Tire screeching late midnight throughout the west side of Illinois was heard for over 2 hours: cars involved in street racing was the cause. There is both good and bad of street racing in Illinois, so it is important to consider both sides of the perspective: from a guy who lives around the areas where street racing happens, to the person who sometimes hosts the events of street races, to people who race for fun or money. I will be using a fictional name to maintain the anonymity of the person that I interviewed.
Mike, who used to host street racing events, said he did it for the fun of the game and because he used to make money out of it, which helped him open a mechanic shop and got him to some of the highest performance shops in Illinois. He also added that, yes, of course street racing is dangerous, but they would respect the area that they would be at and would only stay for a few hours until cops came and they have to find a new spot or call it a night and do it again the next day. Mike also stated, “This is what I dreamed about when I was younger and my dad used to take me to these types of events,” showing how these events can have a more personal connection to those involved.
On the other hand, some people at night get disturbed because of the sound and get scared or have sensitive ears. Lucas Buckardt ’26 said, “I live around a neighborhood where we can hear the cars all night for two to four hours just street racing.” He is annoyed that from Thursday to Sunday, all he hears is just cars making loud noise and racing up to the 660 ft on backroads. There is also a concern of safety. Street racing can put people’s lives in danger, as there’s just a bunch of people there with no safety, he claimed. He thinks that the better option for those who like street racing would be to go to a track instead of putting their life and the lives of spectators in danger.
Overall, while racing can be fun for both drivers and spectators, the best option for guys who like street racing is to restrict it to the track to keep everyone safe. That said, if they do back road racing, they should carry a fire extinguisher just in case a car catches on fire and they need a way to put it out. It is important to acknowledge the sentimental value, while also prioritizing safety of everyone involved.
