Passion for pace

They’re young, impetuous and harbour a lust for souped-up cars and speed. Mumbai’s boy racers may be breaking the law, but for one racing group, the NYPD, it’s all about the passion. Preety Acharya finds the motivation behind the revs

It may be the smell of burning rubber, the rev of a finely-tuned supercharger, or the bevy of girls that line the street, eyeing the next best thing in motor racing, that gets excitement levels up.

It may be Formula 1, but it's not. This is the world of the boy racer and his souped-up, pimped-out rides.

"Racing is my passion," says Karan Shah, 19, echoing the sentiments of the 22-year-old Sandeep Masrani, for whom speed, along with cars, is a passion.

Both Karan and Sandeep are members of a racing group called NYPD (New Youth Psychic [sic] Department).

The group scouts out venues, far from the prying eyes of the traffic police, where they can unleash their speed demons in a quest to be the fastest kid on the block. Their vehicle to fame - or infamy to some - is their cars.

The dangers inherent to this kind of 'passion' are not lost on the group. "Accidents happen during races.

In fact, the last time we went drifting (a technique by which drivers intentionally induce oversteer), one of our group's cars slid down a hill, but we managed to save the driver," says Bhavin, 25.

But staring death in the face seems to have done nothing to faze these daredevils. If anything, it has lent them the philosophy, 'the end justifies the means': The end being securing first place in a race.

"Racing is dangerous," says Karan, "but we are not scared of anything because when we drive, the only thing in our minds is to be first."

Sandeep, who has met with an accident before, claims the incident only served to make him fearless. But if you thought that NYPD, and its members, were an unscrupulous bunch of speed junkies, the boys are quick to dispel that notion.

"No one in our group drinks and drives. That is the first rule of NYPD. We don't want our personal fun to put someone else's life in danger," says Monty, 24.

The law seems to pose no problem, apart from logistics, for NYPD. According to Karan, the group relies on a perceived impotency on the part of police to catch traffic lawbreakers. "We know racing is not allowed, but as far as the police is concerned, we know that they are not active enough to catch those who break the law," he says.

The group often opts for race venues that don't regularly fall under the police scanner:

"We race at places where the police either can't reach, or places they don't frequent. There's a lot of planning that goes into these races," says Sandeep.

Gopi Inamdar, 24, is quick to point out that another reason for choosing venues off the beaten track is to minimise the risk of injuring citizens.

According to NYPD, the roads of Kharghar, Bandra Reclamation and the Bandra Kurla Complex often bear the brunt of screeching tyres and smoking brake pads.

And then of course, there's the financial aspect to this hobby. The numbers, as one would expect, are far from small.

"I have a Maruti Zen, and I spent Rs2.5 lakh on modifications," says Karan.

Gopi, who believes, 'money talks' says, "I run my father's business, so money is not a problem for me and I spend any amount I choose to."

Money also comes into play at the betting that takes place for these races. Starting from Rs1,000 it can go up to Rs1 lakh. "Sometime if we don't have money to bet, friends are there to lend you the money," says Karan.

Sandeep considers the betting to be nothing more than a morale booster for the racers.
Monty, however, takes a more pragmatic stand, "Losing or winning is a part of betting, but nobody wants to lose a race."

Lest we forget, Sandeep points out that other reason why racing is such a popular pastime with the boys, "There is one more plus to having a modified car: Racer girls are always crazy for us."

If there's one thing the group seems to be unanimous about, it is their penchant to live life to its fullest. "We get only one life and we want to enjoy it," says Monty, summing up the mood.

The story behind NYPD
What: NYPD stands for New Youth Psychic Department.
Where: The group is based in Borivli
When: It was started eight years ago by Bhavin.
How many: As of now, the group has
22 members.
The composition: Originally a group of bikers, NYPD has moved on to cars.
The requirements: A passion for cars and music systems is a pre requisite to becoming a member of NYPD.
The motto: Unity among the friends.
The venue: According to NYPD, the main racing locations are the roads of Kharghar, Bandra Reclamation, Palm Beach Road and the Bandra Kurla Complex.

‘No racing in Kharghar’
We have never received any complaints about any kind of racing in Kharghar. There are some official sponsors who arrange racing here, like Gautam Singhania, but it's legal, otherwise nobody comes to Kharghar to race.

Also, modifying your car is illegal under the Motor Vehicle Act. First you have to get the RTO's approval to make any modifications to your car and bike.

Only after completing all RTO formalities do people modify their vehicle and this is illegal.

We did get one complain, last year, about this sort of racing on one of Kharghar’s streets. We posted a patrol on the road in question, for a few day, and found absolutely nothing.
Pravin Pawar. DCP Zone-II

'We can't take this lightly'
We get numerous complaints about speeding cars and bikes, especially at Girgaon, Chowparty, Worli Seaface and Nariman Point. Most of the complaints are against bikers.

Dangerous driving is an offence because it can harm the people around you.

We can take action against these drivers under the Motor Vehicle Act. Rash and negligible driving can lead to imprisonment under this Act.

So far, around 40 to 50 people have been put behind bars for these offences. This is not a major problem, but we can't take it lightly.

As far as youngsters are concerned, attitude is the biggest problem. The law can't change their attitude, hence there should be some social pressure put on them.
Vijay Kamble. Jt commissioner (Traffic)

Tricks of the trade

Nitrous Oxide: Rs50,000 to Rs1 lakh
Customised paint job: Rs30,000 to 40,000
Customised body kit: Rs50,000
Racing magwheels: Rs60,000
Under-body neon lighting: Rs15,000
Original Momo steering wheel: Rs20,000
Exhaust system: Rs20,000 to 36,000
MSD Ignition Kit: Rs20,000
Turbocharging: Rs1 lakh to Rs2 lakh
Titanium piston set: Rs1 lakh for the set and Rs1 lakh for the fitting