The cellphone beeps. The SMS reads: Cleveland. The venue for the night’s illegal drag has been decided — a deserted road that runs about 3km at a secluded industrial area in Johannesburg.
Drag racing takes place on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday nights in most parts of the city. But if you are not looking for the underground gatherings you will never find them. Word of mouth or its contemporary synonym, the text message, offer the only way in.
For years police have cracked down on illegal drag racing but the venues are constantly changed, making it difficult for the police to anticipate where it will take place next.
The phenomenon of drag racing has survived generations of Jo’burgers, evolving into a subculture where the car becomes a symbol of worth that in most areas overcomes racial tension. The concealment has managed to keep the illegal drag racing alive for the past 50 years in Johannesburg. A big attraction for the street racers is when outmaneuvering the police becomes a cat-and-mouse game. The street racers are unpredictable and dynamic. If the police manage to raid the drags at one venue they simply regroup at another.
During apartheid illegal drag racing took place in most areas but only the so called ”white” history of drag racing is documented. The white drag racers managed to move from illegal drag racing to legal racing by establishing a legal race track, Tarlton International Raceway, that was founded 25 years ago and run by Nick van Rensburg, or ”Big Daddy”, with his two sons.
The history of the coloured and Indian illegal drag racing is anecdotal with reputations and venues being passed down from generation to generation. There are a few black guys who attend the street races.
Ivan Fernandez, an Opel Super Boss driver who used to drag illegally during the apartheid years, says before 1994 coloureds could not afford to modify their cars or pay the entrance fee at Tarlton. ”We raced on a Sunday afternoon down a dirt road with old banged [up] cars. But now it has all changed. We have the money and the freedom to race where and when we want.”
Coloured guys are known for their ability to spin. ”During apartheid spinning was the only way coloured guys could show off their skill. They would spin because they could not afford to race but could afford tyres for whatever car was used,” says Fernandez.
Spinning has a bad reputation because, in most cases, there is no control, anyone can get bumped and some believe the cars are stolen.
The etiquette of illegal drag racing is simple. Anyone with a car can challenge another driver to a race. Illegal racing often rides in tandem with a criminal underworld. For the racers it is not about crime, but rather a brotherhood where they are accepted and respected for their performance and the rules created by those who organise these hard-to-find venues.
First you have to find a race. On any given Wednesday night most of the cars gather at designated petrol stations. The leader Biggy* of the West Side Group gives the signal to move out. Engines begin to growl — Golfs, BMWs, Hondas, Audis and a few banged up wrecks race off in convoy like a brightly coloured snake that glides across the highway.
These street racers will risk imprisonment, injury to themselves and their cars for a few hours of ego-boosting, high-speed entertainment.
At a glance he projects an intimidating figure weighing in at about 100kg with a huge gold medallion dangling from a gold necklace with the nickname ”Biggy” engraved on it. But, surprisingly, beneath the tough image is a family man who talks proudly about his wife and 18-month-old baby.
Biggy’s crew regularly joins another group from the south — called the South Side Crew (SSC) — which is the designated organiser of Wednesday night races. During apartheid most Portugese and Lebanese communities lived in the south — and were known for their love of cars. The leader of the SSC is Vic* who says there are no racial tensions when the two groups gather. He feels part of a new generation where men are judged by what they drive, not the colour of their skin.
On our arrival Cleveland Road looks like a pre-arranged racing event. A racially mixed capacity crowd has gathered on both sides of the road.
There is an element of danger that is tangible — many of the guys carry guns in case of hijackers. The air is filled with expectation but the crowd is fickle and supports the fastest car, not a particular driver. Drivers have to win every week to prove their worth.
Vic is already on the prowl looking for cars that are similar in performance to race against each other. He is the self-appointed ”launcher” —meaning that he acts as the track lights — and also the go-between if a racer spots another car he wants to take on. ”Guys will come up to me and say ‘listen I have a M3, 4,4-litre fully-worked, hook me up a race’. I’ll go to one of my boys and say to them ‘that brother with the M3 wants to race you’.”
He prides himself on knowing what lays beneath the bonnet of most of the ”rides”. If there is trouble Vic is the man that sorts it out. Any group is welcome to join in but they must respect Vic’s authority. ”They are welcome to race but if they disrespect our turf, we say, ‘listen here, take your cars, take your crew and find another road’.” Vic claims that unlike other areas, the SSC prioritises safety.
”The guys must run a clean race. Safety belts must be secured, the crowd is told to stand on the pavement. We stop the oncoming traffic and no cars are allowed to pull out if a race is about to begin.”
Vic runs ”organised illegal drag racing”, but says it takes just one reckless driver to create danger. ”I do what I can, but when an M3 is travelling at 240kph anything can go wrong. We try our best to ensure the safety of the drivers and the crowd.”
The two groups held an ”Illegal to Legal” racing event this year to change the image of drag racing. Drivers were encouraged to pay a fee and participate on a secured track. This Easter in Durban well-known dragsters persuaded the eThekwini council to give permission for a trial run to legalise drag racing. What is evident from these racers is their commitment to their sport. They call on the councils to recognise it as a reality in cities and legalise it with safety mechanisms and regulations.
Biggy has first-hand knowledge of what can go wrong. In 2000 while racing his Golf, a cement truck drove directly in front of him. His car was pushed under the truck by the racer. Pulling up his sweater he points to silvery scars running across his back. The accident nearly cost him his life. After the accident he was too afraid to drive fast. ”I bought myself a Jetta. I took it on the highway and drove the shit out of it until I got over the fear.”
Having raced for almost 10 years Biggy does not think he will ever give it up. ”It is all about respect.” When he wins a race Biggy gets the recognition that he does not find in a job or at home. ”I have to win.”
Before they can race someone shouts: ”It’s the Metro!” The police have arrived, the crowd disperses.
But the dangers of illegal street racing are evident on the east side of the city. The East Rand is dominated by white racers who tend to stick to their kind. But this crowd differs from Vic’s — there are too many guys to control, there are no rules and racial tension is clearly evident in the segregated groups that form automatically. Although there are a few Indian and coloured observers it is evident that this is white men’s turf.
The venue is the deserted parking lot of a major retail store. It is enclosed by a concrete wall with cars dragging on a 300m strip. At the end is a concrete wall, so if a car’s breaks fail it goes straight into the wall.
Hundreds of spectators gather here with no respect shown to the launcher, who attempts to bring some order to the crowd. After a while gun shots are heard and the crowd begins to flee. Soon the police and army arrive on the scene. Since then the East Rand parking lot is no longer used as a venue. But with just a few SMS’s the crowd regroups at a different venue for another night of secret street racing.
* Not their real names