Here we go again-Deadly "Drag Race"

[Too many to list here]

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

 

[82GT]

This pisses me off, the NHRA a non-profit organization "dedicated to safety" should have a media response group to correct the media when they use the term "Drag Racing" referring to street racing.

I hate when I tell people I drag race and they think, I'm some sort of criminal, putting people at risk because there only exposure to our sport is the news sensationalizing a criminal act and calling it Drag Racing...

 

[yoda]

You know, oddly enough, it did look like a drag race...

When one of the HRA's copyrights the term "Drag Race", then it will be ok for them to go mole wacking on all the media outlets. Until then, if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck....

Although blurry, it looked like a 5.0 Mustang in one lane, a GM box body in the other, both in the brief glimps we saw looked like they had all the trappings of a weekend bracket bomb (hi-rise hood scoop, larger rear tires, maybe a burnout at the start of the tape there?..), and from the news accounts, it sounds like a grudge match between rival factions..

I don't condone it, but to call it a drag race is what it was- remember, the history of the sport was created from the streets, and it was called a drag race LONG before it ever saw a track... Until someone makes the terminolgy specific to the sanctioned sport, what those guys were doing WAS drag racing. Stupidly, on the street, but still performing the action as defined by Websters..

Now, whenever they use the term incorrectly, like in the case of Critchley, or when 2 cars that are going around and around for 500 miles get fender to fender (finally) for the last 100 yards, THEN I'll agree- let's flame on the media...

 

[Jim]

What gets me more is when the headline reads "Drag racing accident..." and then when you read the article they talk about how the cars were swerving in and out of traffic etc. That sounds more like a NASCAR race.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

You know, oddly enough, it did look like a drag race...

When one of the HRA's copyrights the term "Drag Race", then it will be ok for them to go mole wacking on all the media outlets. Until then, if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck....

Although blurry, it looked like a 5.0 Mustang in one lane, a GM box body in the other, both in the brief glimps we saw looked like they had all the trappings of a weekend bracket bomb (hi-rise hood scoop, larger rear tires, maybe a burnout at the start of the tape there?..), and from the news accounts, it sounds like a grudge match between rival factions..

I don't condone it, but to call it a drag race is what it was- remember, the history of the sport was created from the streets, and it was called a drag race LONG before it ever saw a track... Until someone makes the terminolgy specific to the sanctioned sport, what those guys were doing WAS drag racing. Stupidly, on the street, but still performing the action as defined by Websters..

Now, whenever they use the term incorrectly, like in the case of Critchley, or when 2 cars that are going around and around for 500 miles get fender to fender (finally) for the last 100 yards, THEN I'll agree- let's flame on the media...

You can use all the technicalities you want, Martin, and I respect your opinion, but the bottom line is this kinda' crap needs to cease.

I get tired of hearing all of this "one car in one lane, another car in another lane, racing in a straight line so it must be a drag race" BS. We already have enough people whining about how the internet and boards like this aren't doing anything productive for our sport, well this kind of $hit isn't either. Modern day drag racing is done in a safe, organized manner. There is no excuse for these morons that are crashing stuff up on the roads to be doing what they're doing. There are sanctioned drag strips all over the place that are very cheap to participate at that level, so all the street racers (Which is what they need to be labled in the media) that are doing this need to pull their heads out of their a$$es and start doing this stuff where they should be.

As for the media's continued ignorance on the subject, all I can say is that the sport itself has evolved, so there is really no excuse for the media's vernacular not to follow suit, period.

Sean D

 

[.]

Already posted yesterday:
http://www.nitromater.com/general-chat/12241-media-gets-wrong-again-drag-racing.html

 

[yoda]

You can use all the technicalities you want, Martin, and I respect your opinion, but the bottom line is this kinda' crap needs to cease.

I get tired of hearing all of this "one car in one lane, another car in another lane, racing in a straight line so it must be a drag race" BS. We already have enough people whining about how the internet and boards like this aren't doing anything productive for our sport, well this kind of $hit isn't either. Modern day drag racing is done in a safe, organized manner. There is no excuse for these morons that are crashing stuff up on the roads to be doing what they're doing. There are sanctioned drag strips all over the place that are very cheap to participate at that level, so all the street racers (Which is what they need to be labled in the media) that are doing this need to pull their heads out of their a$$es and start doing this stuff where they should be.

As for the media's continued ignorance on the subject, all I can say is that the sport itself has evolved, so there is really no excuse for the media's vernacular not to follow suit, period.

Sean D

Its not technicalities, Sean...

From Merriam- Webster:
Drag Racing
One entry found.

drag race

Main Entry: drag race
Function: noun
Date: 1949
: an acceleration contest between vehicles
— drag racer noun
— drag racing noun
Nowhere does it mention "NHRA", or "a safe, organized manner". I agree- the idiots that do it on the streets need to stop. But in these days of media double speak, it's a rareity when they DO get it right.

The video shown was exactly what it was- a "drag race"... an an ILLEGAL one, but still exactly described by the definition used by the leaders of defining words.

Read my post again- if we want it to stop, SOMEONE needs to make the term exclusive to sanctioned, organized events that take place on a drag strip.

Until that happens, calling it what it is is much better than more media bull **** of them putting lipstick on a pig.

 

[Sean D, shondoo]

Well, Martin, we're just going to have to agree to disagree when it comes to my reference of a technicality.

I don't disagree with the "definition" of a drag race, but rather the context in which the ignorant media continues to utilize it. Having knowledge of the fact that we have opportunities all across this country for sanctioned and very well organized events for drag racing and not identifying the difference when reporting the street racing idiots that cause this kind of havoc is nothing short of irresponsible on the part of the media as far as I'm concerned. There is a difference between the two, regardless of what Webster has to say, and it's time to identify it. If nothing more, out of simple respect for the efforts of Wally Parks.

I'm hearin' ya', Martin, but it doesn't piss me off any less.

Sean D

 

[yoda]

Well, Martin, we're just going to have to agree to disagree when it comes to my reference of a technicality.

I don't disagree with the "definition" of a drag race, but rather the context in which the ignorant media continues to utilize it. Having knowledge of the fact that we have opportunities all across this country for sanctioned and very well organized events for drag racing and not identifying the difference when reporting the street racing idiots that cause this kind of havoc is nothing short of irresponsible on the part of the media as far as I'm concerned. There is a difference between the two, regardless of what Webster has to say, and it's time to identify it. If nothing more, out of simple respect for the efforts of Wally Parks.

I'm hearin' ya', Martin, but it doesn't piss me off any less.

Sean D

Wally should have required Compton and Dimbulb to make establishing the words "Drag Racing" their Number One priority of becoming the domain of sanctioned and organized events- that would have solved all these issues. Since I can't rely on anyone currently in Glendora to have that same attitude, I'll have to suffer the slings and arrows of an ignorant media when they call it what they have known it to be for 60 years...

Sadly enough, their lack of effort will be the reason that this sport remains in the leagues of theatrical wrestling and monster truck rallys...