Columns - Agent 1320

SEMA TAKES ACTION TO CURTAIL ILLEGAL STREET RACING

Racers Against Street Racing (RASR), a grass-roots enthusiast group that promotes legal alternatives to illegal street racing, will take its program to driver education classrooms throughout the country.

"Young drivers today are surrounded by media messages that depict street racing as glamorous and OK," said Christopher J. Kersting, president and CEO of SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, which administers RASR. He noted that it's a rare day when there isn't news about the unfortunate results of a street-racing incident in this country.

The RASR program, currently being tested in driver ed classrooms, consists of a curriculum and video. It addresses the realities of street racing, informs the students about local street-racing laws, and provides information about local legal alternatives. The classroom lesson is augmented with a graphic videotape produced for the MTV show "Flipped." Several members of RASR who compete in professional drag-racing competitions nationally are featured in the TV show.

The Agent says that if we can get young drivers off the streets and onto the dragstrip, maybe we journalists won't have to work so hard educating the mass media about the difference between illegal "street" racing and on-track "drag" racing. [5-23-2003]

WIN HERBERT'S RACECAR (BUT DON'T RACE IT ON THE STREET!)

Doug Herbert is giving away his Snap-on Racing dragster at the conclusion of the Auto

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Club Finals, Nov. 9, at Pomona, Calif.

"We don't know yet if we are going to give away this year's car or last year's car, but either way we know we're going to give away a complete, ready-to-run Top Fuel car that's run 4.5 seconds," said Herbert, who operates Doug Herbert Performance Parts in Cherryville, N.C. "The car will be worth about $150,000.

"The car will have everything," he continued. "We'll even start it. We'll figure out a way to get the car to the winner. Whoever wins it can take it home, come to our shop in Cherryville and pick it up or, if they want, we'll deliver it to their front door."

To enter, go to www.herbertperformance.com, print an entry form and mail it to the address on the form. Anyone purchasing parts from Herbert is automatically entered. For those wishing to order parts, a free catalog is available by calling 1-800-444-7373.

Print? Mail? Phone? Haven't these guys heard about the convenience of doing things "Online?" [5-23-2003]

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