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Published on Sunday, October 9, 2005
in the Lakeland Ledger
PAL to Offer Race Car Program
Officers want teens to understand that racing is for the track, not the streets.
WINTER HAVEN -- By teaching teens how to build a fast car, the Winter Haven PAL and a local auto parts business hope to make the streets safer.
"Tuner Teens" will teach 12 teenagers how to build a streetstyle racing car from the ground up under the supervision of certified technicians.
"We want to show kids there are good alternatives out there," said Tony Waters, owner of the Pro Import Repair and Performance, a local business that sells auto parts. Waters, who also is a reserve police officer, has joined with the Police Athletic League to launch the program.
While the teens will learn racecar building skills, they will also be taught that high-powered cars belong on a race track, not surface streets.
"It's a good trade to get into, as long as you do it at the right place," Waters said about learning how to build race cars.
But the wrong place -- the city and county streets -- is becoming a hotter spot for youth to drag race, resulting in more traffic accidents, according to police.
For the last two years, authorities have seen a rise in the number of incidents involving youth racing on city streets, including nine fatalities in Winter Haven, according to statistics from the Florida Highway Patrol.
The goal of Tuner Teens is to save lives, said Derrick Doles, a Winter Haven police officer and PAL's executive director.
PAL received a grant of $10,500 to finance the program, said Doles.
But more money is need, so the program organizers are seeking donations, Doles said.
Doles is also still looking for the students to participate in the program. The students will be chosen from local public schools. They must have an active driver license and not be older than 18, he said.
Today, street racing has become a "chronic" problem because the state's population is larger, and drivers are buying more sophisticated equipment to give cars additional horsepower and speed, Florida Highway Patrol Maj. Ernesto Duarte said.
Waters has also seen more kids coming into the store inquiring about electronic upgrades to make their cars run faster.
"Kids are now more computer savvy," Waters said. "They are spending more in electronic upgrades."
Unlike cities such as Miami, street racing is a spontaneous act in Polk County and not a planned activity going on at specific locations, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Larry Coggins said.
"The common scenario usually happens at a red light: two cars showing off to one another," the FHP spokesman said. "When the light turns green, a last-minute race begins."
Coggins said many times the drivers don't even know each other.
Those factors, he said, make these cases harder to prosecute.
But two cousins are facing charges stemming from what police say was a drag race down Havendale Boulevard.
On April 24, 17-year-old Chelsi Gregory of Polk City died in a multi-car crash accident, even though she was not involved in street racing.
The two drivers involved in the fatal wreck, Christopher Pierce, 26, and Arthur Lee Pierce, 25, were arrested and later charged with her death.
Police said the cousins were racing at a speed exceeding 120 mph. The speed limit in the area is 45 mph.
Despite the death toll, street racing is not generating much outrage from the public in this area.
"We have not come across any complaints lately," Polk County Sheriff Capt. Mike Pruitt said. "Every once in a while we get one, but hardly at all."
Pruitt oversees the Winter Haven and Four Corners areas.
On Oct. 1, Gov. Jeb Bush signed into law a bill that gives police the authority to arrest a driver suspected of drag racing. The vehicle is impounded for 10 days in the first offense.
Previously, drivers suspected of drag racing were given a traffic ticket, but the new law changed the offense to a misdemeanor.
The second time a driver is stopped for drag racing in a period of five years, the vehicle is subject to forfeiture.
Duarte said the law might help curb the dangerous sport because amateurs invest a lot of money in their vehicles.
"Most of them are not afraid of been caught by the police" Duarte said. "They are afraid of losing their vehicles."
Doles wants to turn Tuner Teens into a safety issue.
"Hopefully they'll learn street racing is for the tracks," Derrick said.
As for the car, PAL might keep the vehicle and use it for demonstrations and future events. Its fate has not been officially decided yet.
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