Why we need more drag strips

[Hal'sMag]

ACCOKEEK, Md. - Police in Maryland say an eighth person has died after a car roared into a crowd that was watching a drag race on a highway.
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Authorities say the driver accidentally drove into the crowd but he wasn't part of the race. The spectators had just watched two other cars speed off.
The accident happened about 20 miles from Washington on a divided highway in Accokeek (ack-oh-KEEK').
Seven people died at the scene. Police say the eighth died at a hospital. Six others were injured.

[Hemipowered12]

yeah i saw that on the news this morning..very sad to see and hear...exactly why i dont street race anymore

[08blkrt]

There used to be a hell of a lot of street racing when I was a kid around here. A friend of mine had a 426 Wedge powered Belvedere, and he was racing one night and the front U-joint self destructed at over 100MPH. The driveshaft came up through the floor and danced around right next to his head. That was enough to end his street racing career. Tore the hell out of the floor of the car too. I loved that car, it was stripped down to almost nothing inside, and was quick as hell. Sadly, a rod bolt failed about two weeks after the car was back on the road, and the engine was toast. He parted out the car and engine.

The closest dragstrip was/is Milan and in the winter, the street racing was very heavy. There's a road near here, the Anthony Wayne Trail, where there was (haven't looked lately) a starting line, finish line, complete with a speed trap, painted on the pavement from at least 1968 until the last time it was repaved a couple years ago. The racers had a miniature tree and put 3 "judges" (no ties) at the finish line. Later on, they had a set of photocells to record the speed. I think they never hooked it all together to do ET's because if they got raided, they wouldn't be able to pack it up in time.