Letter: Track would curb illegal street races

I’m writing with regards to the story “Police: Pair arrested, cars seized over street racing.” I’d like to commend Newsday for using the correct terminology. The terms “street racing” and “drag racing” are continually confused and often misused. To clarify for those who may not know, street racing is illegal and takes place on public roadways with vehicles that can be homemade, factory-built and anything in between. Drag racing is legally conducted at a sanctioned facility, and vehicles require a full inspection before they’re allowed to race.

That said, I find it sad and disturbing that the two men named in the article chose to race on the streets of East Farmingdale. But even if they tried to challenge each other in a legal way, there are no such race tracks on Long Island. That’s not to say that this is the choice they would have made. But if that option were available, they might have discovered the brotherhood and camaraderie that one experiences at a sanctioned racing event. They would also still have their cars and not be in legal trouble. Thankfully, no one was hurt in their street race, something that can easily happen at unsanctioned events.

I co-host a Long Island-based automotive radio program where we often talk about this subject and encourage people to race safely. We believe a track should exist on Long Island, which is rich in racing history but has continually shunned legal motor sports.

Ray Guarino, Merrick