Official street racing allowed at the Irwindale Speedway

IRWINDALE, CA (FOX 11) - For awhile it looked like the Irwindale Speedway would be shutting down, but now it has a new lease on life and might be saving lives in the process.

Every week the track opens its doors to street racers in an effort to keep them off of city streets and in a safe environment.

According to CHP, they tell FOX 11 there's no question having this speedway open keeps the public safer Hundreds of drivers come here every Thursday night and it gives them the perfect place to get their adrenaline rush without endangering themselves and the public.

Street racer Brandon Weber has been coming to the Irwindale Speedway for more than a decade and even had his engagement photos taken here.

CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez says, 'Law enforcement often has to respond to scenes like these.
Street racers taking over city streets performing stupid stunts that can get people hurt or in several cases killed.

But here at Irwindale there are rigorous safety checks and professional crews on hand in case anything goes south and drivers get to show off in front of the fans.

Street racer Alexus Fraire says, "If you close the only track in the area, then what are you setting yourself up for? All these people will go to the streets anyways.'

Doug Stokes with the Irwindale Speedway says being safe doesn't mean you miss out on the thrill.

And for any stubborn drivers who think its cooler to burn rubber out on the streets these drivers have one message, "It's not gonna be cool when you're in the hospital and your car is wrecked, that's all I gotta say.', according to street racer Alexus Fraire.