LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Summit Racing Mayhem Street-Legal Drags — previously known as 'Midnight Mayhem' — is back in Las Vegas, giving the public a chance to race their personal vehicles against one another.
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is using this as an opportunity to remind you that there are safe ways to flex your muscle cars — Out of the neighborhood and onto the raceway.
The drivers out here say that street-legal drags have acted as one of the best outlets for them.
“We encourage everybody to come here," said Megan Hill, a racer from Las Vegas. "The safest place for these bikes — in Las Vegas — is at this track.”
The state’s office of traffic safety says that illegal street racing has increased since the pandemic started, and events like this one tend to help reduce them.
Public information officer Andrew Bennett said a $95,000 grant from Traffic Safety will allow Metro to put more officers on the roads to address these issues through September.
“This has 800 horsepower, so what can I do?," said Hide Yamaguchi, racing from Las Vegas. "On the street, I can do nothing. So, I have to be here.”
Not every city is equipped to handle the horsepower. But the dragway at the speedway is doing its part to satisfy the need for speed.
“So we don’t need to do crazy on the regular street,” he said.
“You know, you itch your trigger finger here," said Hill. "And then on the street, like you said, we’ll do normal stuff.”
The next street-legal drag racing event will be on the first Friday of February.
