Youth movements and organisations

RACERS OUTSIDE MSU UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT
Street racing is a form of informal and often illegal car racing that takes place on public roads. Street racing can be either spontaneous or well-planned and co-ordinated. Law enforcement authorities prohibit street racing because of the potential risk of accidents and fatalities to other road users.
Street racers ("street racers" or crudely called "majors") are often grouped together.

A CROWD OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE THESE THINGS
Street racers are those who enjoy speeding down a dark street. Many people believe that such people pose a direct threat not only to themselves, but also to other road users. A street racer is not, in fact, a crazy street racer who likes to run into everything in their path. As a rule, these are restricted groups who also live by their own laws and routines. The Street Racing movement has certain principles that are followed by anyone who calls themselves a racer. The main requirement is to ensure safety on the road.

CARS AND DRIVERS IN THOSE DAYS
History of emergence. The traffic first appeared in the USA in the state of California back in the 1930s. For the first time, a straight stretch was chosen on a road that ran along the spot where there used to be a lake. At the same time, anyone who wanted to take part in the competition was allowed to do so. Therefore not only professional drivers, but also ordinary speed lovers were among the participants. Of course, there was no list of vehicle requirements at that time. During the Second World War the tradition was broken. A military air force base was established at the familiar site used for races. Racers began to look for new racing grounds and settled on the streets of Los Angeles - the races were held right there at night. And that's how the sport - Street Racing - was born. Interest in racing grew steadily with the growth of the automobile industry. Novelties started coming out of the factories and could boast more power. Young guys started upgrading vehicles with their own hands, which led to the appearance of such a term as "tuning". In Europe, street racing became popular only in the 1960s. But in Russia the first street racers started driving on night streets in dashing 90s.

THE PERFECT BEAUTIFUL AND TUNED CAR FOR STREET RACERS
Commercial interest. Enterprising citizens realised with the emergence of the sport that it could bring in good money. In order to hold competitions, they started setting up special grounds. Magazines with new sports car models were published. Televisions aired various programmes about races and drivers. Live broadcasts started to be made from the competition area. Car tuning shops began to open all over the world.

DAYTIME GATHERING
Street Racing rules. Most street racing that takes place at night is illegal. Despite this, there are some established principles amongst racers that relate to the selection of vehicles and courses. Here are some of the unspoken laws that are enforced by street racers:
all races are held at night in the city only;
you must comply with the road traffic regulations when driving on the street;
not allow defective cars to race;
do not cause accidents and danger on the road

A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE RACERS
Legalisation. Many racing professionals have excelled in their activities. However, there were also drivers on the roads who did not follow the rules and became involved in terrible accidents. This led to a negative impression of street racing in general. Such groups remained outside the law for a long time, and it was not until 20 years ago that legal racing started to take place in Russia. From then on, professionals began to unite and create not just communities, but real car clubs.

RACING
Types of Street Racing. Not everyone knows, but in theory there are several types of Street Racing:
Drag racing - racing in pairs on a straight section with maximum acceleration. The distance is ½, ¼ or 1/8 mile. The winner is the rider who passes the finish line first;
Streetpoint is a free night race, the route of which is recorded and negotiated in advance. Competitors start at the same time and aim to be the first to reach their destination;
Streetchallenge - races along unknown routes. The racer learns about the next leg only after the previous one is completed;
City-stile - a race along a route that is encrypted in terrain and objects. The racer solves the cipher and moves to the final destination;
Slalom - an extreme race on a slippery road;
Drifting - the most dangerous kind of racing where one has to enter the corners at full speed.
"Check-point" - a point-to-point race through the city (usually 5-6 kilometres).
"City-Jungle" - a variation of the "Street-Challenge" in which all the kilometres are known in advance, but the finish line, which is located at one of the kilometre points, is unknown.
"Mouse hunt" - finding and chasing one of the participants ("mouse") by other participants ("cats").
"Cannonball flight" is the name given to illegal races on public tracks from point to point, involving several riders. They have their origins in sanctioned European rallies at the end of the 19th century. The competition was discontinued when the Paris-Madrid race in 1903 was cancelled in Bordeaux for safety reasons after numerous accidents among drivers and pedestrians. Point-to-point racing re-emerged in the USA in the mid-1910s, when racer Erwin Baker ran many races (legal at the time) across the country, breaking many of the records of those years. The term 'cannonball' was coined in honour of his runs. Nowadays in such races drivers have to get from one part of town to the other, and the winner is the one who reaches the finish line in less time.
"Checkers, or traffic light races" are illegal road races involving overtaking cars and crossing at red traffic lights. Such street racing may be spontaneous when two or more drivers meet randomly on the road and try to prove who is "cooler" by overtaking each other, flashing their high beams, scaring people around, playing "checkers" usually at a significant speed. Usually, one ends up strongly overtaking the "rival" (while he is stopped at a traffic light, bumping into a slow traffic, etc.). Often common on the Ring Road and long expressways. It is also a kind of traffic light races when people drive on some long avenue with three or more traffic lights marked as "points" for kilometres. Race from traffic light to traffic light, starting usually at green (not before) then a rapid acceleration, "checkers", and braking before the next traffic light. The rules are usually limited - you either need to take a kilometre at the next traffic light, or skip at a green light to get your opponent into a red light.

HEAVILY TWEAKED CAR
Street Racing cars. To compete in a professional race, you can't just have an ordinary car. Cars with a lighter weight and better aerodynamics take part in the races. Pro cars weigh less than 1 tonne. There are 6 classes of cars for street racing:
SL - minimum weight not more than 550 kg, engine with 4 cylinders. These cars do not take part in crazy races;
FS A - street cars with the same weight, the engine must contain more than 1600 cc;
FS B - converted foreign cars with a minimum weight of 900kg. Engines with 6 cylinders at 2000-2500cc;
FS C - foreign cars with engines over 2500cc;
US - cars weighing a tonne with 6 or 8-cylinder engines over 3,000cc;
SS - upgraded series vehicles with 8-cylinder engines.