ANDRA open letter

Drag Racing is a Sport. Illegal Street Racing is a Problem.by ADRP • June 7, 2014Team Mopar Australia Lee Bektash’s ProStock Chrysler

In writing this article, by no means do we wish any disrespect towards the lives that have been lost, injuries that have been sustained, or families who grieve and have been affected by theillegal car racing that happens on the streets and roads in Australia.  We ourselves have adult children who drive on both city and country roads each day, and when it comes to their driving, and getting in their cars with friends, education and understanding is key.
All four of our children have been brought up around very fast cars.  We are a Motorsport family.  We’ve been entrenched in Motorsport and racing our drag cars for in excess of 25 years.  Therefore, unlike Australia’s mainstream media, our childrenknow the difference between two cars racing alongside each other on the Street ie Illegal Street Racing, and two cars racing each other at Drag Racing facilities around the Country most weekends ie Professional Drag Racing.
DRAG RACING IS A SPORT.  ILLEGAL STREET RACING IS A PROBLEM.
What is also a problem is the way Drag Racing is being reported on TV, and in social and print media.  Yes, what is happening is a tragedy.  Yes, what is happening on the streets of Australia must stop.
But what also needs to stop is the description being used by the Media when a “Street Racing” story is reported.  Why?  Their ignorance of the difference between Drag Racing and Illegal Street Racing and their misuse of the term “drag racing”, is negatively affecting Professional Drag Racing as a Motorsport in Australia.  It is of huge concern to the Australian Drag Racing Community as to why a few young adults who crash (or get caught) whilst they are illegally street racing, are dragging the Sport’s reputation into disrepute.
Kylie Tanner’s “Super Street” Torana

Some FACTS for the Media:

• Drag Racing is a Professional form of Motorsport Sport.  It iscontrolled, structured, organised and supervised/governed by a National Authority in Australia.  (Australian National Drag Racing Association Ltd - “ANDRA”).
• Drag Racing is a very real Sport, and a way of life for respected sportsmen and sportswomen around the world.  It is a massive Sport in the USA, and featured on ESPN, as much as Basketball, regularly!
• Drag Racing takes place in a controlled, closed environment (ie a Drag Strip – Calder Park, Willowbank Raceway, Perth Motorplex, Adelaide International Raceway, Sydney Dragway……just to name a few) with all possible risk factors minimised by the competitors, track & safety staff, event managers and a National Governing body.
• Crashes DO happen at Drag Races.  But due to incredibly strict Rules and Technical Requirements for both RaceCar and Driver in terms of safety-wear and build of the vehicle, 99 out of 100 times the drivers walk away with hardly a scratch.  Cars must undergo regular Tech Inspections to be allowed to race at Drag Racing Events.
• A Drag Race is a timed race from a standing start over a pre-determined distance, usually 1/4 mile or 1/8 mile (200m or 400m).  This happens on a specially prepared surface, which is bordered by concrete safety walls.
• Drag Racers undergo rigorous Testing and Licensing before becoming qualified and being issued their Drag Racing License.
• Drag Racing is a straight line race.  It is against the rules to change lanes, and there are no corners or intersections on a Drag Strip.
• Drag Racers must have a blood alcohol limit of 0.00.
• Drag Racing involves real Trophies (Christmas Tree is the term) and Prize Money, a number of State and National Series’, and is a travelling roadshow where spectators pay to attend events over 1, 2 or 3 day events at Tracks across the Country, from Perth and Brisbane, to Alice Springs. ie like attending an AFL game.
• Drag Racing is a Family-Oriented Sport (this includes Mates too).  Each weekend families load up the RaceCar that they’ve been working on in the garage/workshop for weeks (or months), and head to Tracks (see above) where they set up “camp” to spend the day or weekend bonding around a common interest.
• Drag Racing allows just one person in the race vehicle.  The Driver wears approved safety-wear.  ie approved standards helmet, neck restraint, fire suit (sometimes fire underwear! depending on the Class/Bracket), flame resistant gloves, and specialised footwear.
• Illegal Street Racing is incredibly dangerous and pointless.
• Illegal Street Racing usually means that the car is full of young adults.
• Illegal Street Racing can sometimes involve the consumption of alcohol or drugs.
• Illegal Street Racing risks the lives of not only the driver and the occupants, but the innocent public who may be driving on the streets at the time, or walking on the adjoining footpaths, or living in the nearby homes.
• Illegal Street Racing accidents usually involve stock-standard unmodified “family” cars, where the drivers have a little too much power on their hands for their limited years of experience.
• Illegal Street Racing happens in public places, without control, structure or organisation, and is ILLEGAL.
• Illegal Street Racing is an impromptu race, with no rules, no regulations, no safety or organisation.  It can be many kilometres long, has no finish line and covers multiple lanes, intersections, turns, roundabouts and endangers “slower” moving traffic in the same carriageway.

With the Media reporting Illegal Street Racing as Drag Racing, it is seriously affecting Drag Racing; The Motorsport.
How?  When these stories air/are published…..

• Government Funding gets withdrawn from Building/Development of new facilities and/or Upgrades to current facilities.
• Major and Minor (Big Business) Sponsorship of Teams, Tracks and Events gets withdrawn, reduced or knocked back.  (We have seen this repeatedly over the past few months in our own Drag Racing business circles).
• It affects attendance of Drag Racing Events by Spectators.
• It affects NEW interest in Drag Racing Events by the public.
• It affects the reputation of Drag Racers amongst the online and in-person community.

ANDRA Drag Racing

It’s time for the Australian Media to differentiate between the two, and respect the spectacular Sport of Drag Racing.
Illegal Street Racing is costing and changing lives negatively, and tearing families and friendships apart.
Drag Racing creates sportsmanship, unity, and lifelong friendships, and a fun and safe environment to race cars.
 DRAG RACING IS A SPORT.  ILLEGAL STREET RACING IS A PROBLEM.

The Australian Media has so much to answer for and will only get worse over the coming years as regulation diminishes and media power centralises and increases. Not just against Drag racing but so many factors within our community. We must all stand up to them and demand unbiased correct and truthful reporting of news not just opinion!
 
JP

This is why I stay away from social media(other that classic ford forum).....
I grew up around rally and speedway, I've always been able been able to see the difference between 'road' and 'race' cars, I learned the motto "motorsport thrills, street racing kills'..... I still live by that....
In saying that I've done some truly dumb things on the street when I was younger, it's truly luck that me and my prized RS are still here, I still cringe every time I drive past a particular gumtree near my folks place that I stopped just short of late one night....
I still wonder why they make cars like Evo lancers and SS commodores, even in capable hands I've been scared silly in these things, only to see a P plater drive past in the same car......
Learning to driving a truck was the best thing I could have done, it taught me a lot about patience, road rules and mechanical sympathy.... They still do compulsory military service in some countries, how about heavy vehicle training in aus???
Anyway that's my view.... Cheers Drew.......