Introduction
When people think about street racing they think about movies like “Fast and the Furious”. They think about drag racing, guns, drugs, sex, and violence. Not to say these things don’t happen, but I’m here to divulge some secret truths behind street racing.  In this paper we are going to take what you might be thinking about street racing and hopefully open your eyes to a less glamorous, but still thrilling form of modern day street racing.
In this essay we discuss these aspects of street racing: Who the people are. How they got there. Why they do it. How they do it. Where they do it. Who are street racers, are they really gun toting drug dealers? Do street racers come from the ghettos or make Tofu deliveries? Must average citizens run in fear when they hear the roar of an engine? Or are street racers really just a bunch of people who really like their cars (and motorcycles), love the feel of the road, and watch out for people, road hazards, bicyclists, and police? Are street racers similar to any group of people who share a common interest and gather together to share their experiences and make friends?
In short, are street racers adrenaline junkies or simply a group of family and friends with a shared interest?
Who are street racers really?
When we think about whom street racers are, we think of Hollywood and other stereo types that are brought to mind. But what is a street racer really like?  “A typical racer is a male aged 17-24 and most likely driving an import. Honda Civics and Camrys are definitely the new car of choice because of their size and street handling. The money being spent to supe up, remodel and refit these machines is commonly in the thousands of dollars.” (1)  Street racers are not all guys there is a fair share of female drivers out there on the road too. Are street racers only bored rich kids or drug dealers the answer to that is simple…no. Street racers are everyday people like you and me who just happen to be interested in cars instead of lets say baseball or video games. Racers are guys and girls that go to college, have jobs, and put their extra money into their rides. Their love for the road is what drives them to drive. With the car club as they like to refer to themselves, known as the Gingerbread Men, they are all for the most part in college and have a job. Many of them put there extra money into their cars, if they can. When asked how the all found each other the simply say “that they meet each other through friends and they all became friends from then on.”  Of the club from what I know and have been told very few have a criminal record in fact they hardly ever get tickets. So from the idea of gun blazing Hollywood stereo types to everyday people, street racers are not to be feared but treated like your next door neighbor because who knows they could be one.
Why do they race?
Now that I have shown you who street racers really are let’s talk about why they race as in what compels them to do what they love to do. Hollywood or common day stereotypes of why street racers race lead you to believe they are adrenalin junkies with a death wish who have no respect for the law or for life itself. I assure you that this is a fabrication made to interest you in what they are trying to get you to buy. When I interviewed the members of the Gingerbread Men they revealed their reasons for racing and how they got started racing in the first place. On my second interview when asked why he raced, the racer told me “Well I’d say adrenalin but that’s worn out now. So now it’s just the smell of the burning tires gets me…you know excited. It’s fun. And to see your buddy just hauling ass I don’t know it’s just the thrill of it all the fact that you could…If you’re going through a corner sideways and you see a cop he’s not gonna be too happy about that… I don’t know it’s just exciting. ” Before I had asked the co-founder the same question and he gave me a similar but still very different answer he told me “that he races because he loves the rush of the run” but he gets the rush not from the near death experience but from handling his car, being one with his car. He described his perfect run, he said. “The perfect run is when there is no oil on the road everything is dry your tires are working. Your car is not shitting out on you. You’re not having any troubles. It’s a good evening, the air is warm, the moon is illuminating the road.” That is his perfect run. The truth about the racers is unlike Hollywood movies where there are always crashes and gun fights plus cops everywhere. Racers like to avoid as much trouble as they can. The co-founder told me that the most dangerous thing on the road for the racers is not cops, guns, and crashes but sand put on the road by local people to stop racers.  But all it does is make the racers, who for the most part know what they are doing, lose control of their car. And that can lead to fatal accidents if the driver does not know how to handle their car well enough to recover from the loss of traction. These people have had a profound interest in racing since there were very young. When the co-founder was asked why he got into racing he replied “when I was younger I got an import magazine and it sparked my interest in cars. At first I didn’t really like it but one of my friends was into cars and he showed me the culture.  And I thought it was really cool. I thought it was a cool image.” I also asked another member the same question and he told me “When I was a little kid my dad used to watch NASCAR and I thought it was kinda cool. Then he had an old school car when I was 13, a Chevelle, and I helped him rebuild it. And it was awesome. That pretty much what started it.” From a car magazine to a family bond, an interest in cars can happen to anyone. You don’t have to be a drug dealer or a bored rich kid. All you’ve got to have is that one spark that sets the pace for your life as a street racer.
How do they race?
 Now that we talked about the who and why, let’s talk about the what. Hollywood portrays street racing as burning out at stop lights and drag racing. “Two vehicles line-up at a streetlight, one challenges the other, and once the green light appears they take off as fast as they know how. Illegal street  racing is not a new thing. It's been going on ever since the days of the Model T Ford.” (2) Now true, that is a part of street racing, but it is also not the only part and for the Gingerbread Men it is a part of their past that they grew out of. Now what the Gingerbread Men do is a form of Touge which is a type of mountain racing that originated in Japan. “The aim of Touge is not to drift, but to be the fastest on a particular stretch of road. Drifting can be used to block the chaser or as a part of a driving strategy, but Touge is traditionally focused on grip. During the race, if the challenger cannot keep up with the leader, the race is lost. If he or she can keep up with the car in front closely, the battle is usually won by the chaser, or a second run is organized. If the chaser is able to pass the car in front, they automatically win the challenge” (3) As the co-founder explains, he used to do drag races but as time went on he found it pointless and began to focus on mountain races. He would go to spots where drag races were being held and instead of racing them there he would tell them to “put their money where their mouth is and race him in the mountains.” This helped him with financial issues or for the most part gas and parts for his car. These days he and his club do a modified version of Touge were they show-off and perfect their driving skill as they race through the mountain passes with their team, no longer seeking the thrill of the actual race, but to better understand their cars. They love to drive and be with their friends. I asked one of the members if it was still as fun to drive alone as it was with the team he told me “We try to organize it for safety reasons. Like if your car breaks down at random o’clock in the morning and no one’s out there and your cell phone doesn’t work or something.” So for the Gingerbread Men members the fun is not in racing itself but in racing with their friends and having a good time. Driving is a community thing, when the dude runs alone, as one of the member stated “it gets lonely and no one likes that.” The Gingerbread Men practice what is known to be one of the safest forms of street racing because they only race in the mountains with their friends. If they do race other people it is a one on one minimizing the danger of crashing with the other driver or everyday drivers on the road.
 On that note The Gingerbread Men are still racers, they do race and find other racers, but the other racers are not like the people portrayed in movies where they are always agree and hate you. Racers are really nice to each other and all love what they do. One of my fondest memories is when I went into the mountain with the co-founder, whom I have known for a long time, and there was another racer up there. Even though he did not race the guy he kept up with him, maintaining a safe speed because I was in the passenger seat. When he got to the stopping point in the mountain, the other driver came up and talked to us. He was happy that we were trying to keep up with him. He talked to the co-founder about his car and the specs of the car. They both never meet each other in everyday life but they acted like they had known each other for a long time. The racing community has many codes of behavior and places where you can meet up with other people. I talked to the Gingerbread men about their usual hang outs and what they do there. The co-founder told me about the simple signs and codes, nothing too in-depth. He said “that when it comes to other drivers we usually will give a wave or a head nod. But some people are pricks and their just too snooty to wave... but other people will come up and talk and will swap car ideas.” He told me about a time he meet some racers on Skyline. He was with a couple of buddies on bikes and they were coming up to one of the vista points. They pulled up and started talking to people. One of the guys knew of this live band playing at a bar and they all went there with him and had a great time. Hollywood my say racers only meet to race and to fight but racers in reality are nice and friendly to other people. They have no reason to be mean, so they aren’t.
Another thing Hollywood likes to say is street racers are a gang and will always run from the cops because they don’t know better. To a degree it is like a gang, but only on the aspect of not just anyone can get into the Gingerbread Men club. They have their own ways of making sure that the people who they bring into their world of racing are ready for the challenges ahead. The Gingerbread Men have an unspoken test. Through their conversations with new recruits they bring up cops and times they have gotten away from them. If the person has a story himself to tell about out running the cops, then the members are able to tell how skilled the other driver is and whether or not they are Gingerbread Men material. This is not to say that every time a cop shines his light and blasts the siren, they try to ‘run away as fast as they can’ because they are Gingerbread Men. Most the time they pull over and obey the law. This is the reason that I believe most of the members do not have tickets and that is why they are what they call lucky. The cops see that they are responsible and know what they are doing. So they let them off with a stern talking to and that is that.
Conclusion
From my time with the Gingerbread Men I was able to dissolve the fallacies about street racers. I was taught the true meaning of racing, which was to have fun, make friends, and above all be safe. At the end of every interview with the members I asked them if there was anything they wanted to say about their club. What they said was a message to the next generation. They all said to drive safe, were your seat belts, and know what you’re doing. They all wanted to make sure that kids won’t try to imitate them without first knowing the risk. The Gingerbread Men are not drug dealing gang bangers as the media wants you to believe. They are a family of friends who love their cars and the road. They live for the thrill of the drive and nothing else. I hope this article has helped you understand the true street racer for yourself. Even if you don’t believe me, keep in mind what you have learned here today and next time you see a street race out on the road don’t be afraid of them, just let them by and watch as they disappear into the horizon.

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