Modified Chevy S-10 used in a street drag race demonstration (WDRB photo).

Skid marks and a blue line mark the starting point for some races on Global Drive (WDRB photo).

Cleve, AKA Hemi Boy859 (WDRB photo).

WDRB News witnessed the street racing test run as the sun set on a recent warm, summer night.

WDRB News witnessed the street racing test run as the sun set on a recent warm, summer night.

LMPD has not released details of its plan to crack down on street racing.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A bright green, heavily modified Chevy S-10 rolled off the trailer and onto a desolate, two-lane road in a rural area south of Louisville. Its driver — a local man named Dennis — donned a NASCAR-style safety suit and helmet before bringing the souped-up truck to a roaring 90 mph.

WDRB News witnessed the street racing test run as the sun set on a recent warm, summer night.

Illegal street racing is rampant in the greater Louisville area. Lately, a few particularly brazen incidents have alarmed the public and police.

Last month, drag racers blocked part of the Watterson Expressway, with people standing on the concrete medians to film racing and cars spinning in donuts across the interstate lanes.

Dennis and a few other longtime street racers agreed to give WDRB News an inside look at the hobby, which they said is safer and more family-friendly than people realize.

While the veteran racers agreed to speak on camera, they asked to be identified only by the first names or nicknames, as unpermitted drag racing on public roads is not legal.

"Unfortunately, we have to watch for cops," Dennis said.

These racers aren't the ones doing donuts on the Watterson Expressway and Interstate 65, which they said is reckless and gives street racing a bad name.

Modified Chevy S-10 used in a street drag race demonstration (WDRB photo).

"The idiots," Dennis told WDRB. "What they're doing is dangerous."

But the racers acknowledge testing the limits of their vehicles, which can reach 130-140 mph on public streets.

"It's the adrenaline rush — seeing how fast you can go, pushing the limits and doing it safely," said Klink, who helps fix the cars. "We're not taking anything over. We're trying to go down the street as fast as we can, outrun the next guy next to us."

The racers said street racing has been going on for decades. Jacq, another enthusiast, said the racing community is "like a big family." Klink shrugged off the illegality, saying, "We could be doing drugs, and that's illegal. We just all sit around and make our cars faster."

The Watterson Expressway drag racing was all over social media last month. People were also spotted doing donut stunts on Broadway. Viewers in various parts of Louisville told WDRB they hear drag racing in their neighborhoods.

Louisville Metro Police declined an interview for this story. The department said in a statement, "Reckless driving creates an environment where numerous, law-abiding individuals are exposed to high and unnecessary risk. The department is committed to curbing this activity."

When asked about recent street racing arrests, LMPD said it issued 11 citations for various traffic offenses, including street-racing-related speeding and burnouts — when drivers rev their engines while engaging their brakes, burning their tires on the pavement — from Aug. 4-14.

The street racers who spoke to WDRB said they've noticed cops breaking up known racing spots more often.

"We get run out of every spot that we go to because we get grouped up with them, who are disturbing the peace and causing accidents and causing harm and shutting down expressways," Jacq said.

But they aren't worried about being arrested.

"When the police show up, we're respectful and we're kind to them," she said. "We know what we're doing is illegal."

One of those common spots is Global Drive in the Riverport industrial park in southwest Jefferson County, as evidenced by the tire tracks and blue-painted starting lines. Nearby businesses confirmed it's a popular spot for racing.

Skid marks and a blue line mark the starting point for some races on Global Drive (WDRB photo).

Street racers revealed the parameters they deploy for safety. They race for an eighth of a mile, or 660 feet, but on a street that is at least 1,000 feet to ensure vehicles have time to slow down. People with two-way radios on each end monitor for incoming traffic and police.

If other cars show up, Dennis said, "We'll let the through traffic go through and we'll continue on with our night."

He added that racers wear helmets, fire-resistant shoes and neck braces, while sitting in five-point harnesses.

"You're safer in that car than almost anything," he said.

Races are planned two or three weeks ahead, or sometimes within a few days, Klink said.

There's more than bragging rights on the line. Racers often pool entry fees of $500, with the proceeds going to the winner. The average race would be worth about $3,000, Dennis said. Racers also pump thousands of dollars into their cars with modifications such as injecting nitrous oxide to boost acceleration.

Races often take place late at night, because off-street tracks are not open late enough, the racers said.

Cleve, AKA Hemi Boy859 (WDRB photo).

WDRB News also caught up with Cleve, the man behind the YouTube account Hemi Boi859, where he often posts videos of street racing around Louisville shot with cameras on the ground and drones in the air. He's a self-described barber and "car enthusiast" who also runs Real Life Car Club.

"If it's pretty outside — it's not raining — you can best believe that some people will try to find a place to have a car meet" in empty parking lots around town, he said. Inevitably, the meet-ups will lead to drivers doing tricks with their vehicles.

"The donuts kind of just happen," he said.

Cleve agreed that the Watterson Expressway incident took things "too far" and gave street racing a bad rap.

"We had a little sit-down and talked to some people and made sure things don't happen like that again," he said.

Instead of gatherings constantly getting broken up by police, Cleve suggested the city establish a place for racers to gather apart from public streets.

"If we had a location to do this, it wouldn't be so much hate, because people might understand it," he said.

Asked about people who oppose these car meets and donuts, Cleve said, "To each his own. So, if a person buys brand new tires every weekend, is that a bad thing?"

Copyright 2022. WDRB News. All rights reserved.

Valerie Chinn joined WDRB in 2001. She focuses on investigative journalism and anchors WDRB News at 11:30 and Noon. Got a tip? Reach Valerie at 502-585-0875 and vchinn@wdrb.com

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