A new season of a rather controversial racing reality show is about a week away. The Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws, which is reclaiming it’s spot on the channel’s ‘Motor Mondays’ on Monday, May 18, has reportedly been one of the top cable shows among 25-54 year-old men. In fact, last year’s season finale delivered more than 3 million viewers.
While this is good news for us race fans, there continues to be valid concerns of how popular television shows and Hollywood movies of this nature are influencing viewers. As RacingJunk.com has continued to report, the number of arrests and fatalities due to public street racing is skyrocketing.
- Street Racing: The Drama Continues
- Illegal Street Racing Gaining Attention
- Illegal Street Race Leads to Death in San Bernardino
Although there is a disclaimer at both the beginning and end of television shows like Street Outlaws and movies like the Fast and Furious and Need For Speed, there are those out there who continue to ignore these warnings and take their lives and the lives of others into their own hands.
Ongoing Street Outlaw fan and Electromechanical Technician Leon D.R. believes that although this show, like many other reality shows, is scripted these drivers will continue to compete in any fashion that they choose despite any reaction that they may receive from networks or even fans.
“They were racing before and if this show were to go off the air these drivers would continue to compete,” said Leon. “I can only hope that fans would observe that this competition is dangerous and that they don’t need to become human guardrails, ultimately putting themselves at risk.”
Motorsports journalist Amy Henderson, who has been covering the sport for more than 10 years, believes that reality shows of this nature only promotes the sport of drag racing, especially with its ‘staged nature’.
“The races in shows like Street Outlaws are clearly staged,” said Henderson. “It is not like they are telling people to go out and try this on your local highway. At some point, people need to take responsibility for their own actions and not blame what they are watching.”
Weekend short track driver David Pendergrast, even admits to street racing in the past. “People are going to street race despite the risk,” said Pendergrast. “I knew that it was foolish to do so in much riskier circumstances when I was younger, but I did it anyway.”
While I myself and I am sure many of my fellow writers/readers will be tuning in for the latest antics and competition on the new season of Street Outlaws, I can’t help but also hold my breathe hoping that the other shoe won’t drop. Be sure to share your thoughts on the popularity of street racing with Racing Junk below. Will you stop watching or will you watch responsibly?
For more information about Street Outlaws visit Discovery.com/tv-shows/street-outlaws/.
I like watching it. I’m 55 & live in Ont. Canada. We use to drag race on the street years before this show came out, so the show didn’t have any thing to do us . It’s something that has been going on for years & will continue, the people just have to have some common sense & try to do it safely. When we did it a friend had the police band radio so we would hear if a call came in & would get a heads up that the police were coming. It was the drive bys that would get us into trouble. I’m glad that the show is continuing & I’ll be watching it.
We used to race on back roads , major highways. You knew the risks. If you play , sometimes you pay. It’s just that simple ! Be it with a fine or your life. It just sucks when people that are not involved at all get hurt or killed. If your there watching you are involved and should know the risk.
I think we are losing sight of what this does and does NOT do for current racers; it does not make them do anything that they don’t do already just because they see it on TV. I watch murder mysteries and have yet to commit murder.
However, this did make me want to put my car back together since it has not run in 3 years. (69 El Camino with a 454 BBC engine). Would I street race it? NO!, would I race it at the track? (yes if it was faster). Would I drive it recklessly on the street? No, But lets be reasonable; would I go over the speed limit? yes, as I already do once in a while with my Dodge Caravan; would I commit a felony and get in a speed contest? No! I am spending part of my retirement just to get the car going again and I don’t want to give it to the enforcement people as they will destroy the car!!!!
When I was young in 1967 to 1990, yes, I DID STREET RACE. Was it stupid? YES, in the old days we used to block off the streets, have better crowd control, and we had meetings at places like the Nabisco plant; a street with nothing on it but the Nabisco Company (which was closed at night), and it was/ still is a dead end street with no one around at night, where people could watch from a safe distance back in the day. We also had 4, (Four!) race tracks that were TOP LINE tracks, OCIR, Lions, Bakersfield, the real Irwindale, and LACR in Palmdale all within 120 miles from the San Fernando Valley. This day and age, there is NOWHERE TO RACE that is a reasonable distance and a reasonable cost for the youngsters. I feel bad for them
Lets not make this a foolish argument about a TV show! My God! Looney Tunes that my daughter watches has “beheadings” on it. This is just TV, and that’s all it will ever be. Give it a rest. And thanks for letting me get my two cents in. Daddy Ray
What’s happening to this country ? are we all becoming sheep? If your stupid enough to stand on the Side of the road during a race then you are responsible for your actions. It’s not the TV’s fault ! It’s time to stop all of thes political bull. *+*<* we are our own worst enemy .
What kind of psi do you run in your tires
With the sanctioning bodies of structured drag racing GOUGING EVERYBODY AT THE GATES AND ALL THE POLITICAL BU–S–T that goes on , I for one is ready to sell my rear engine dragster and join the street racers myself !! I’am in the southwest and have wored for and helped build and supported the local drag strips for years ( tech inspector,staging lanes,Starter as well as track maintenance an prep for events ) , but recent political changed within these organizations ( one in particular ) WE CANNOT AFFORD TO PARTICIPATE ANY LONGER TO SUPPORT THE FAT CATS THAT CLAIM TO BE A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ??? I would love to organize an event in Arizona to support the Street Outlaws !!!