With the onslaught of street racing related crashes and deaths in the Central Florida area, mother’s and Florida residents have come together to create a place where people can legally race their cars in street racing style at a safe and sophisticated track. Why did Pete Madison the owner of Central Florida Road Course decide to make a legal atmosphere where people could race? The answer was very clear–he is trying to prevent death and injury that are street racing crash related.
Should Street Racing Be Legal? There is no doubt that street racing in any form should not be legal. The danger is too high and the number of deaths related to street racing in Florida have been on the rise for years. Legal racing, as far as legislatures are concerned, belongs at a track where the crash incidence is controlled, paramedics are on site, and there is little risk of danger for those who aren’t willingly involved in the race itself!
Pete Madison and Jose Rivera decided to keep their track, located at 201 Parcel Lane in Orlando, Florida open late two nights per week to accommodate the many individuals in Central Florida who wish to race on the streets. The difference–the races are conducted on a track (street style), there is medical staff on site, and security guards maintain the events to assure order is met. What this means–Orlando residents and Central Florida residents as well as anyone interested in street racing can race twice per week in a controlled environment where you can still have fun but erring on the safe side.
In addition to the Central Florida Road Course there is also a track in Bithlo Florida that accommodates drag racing for residents. The Bithlo track is called Orlando Speed World and is located at 19164 East Colonial Drive. This track that sponsors legal street style racing is open Fridays and Saturdays and the fees to enter vary depending on the event that is taking place. Residents of Central Florida and surrounding areas flock to this track to get a taste of the racing action that would not otherwise be legal or safe to watch on the streets.
The Plus Side to Legal Street Style Track Racing: Law enforcement officials of the Orlando area claim that since the tracks started allowing this type of racing there has already been a significant decrease in street racing as according an article in the Sun Sentinel written by Steven Cole Smith on July 18, 2009. Mother’s of the Victims of Illegal Street Racing who have not been so lucky as to come out alive also admit that in many cases if there had been a safe and legal place for their children to race such as the two tracks in Central Florida then things may have turned out differently for their children as well!
Sources:
Moms Back Track Goal, Race But Keep Kids Safe, www.sun-sentinel.com
Orlando Speed World, www.orlandospeedworld.org
Central Florida Road Course, www.centralfloridaroadcourse.com
