As the Delhi police struggle to piece together the events that led to the car crash in which two youngsters were killed near India Gate early on Sunday morning.
Impromptu late-night races are organised on deserted highways
NEW DELHI: As the Delhi police struggle to piece together the events that led to the car crash in which two youngsters were killed near India Gate early on Sunday morning, an independent enquiry by DNA has found that speeding by youngsters is getting more and more organised with illegal and amateur street racing clubs sprouting all around the capital.
DNA was able to track down two streetcar clubs, based in Delhi and neighbouring Gurgaon. Named Delhi Street Racer (DSR) and Street Devils (SV), the primary objective of these clubs is to organise high-speed car races for its members, who are essentially youngsters with access to one or more cars owned by their parents.
DSR was founded by a 23-year-old engineering graduate Parab Sagar, while SV is the brainchild of 20-year-old Ankit Lamba, a college student. Both club founders dismissed notions that their groups were encouraging a culture of rash and high speed driving.
“Cars are much more fun to drive and a top speed of some cars today is amazing. We request our members to drive responsibly,” says Ankit. “I don’t encourage street racing in club meetings, but outside it what an individual does is his own free will,” says Parab.
The meetings (read races and cruises) of the clubs are usually planned post midnight at a long lonely stretch of a highway. Members are informed about the rendezvous through various social networking sites like Orkut or through text messages and e-mails.
“Speeding towards Jaipur in the middle of the night blows my mind,” says Manu Bharadwaj, a 23-year-old member of DSR. Like most youngsters hooked to speed, Manu’s views on the risks are misplaced. “There are virtually no chances of accidents as no one is around,” he says.
Most of these car clubs are loose groups started by youngsters and do not have registration or affiliation with motoring organisations anywhere in the world. So, they set the rules and the limits that govern their speed. “These car clubs are for pure pleasure as cruising through the city late at night with almost no traffic takes the week-long work-pressure out of my mind,” says Manish, a regular at club get-togethers.
A mega meet of the Street Devils club was held on February 9 near IMT Maneswar in Haryana. The event attracted more than 60 cars, many of which were modified for extra power and punch. The event saw races and cruises among members. Incidentally, technicians who modify cars also visit these unofficial events to market their services and components among the young racers.
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