You might not want to admit it, but I know you’ve done it. I’ve done it too. What is it I am accusing you of? Well, street racing that is.

My experience with street racing ended early when I was busted by the Long Beach PD. Fortunately for me, along with a few hundred others, back when I got busted the laws were not as strict. In a way, I was fortunate that the fear of being busted spooked me into going legit. I started to “track” race as the boys from the 405 call it. For those who have been living in an abyss, 405 is the area code for Oklahoma City where the TV show Street Outlaws originated. I would frequent, Terminal Island, Los Angeles County Raceway (LACR), in Palm Dale, and Pomona Dragstrip for test and tune almost every weekend. For those old enough to know about these tracks you know that except for Pomona the other 2 no longer exist. It’s a sad story but although we have 3 dragstrips in Southern California, only Irwindale still offers a test and tune on a consistent basis.

The lack of places to race has forced many to turn to street racing to get their fix for the need for speed. I admit there is something thrilling to knowing you are being an outlaw, but many choose to street race because of the freedom it provides. Unlike racing on a track, the streets have no regulations, you can race whatever you want. The problem with street racing is that it’s illegal and if you get caught you can lose your car and it’s also dangerous. There are not many empty streets in SoCal, so most people choose to race in industrial areas late at night since most are close then but there is still the risk of something bad happening.

Enter Banning, or more precisely the Banning Street Drags. Unlike Irwindale which is a sanction 1/8th mile NHRA track, the Banning Street Drags are held on the runway to an airport. Banning fills a whole more traditional racetrack cannot. It is the closest you can get to racing on the streets without actually being on the street. The organizers for the BSD understand that street racers are looking for a place they can race at but without the rules that bigger tracks impose.

Banning also offers a surface that is more comparable to a street than what you will find on any racetrack. Most tracks spend countless hours being prep to maximize traction. Although this can seem like a good thing, street racers prefer a un prep surface. No Prep racing is a new phenomenon that has become popular the last few years, thanks in part to the Street Outlaw TV show. You would think a un prep track would not provide an ideal surface for any vehicle trying to go fast but like street racing, that is part of the appeal.

The last Banning Street Drags did not disappoint and provided a great venue for everyone, except fans due to Covid restrictions. The run what you brought was well represented with all kinds of cars attempting to make A-B run down the runway. We even saw an Ice Cream Van make a clean pass followed by a lifted Pre-runner with off-road tires. The car count topped at 260 entries which made 670 runs. There were 2 oil downs, but the Banning crew did an incredible job cleaning them down to keep the downtime to a minimal.

The highlight of the event was the No Prep Grudge racing from the West Coast Street Outlaws. The grudge matches consisted of 2 classes small tires which are usually 28” tall X 10.5 wide tires, and big tire which is anything larger. After all the tire smoked clear both big tire and small tire were won by Mike Saiki and his twin-turbo LS-powered Mazda RX7.

Banning Street Legal Drags would like to thank the Banning Chamber of Commerce and all the staff and volunteers. They can’t wait till fans are allowed once again.

For more info on the next event visit

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