Admit it: drag racing looks cool in the movies. Guys act tough, drive flashy cars and pretty girls cheer them on the whole while. America loved The Fast and The Furious flicks, all nine hundred of them (OK- Hollywood only made five, counting the latest one, which is due out next year).
But what happens when drag racing actually comes to an avenue near you? Residents are finding out in Maspeth, where the decades-long drag racing tradition on Maurice Avenue is experiencing a resurgence. As it turns out, maybe some things are better left to the big screen.
Elected officials and civic leaders rallied at the intersection of Maurice and Tyler avenues Monday to protest drag racing there. According to Council members Jimmy Van Bramer and Elizabeth Crowley, drag racers have taken a shine of late to a stretch of Maurice Ave between 65th Place and Rust Street.
It’s long, wide, flat and straight, which makes for a perfect makeshift raceway. It might be the best place in town to drive fast. Witnesses have seen and recorded drag racing parties which they say take place in the dead of night on weekends and sometimes even on week days.
Protesters say the daredevil street sport is way too dangerous. “Drag racing in Maspeth is illegal, reckless and potentially deadly,” Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley said at the rally. “This is not the movies, this is real life.”
They’re seeking safety measures such as speed security cameras and physical barriers like speed bumps and rumble strips from the city to discourage the drag races. Will they get them? Are speed bumps enough to scare off drag racers? Vin Diesel and Ja Rule overcame much larger obstacles. Stay tuned for updates. And drive carefully.
