Durban - The smell of burning rubber fills the air. Engines roar and tyres screech as souped-up cars take to the streets in a scene reminiscent of one of the Fast and Furious movies.
Hundreds of young people line the road, watching two cars face off in a high-speed dice with death. This is Durban’s underground drag-racing scene.
Petrolheads converge at racing hot spots every week to live out their passion to race. You will find them late at night at a number of spots around the city, including Springfield, Umgeni Road, Durban North, North Coast Road and Blue Lagoon.
All of this is illegal, forcing the sport to go underground and earning it an unwholesome reputation.
But enthusiasts say they have nowhere else to go and, despite the risks, will continue their dangerous races on public roads until it is legalised.
With only two legal drag strips in KwaZulu-Natal, one in Mtubatuba and the other in Isithebe (Mandini), the racers argue that both are too far from Durban, and they need a track closer to home.
While police say that they have become a nuisance and a threat to innocent drivers on our roads, the racers say police should invest their resources in combating real crime.
One racer, who wanted to be known only as Ryan, was racing in the Springfield Park area last week.
“I spend thousands modifying my vehicle, but the fact that I have nowhere in Durban to race is very disappointing. The racing community is huge here - we have the support of thousands of enthusiasts and yet the municipality does not want to give us a legal venue.”
Another racer, Zaheer Abdul, said he had been racing for 18 years.
“We race to have a good time because it is more than just a hobby and a passion; it is a way of life for us. Nobody outside of this can understand how amazing it feels to be behind the wheel.
“The adrenalin is insane. It’s all about the thrill of the rush - which we can’t get enough of. If they want to get us off public roads, they must create a legal platform for us to race,” said Abdul.
“The same way that women always want to look glamorous and wear better clothes than their friends, we are crazy about our cars.
“We want to have the fastest cars on the streets and to be better than each other - it’s all about the competition,” he said.
A spectator at the race, Sanjeev Singh, said it was fun and exhilarating to watch.
“It makes for great entertainment and sometimes thousands of people come out to watch the races. All of these people come to support it for a reason - because they love it.”
“Drag racers are not criminals; they are just passionate about speed and their cars. Their concerns should be considered.”
Kass Moodley, president of KwaZulu-Natal Motorsport, said he had fought a nine-year battle with the eThekwini Municipality to secure a legal drag strip for enthusiasts.
Two plots were identified for this - at Virginia and the old Durban International airport.
“We’ve handed many proposals to the municipality but received no joy. The biggest problem is funding. Transnet owns the old airport site and it costs a huge amount to secure the site, but the municipality does not want to assist us. We will continue to fight until our needs are met,” said Moodley.
Metro police spokesman, Senior Superintendent Eugene Msomi, said drag racing on public roads had long been a major problem.
“We have been clamping down on drag racers for years, but they don’t give up. They change their spots all the time and they have major support from spectators, which is not a good thing. We urge people not to support it,” he said.
He said he believed legalising it would resolve the problem and the step should be considered.
Sunday Tribune