Don’t confuse sanctioned racing with illegal street racing

NORTHWEST — Steve Denbo of Sluman Road called with a strong reaction to our “What’s Up With That?” item about shooting and road racing west of Vancouver Lake. Denbo, who said he worked for decades in the world of official, legal drag racing, clarified that when people break the law racing on the street, it should be called “illegal street racing.” Drag racing is a sanctioned, regulated event with safety equipment and safety standards and held in a racing facility, he said, and he hates to see the term weighed down with an undeserved negative reputation. Illegal street racing has been a problem along Lower River Road for ages, he said; back in the day, some folks used to call the roadway “the Alcoa drag strip.”