 |
| A typical illegal street race. Source: YouTube. |
The Pietermaritzburg-based Sidewayz Club received well over a 500 responses from racers interested in taking their illegal drag racing off the capitals streets to a safe venue.
Convener Michail Chetty said the response was all the more gratifying as it included the ruling party’s youth wing.
“While we appreciate their obvious drive to appeal to young voters, the fact of the matter remains that we need the city fathers on board if we are to set up a permanent venue where our young men can go to informally dice each other without endangering people or property.
Witness Wheels had earlier joined forces with the drivers of Sidewayz club to call on all the car racers in the capital to a historic meeting to brainstorm a safe place to race.
“You only have to listen on any given night to hear how many young men are burning rubber in dangerous dices all over town.
“Last year, we had several horrible crashes, the worst one of which saw four young men die on Alan Paton Avenue.
“Unless we club racers meet with the young men and we all brainstorm a solution, it is just a matter of time before another such tragedy will happen,” said Chetty.
Wheels editor Alwyn Viljoen said as the arrest of pop start Justin Bieber proved last week, illegal drag racing was very popular and very aspirational.
Viljoen said outlawing the racers just made dicing that more more appealing to the young rebels who race.
“We have all been there. The solution needs to involve structured challenges and a place to race,” Viljoen suggested.
Chetty said the next step in the illegal-to-legal street campaign was to flex some muscle to show the city fathers the sheer number of midnight racing fans in the city.
To this end we will host we have now got permission to stage the first ever midnight motor show tomorrow night in Raisethorpe’s CBD.
The mini-motor show will start at 9 pm and continue to midnight in the Nedbank parking with free entry.
Chetty said in a first for Pietermaritzburg, a suburban road will be closed off to create parking space to park and display the expected 150 vehicles that will include racing and sports cars, modified taxis and breakdowns, and vintage cars and motorbikes.
He stressed no racing will take place.
“The focus is on giving our city’s younger car enthusiasts a safe place to collect as a group.
“No racing or the display of any unlawful action/act will be allowed during and after the event.
“The sale and the consumption of alcohol will not be allowed and will be monitored closely by the relevant authorities, including traffic officials, SAPS and emergency medical services.
“We hope to attract approximately 1000 youth and adults to the event, he said.
The show will host a show n shine and free sound testing on the night.
Chetty invited all young drivers in and around Pietermaritzburg who support the illegal to legal campaign to come show their support so that the council will take their need for a safe place to race seriously.
“We will be polling the racers for their ideas on dedicating an area to create a legal venue in Pietermaritzburg where the drag racers can speed without endangering anything other than their own cars.
