Sunday, July 26, 2009

Dodge SRT-4 street racer gets the ride of his life (video)

Sure, street racing is illegal. But street racing is fun. It’s exciting. It’s dramatic. However sometimes the drama is unexpected and goes on for longer than any of participants and spectators can imagine. Ask a certain SRT-4 driver:

No doubt the producer of this video hoped it would be instructional, though knowing human nature, probably not. People will still street race and others will enjoy street racing vicariously.

There are alternatives to street racing, including run-what-you-brung nights at local drag strips, though real estate development is closing more and more of those. There are track days at real race tracks for those who are serious about measuring the true performance character of their automobiles. Or one can easily find autocrosses to find out whether coffee can mufflers and weird fiberglass fenders really do make one’s car faster.

Racers call it the “red mist.” It’s when passion and competitiveness overtakes good sense, and when it happens on the race track, usually generous run off areas, gravel traps and cushioned barriers help mitigate damage and injury. Streets and highways lack those added margins of safety, however, and there are more people at risk than just the participants.

Street racing is not cool. Just ask the former owner of a brand new Dodge SRT-4.

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