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Rob's letter to the paper We need an outlet for that hi-powered testosterone Well here we go again...another perfect example of the need for an outlet for speed and testosterone. A young man crashes his 69 Acadian trying to elude the police after being observed street racing. After the tremendous turnout of participants and spectators at the annual North Island Cruisers car show at the Tyee Mall last week, it is very obvious that Campbell River is a hotbed of automotive enthusiasts and that Vancouver Island in general has a strong interest in hot cars and drag racing.The annual Port Alberni Drag Race at the local airport is the largest money making weekend for the town of the year.The amount of money brought in is apparently in the millions and the government has recognized the benefit to that city by contributing money from the economic development ministry for the event.The fact of the matter is that Vancouver Island is the largest populated area in North America not serviced by a sanctioned NHRA 1/4 mile Drag Strip .Let me make one thing perfectly clear. Street Racing is not drag racing. It is neither supported nor condoned by any NHRA affiliated racer.The fact that the government has dramatically increased the penalties for street racing shows that the problem is very real. However, increased penalties is like putting a Band-Aid on the problem instead of addressing the issue. The fact is that you have to get these cars off the street and on to the track.The National Hot Rod Association was in fact created by the late Wally Parks for the express reason of preventing illegal and dangerous street races in California by creating a safe place with strict rules in the 1950’s to allow people to enjoy the power created by the Detroit car factories in the mid fifties and sixties and still even today with some very powerful cars still being created. Sreet racing is a problem in many civic areas not just ours. |
Published: September 09, 2008 5:00 PM Vancouver has been a problem area and Mission Raceways has addressed the problem by creating a Friday Nite street racing event that happens all summer long.It has given the general public an outlet for this need for speed.The Saanich Police have run a high school drag race program through the power mechanics courses in the different schools for many years. It promotes and teaches safe racing at Western Speedway ( a short practice track) instead of taking it to the streets. Saratoga Speedway also has a very short track for street cars to drag on. It won’t handle higher power race cars .I feel that it is time for the different levels of government to recognize and acknowledge this problem and work together with the various car clubs and other interested parties on the Island and create somewhere on the Mid to North Island , a government/private investment in a proper 1/4 or 1/8 mile race track that will help prevent a lot of street racing, not to mention save young lives and give Island racers an alternative to high travel expenses going to Mission B.C.The area being cleared by Timber West beside the Campbell River airport would be an ideal place for such a venue and would create another source of economic revenue for the city now and for the future, outside of the what appears to be the ill fated resource sector. It is far enough away from current residential developments to be of no bother and the area will be commercially zoned as well . River corp might want to consider the possibilities of this venture.As the cost of fuel continues to rise the need for such a venue will be required even more as many valuable collector cars are taken off the street because of fuel costs and these cars still need a place to happen...not just the garage. by Bob Whitcroft |