spot for Vehicular Homicide.
LAter they discover that he lost control of the Truck because it was 2 tons over loaded with Gravel, he had been up for 23 straight hours, and was hoped up on some kinda drug that keeps you awake.
Well he got convited and is now serving 40 years in Kentuck for Voluntary Vehicular Manslaughter, somehow he pleaded it down. Doesn't matter to me because he can Fry for all I care. Its so hard to lose a good friend, I would be a little more sympathetic if it would have been an accident, but there was so many things he could have done that would have prevented this from happening, then he tries to balme it on Josh and claim that he had been drinking and had swerved into his lane. Just goes to show you that the roads are dangerous, dont add to the danger.
I almost killes me and one of my friends one night when I was showing off.
My Girlfriends mom was helping me buy the 91 1LE and I had got it before I had actually paid anything for it, but that doesn't matter. Anyways the first night I had it we I went to pick up one of my friends before heading to my Girlfriends house to show off my new "Broght Red Z/28 super car" or atleast I thought it was. Well we headed out and I got on a 2 lane Highway that was kinda curvy, then was driving hard. Well I was doing about 110 mph and coming up on this car that had their brights on. As soon as I passed them I saw I was just about to enter a 35mph curve. Well I think I manged to brake to about 90MPH and the let off as to not lock the wheels up and slide. Well as I went into the cornere it was sticking an then all of the sudden the rear end broke loose. When we started to slide are jerked the wheel to the way we were sliding trying to get the cars to spin so it would slow down, but the car wnet off the road. With it being mid december and about 7 pm the grass had dew on it and it was like being on ice so the tires wouldn't grab traction enough to spin the car.
Then came the BIG tree. Hit sideways right where the drivers door meets the front fender. The car hit so har that the sub frame rail hit the Transmission bell housing hard enough to crack it and the gas pedal and brake pedal was no longer able to be seen. Lucky for me the Seat belt came out of the holder on impactand I flew out of my seat. SO I do still have my legs. I came out with enough force to put the steering colum almost verticl and through the windshield. I landed in the middle of the car with the gear shift tilted inbetween my legs misson one shoe. WEll me and m friend got out wlaking with onle minor cuts and scratches. We were so lucky. That car was bent into a V shape. I no loger road race exept on a straight road that has no traffi on it and then I wont take the race much over 60mph. It has changed my prespetive on driving completely. I afree with you wanna race goto the track not on the road.

 

Thanks for the compliment, 25th! But I'd have to pass that compliment on to my dad & my friends & the internet & working on the Firebird itself...

I used to street race; but a few things were different. I knew how to drive, I never did "crazy" stuff, I raced on multi-lane roads with little-to-no traffic, and I'd always back off if the person I was racing started driving "stupid". I define stupid racing as cutting things (cars, lanes, curbs, etc) too close, showing no control of the car (sliding out, back end wiggling), and other idiotic maneuvers.

At 24, I'm retired now; I have way too much going for me now to risk anything stupid- and that's 99% of why I stick to the track. The last 1%? Well, the track gives you actual #'s, where you can scan in timeslips and have "proof"- nobody gets that from a street race, unless they get their opponent's pinkslip. In this internet world of twin-turbo'ing that and supercharged this, proof is nice to see. It's like a meeting a kid that says "yeah, I bench 200", but you see him at the gym struggling with 70!

Plus, the more I look around, I see more & more sports-car-drivers that can't drive "normally"- and that's not even talking about racing. If someone can't manage to put their blinker on to change lanes at 50 MPH, what the hell are they doing speeding? (Yes, for every race I was in, when I changed lanes, I used my blinker.)

The track's a much better spot.


------------------
-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Guys, if you read over on the engine swap posts you will see that I own an 89 RS with a 2.8 V6 MPFI. You will also see that I am 41 yrs. old. Which means nothing if it weren't for the fact that I have learned from a lot of mistakes, made by both myself, and others. I have been involved with the EMS system all my life and I currently work on the nursing staff at a local hospital. prior to going into the hospital setting, I worked first as a police officer and then as an EMT. I can't explain to you how it feels to roll up to a scene to find an otherwise healthy (but deceased) youth. Yes men (and Ladies) speed kills. Please take it to the track. Even now I find myself sometimes on a deserted straight stretch nudging the accelerator and feeling the addiction of torque over rule my good sense until a scene flashes in my mind. It is then that I throttle down and think to myself that my life still has much to offer me and others. Have fun, enjoy those F-bodies. Be careful out there because that winshield, T-top, convertable, coupe, pavement, tree, telephone pole, innocent mom, dad, and kids aren't gong to forgive you at top speed. An old Harley phrase come to mind here..." Ride to live, Live to ride."

 

i agree with everyone else that's posted here, Street racing is deffinately a dangerous game to play. And if you make the wrong move, or even the slightest mistake, you might not make it to another race. When i first started driving, i raced anything and everything i saw, i have a buddy at school, and we would race every day on the way home, (always highway races) i noticed one day that he had done some incredibly risky moves, and i can remember saying "To risky for me" and backing off, accepting the loss. I also used to street race anything i could find, eventually it cost me a new motor, but that's all thankfully. I've moved past highway races now, the speeds are too high, and the risks are to dangerous, cars can and do come out of places you don't see, and it gets more dangerous than i wish to know. Luckily i haven't lost anyone yet and pray never too, nor haven't wrecked my car. But all in all street races are dangerous, while your driving sanely, or insanely, but once your cross the line of good judgement, things escelate to a new level, where your life hangs in the balance. All in all, don't over estimate your driving ability, and remember that you're not superman. If you are street racing,and get to a point where things look tough, it might be a better idea not to go through with it, it's not worth it, know when to back off, and don't be the instigator. While you might injure yourself on the road, do your best to keep the other drivers safe.



------------------
the 85 firebird, the first firebird that doesn't burn out....

It eats the pavement!!!

KILL LIST: (SHORT BUT GROWING)

Dodge Daytona (think a 2.2),Honda Acorda (2.0L),2000 Camaro (3.8L),1992 Mustang (V6),1987 Firebird (2.8L),80's probe (4 banin'),90's malibu,90's 4 door Saturn, (wow, that was a slow ride, even slower than me.),91 Celica GT conv.,Acura Integra, 5speed DOHC 4 cylinder. * 86-90 Pontiac T/A, 305ci. (might not have been running well, but i'll count it anyway.)
---came close----
1979 camaro (5.7),1981 camaro (5.7),1982 firebird (5.0) my tires spun, I coulda beat em!!! ,79 El Camino (350, lost by a door),96' Mustang, 3.8L stickshift. (caught him after my car downshifted.)

 

I have to say i totally agree with 25thRS. I too am 31 years old and remember the 15 to 19 year old street racing days, for cash, for fun or for stupid pride. I was lucky and never wrecked. Three of my friends, one very close, were not lucky, one night the Iroc met a tree at 120mph on a blind curve, One is in a wheel chair, one is parylized from the neck down living with killing his highschool sweetheart and not able to say how sorry his eyes say he is, his girlfriend was like a sister to me. I got the privledge to vollenteer with the local police in my home town and can't tell you how it feels to see a dead body mangled in a car wreck OR mangled by a out of control car, only to find out the sight you saw was a living teenager not 20 minutes ago talking about the prom or about the ski trip last weekend. The worst one i ever saw and needed theripy for and was the one that kept me from becoming a police officer was helping clear out a ford mustang that sideswiped a stationwagon in excess of 90mph on a 4way. We happen to be a mile from it and were first to respond. A 9 year old girl died in my arms that day crying, asking if she was going to die and was i here to take her to heaven. Her parents died on impact. My girls were 6 and 5 at that time, it hit home more then i can ever explain. I saw you say that it may have been differnet for these two if you were infront of them, but the sad truth is they were commited to racing, they would have jetted around you like you were not there and MAY have involved you in the wreck. The times haven't changed for street racing as 25thRS pointed out, his days to my days to the today, the drivers get younger and some are stupid, its the addiction of speed, of pride, and of showing off, its the older ones that live thru the "superman" phase that are the wiser for it, for they can only share their stupid times and near misses. Just think before you decide to race, whether on the road or on the track, think about whats around you, whats ahead and whats behind, even then, keep it off the streets, sure everyone does it, even i am guilty of getting into the throttle from time to time. We can all justifiy doing it and we can all laugh at it, but wouldnt it be a shame to see someone here kill or be killed and have to read about it, or have there friends and family recieve a call day or night telling them their friend/son/daughter/parent that laughed at life and thought it was ok will be buried next week at 2pm, or can you please come down to ID a body.


------------------
91 Firebird
3.1 w/ K&N filter, 160 stat, No TB heat, Direct Cold air, DynoMax CatBack, B&M MegaShifter, Performance Shift Kit, Bosch platinum plugs, 7mm "stock" wires, Jensen CD330X Head unit, Jensen 120watt rear speakers
Stock front speakers,

0-30mph 4.25 Best 4.09
0-60mph 9.16 Best 9.09

Now on the workbench:

Preped 3.1L bored 1mm over, forged rods, Ported and polished GM iron heads, 3.1L intake, polished and gasket matched <---- whadda pain, Crane 1.6:1 rockers, PAW Cam 280/290, .443/.465, race underdrive pullies.

Slowly but surely seeking a 14.2 NA in the 1/4 mile.

[This message has been edited by Red91Bird (edited February 05, 2001).]