The Last Drag Race: Banning Street Drags Gives Street Racers a No-Prep Place to Race
December 2020 • Photos by Nestor Cabrera & Dave Kommel
Presented by RatTrapRacing.com & USAutomotive 
Winner, winner Mike Saiki in his twin-turbo, LS-powered Mazda RX7 who ran and won both small- and big-tire classes.
You might not want to admit it but I know you’ve done it. I’ve done it too. I’m just as guilty of street racing as the next guy.
My experience street racing ended early when I was busted by the Long Beach PD. Fortunately for me, along with a few hundred others, when I got busted the laws were not as strict as they are now. In a way, I was fortune that the fear of being busted spooked me into going legit and I started to ‘track’ race as the boys from the 405 call it. For those who have been living in an abyss, 405 is the area code for Oklahoma City were the TV show ‘Street Outlaws’ originated. I would frequent Terminal Island, Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale and Pomona for test-and-tune almost every weekend. For those old enough to know about these tracks you know that only Pomona still exists. It’s a sad story but although we have three dragstrips in Southern California, only Irwindale still offers a test-and-tune on a consistent basis.
The lack of places to race has forced many to turn to street racing to get their speed fix. I admit there is some allure to knowing you are being an outlaw but many choose to street race because of the freedom it provides. Unlike track racing, the streets have no regulations you can race whatever you want. The problem with street racing is that it’s illegal and if you get caught you can lose your car. Besides, it’s dangerous. There are not many empty streets in SoCal, so most people choose to race in industrial areas late at night; still there’s the risk of something bad happening.
That’s why the Banning Street Drags (BSD) offers a safe and legal alternative. Unlike Irwindale, which is a sanctioned 1/8m-mile track, the Banning Street Drags are held on the runway of the airport at Banning, CA. Banning fills a hole more traditional racetracks cannot. It’s the closest you can get to racing on the street without actually being on the street. The organizers understand that street racers are looking for a place to race but without the restrictions that sanctioned tracks impose.
Banning also offers a surface more comparable to a street than what you will find on any racetrack. Most tracks spend countless hours being prepped for maximize traction. Although this can seem like a good thing, street racers prefer an un-prepped surface. No Prep-racing is a new phenomenon that has become popular thanks, in part, to the Street Outlaws TV show. You would think an un-prepped track would not provide an ideal surface for any vehicle trying to go fast but that is part of the appeal.
The last Banning Street Drags of 2020 did not disappoint and provided a great venue for everyone except fans due to Covid restrictions—sadly, no spectators were allowed. The run-what-you-brung event was well represented with all kinds of cars participating. We even saw an ice cream van make a clean pass followed by a lifted Pre-runner with off-road tires. The car count topped 260 entries that made a total 670 runs in one day.
The highlight of the event was the No Prep Grudge Racing from the West Coast Street Outlaws. The grudge matches consisted of two classes: small tires which are usually 28 x 10.5 wide tires, and big tire which is anything larger. After all the tire smoked cleared, both big and small tire classes were won by Mike Saiki his twin-turbo, LS-powered Mazda RX7 who ran in both classes.
Banning Street Drags would like to thank the Banning Chamber of Commerce, all of their sponsors and all the staff and volunteers for supporting the event. They can’t wait until fans are allowed once again.
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