Illegal street racing can be considered a deviant subculture. Why don’t people

get into forms of legal racing? What can we do to encourage people to race legally?

Walter Miller (1970), said that deviant subcultures are characterized by (1) trouble,

arising from frequent conflict with teachers and police; (2) toughness, the value placed

on physical size, strength, and agility especiallyon males; (3) smartness, the ability to

succeed on the streets and and out-smart others; (4) a need for excitement, the search

for thrills, risk, or danger; (5) a belief in fate, a belief people lack control over their own

lives; and (6) a desire for freedom, often expressed as hostility toward all authority

figures. Most of these terms could easily apply to participants in illegal street racing.

Most of my thoughts on street racing is based on personal experiences. Street

racing in Omaha is on the rise in the past few years. With movies such as The Fast and

The Furious, young people are gaining interest in automotive tuning and racing. Movies

such as this seem to promote street racing for various reasons. One reason could be

that people race for money and this is a quick way to make it. Another reason is the

respect. People that go to organized street racing know there will be spectators they

can show off in front of.

The lack of a dragstrip/track in Omaha could be another variable. The closest

track to Omaha is in Scribner, Nebraska which is nearly a one hour drive to and from.

Some street racers don’t want to drive that far and then pay to race. There must be a

sense of freedom to race on the street rather than at a track. People setup races and

then race in mostly grudge matches where there aren’t any rules.

Legal racing requirements some permits and special licenses. Safety gear is also

very important and can be costly. Most street racers seem to be in their late teens to

their early 20’s. Some are students and work part time jobs to make ends meet. They

might not have the time to take the classes needed to obtain any specific licenses.

Going through what might be required may discourage the demographic group of

street racing, being mostly younger people.

In close, there are still some forms of racing that can be an alternative to street

racing that are more local. There is a group called the Sports Car Club of America that

promotes and supports legal forms of racing. The local region (Nebraska) offers a

form of racing called Autocross. This version of racing is setup in various parking lots

in Omaha or Lincoln. Cones are layed out to reflect a course that is raced to try to get

the fastest time based on classification. They offer helmets that are available for use.

All that is needed is a vehicle that has good tires, brakes, and working seatbelts. Entry

fees are affordable as well. This could be an alternative to the illegal and somewhat

dangerous organized street racing that occurs on a weekly basis here in Omaha. Even

with cost effective and legal forms of racing, the thrill of illegal street racing cannot be

denied and could easily be considered a deviant subculture that will continue for now.