Street racers gather the evening of Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in the parking lot of the Goodwill on Northeast Marine Drive and 122nd Avenue in Portland, Ore. Across America, police are confronting illegal drag racing whose popularity has surged since the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns began. Drivers have blocked off roads to race and to etch donut patterns on pavement with the tires of their souped-up cars. From Portland, Oregon; to Albuquerque, New Mexico; from Nashville, Tennessee; to New York City, officials are reporting a dangerous, and sometimes deadly, uptick in street racing.
Street racers gather the evening of Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in the parking lot of the Goodwill on Northeast Marine Drive and 122nd Avenue in Portland, Ore. Across America, police are confronting illegal drag racing whose popularity has surged since the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns began. Drivers have blocked off roads to race and to etch donut patterns on pavement with the tires of their souped-up cars. From Portland, Oregon; to Albuquerque, New Mexico; from Nashville, Tennessee; to New York City, officials are reporting a dangerous, and sometimes deadly, uptick in street racing.
Street racers gather the evening of Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in the parking lot of the Goodwill on Northeast Marine Drive and 122nd Avenue in Portland, Ore. Across America, police are confronting illegal drag racing whose popularity has surged since the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns began. Drivers have blocked off roads to race and to etch donut patterns on pavement with the tires of their souped-up cars. From Portland, Oregon; to Albuquerque, New Mexico; from Nashville, Tennessee; to New York City, officials are reporting a dangerous, and sometimes deadly, uptick in street racing.
Street racers gather the evening of Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, in the parking lot of the Goodwill on Northeast Marine Drive and 122nd Avenue in Portland, Ore. Across America, police are confronting illegal drag racing whose popularity has surged since the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns began. Drivers have blocked off roads to race and to etch donut patterns on pavement with the tires of their souped-up cars. From Portland, Oregon; to Albuquerque, New Mexico; from Nashville, Tennessee; to New York City, officials are reporting a dangerous, and sometimes deadly, uptick in street racing.
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Josh Lewis fist bumps 3-year-old Lincoln Delagarza, of Northglenn, Colorado, before racing begins at Bandimere Speedway west of Denver on May 5, 2021. The State Patrol runs a program called “Take it to the Track” in hopes of luring racers away from public areas to a safer and more controlled environment, even allowing participants to race a trooper driving a patrol car. The program’s goals have gained new importance and urgency this year as illegal street racing has increased amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A racer waits to speed down the quarter-mile track at Bandimere Speedway west of Denver on May 5, 2021. The Colorado State Patrol runs a program called “Take it to the Track” in hopes of luring racers away from public areas to a safer and more controlled environment, even allowing participants to race a trooper driving a patrol car. The program’s goals have gained new importance and urgency this year as illegal street racing has increased amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Josh Lewis races at Bandimere Speedway west of Denver on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. The State Patrol runs a program called “Take it to the Track” in hopes of luring racers away from public areas to a safer and more controlled environment. The program’s goals have gained new importance and urgency this year as illegal street racing has increased amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Drivers wait to race down the quarter-mile track at Bandimere Speedway west of Denver on May 5, 2021. The Colorado State Patrol runs a program called “Take it to the Track” in hopes of luring racers away from public areas to a safer and more controlled environment, even allowing participants to race a trooper driving a patrol car. The program’s goals have gained new importance and urgency this year as illegal street racing has increased amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Denver police are shifting gears to tackle the problem of increased street racing during the pandemic through a renewed push for their “Take it to the Track” event, which provides a safe, controlled venue for those who have the need for speed.
Jaye Sanford, a 52-year-old mother of two, was driving home in suburban Atlanta on Nov. 21 when a man in a Dodge Challenger muscle car who was allegedly street racing crashed into her head-on, killing her.
She is one of the many victims of a surge in street racing that has taken root across America during the coronavirus pandemic, prompting police crackdowns and bills aimed at harsher punishments.
Experts say TV shows and movies glorifying street racing had already fueled interest in recent years.
Then shutdowns associated with the pandemic cleared normally clogged highways as commuters worked from home.
Those with a passion for fast cars often had time to modify them, and to show them off, said Tami Eggleston, a sports psychologist who participates in legal drag racing.
“With COVID, when we were separated from people, I think people sort of bonded in their interest groups,” said Eggleston, who is also the provost of McKendree University, a small college in suburban St. Louis. “So that need to want to socialize and be around other people brought the racers out.”
But people have been killed as packs of vehicles, from souped-up jalopies to high-end sports cars, roar down city streets and through industrial neighborhoods.
Street racers block roads and even interstates to keep police away as they tear around and perform stunts, often captured on videos that go viral. The snarl of engines and traffic tie-ups have become huge annoyances.