Colorado program steers drag racing off streets, onto track

MORRISON, Colo. (AP) — Frustrated by an increase in dangerous street racing amid the pandemic, Denver police have deployed the department's helicopter to track races, closed lanes in areas often used by racers and sent officers to places where the groups meet.

But law enforcement also has shifted gears to tackle the problem by using a racetrack in the foothills west of the city to provide a safe venue for those who feel the need for speed.

The Colorado State Patrol has teamed with Bandimere Speedway to lure racers from public areas to a more controlled environment, even allowing participants to race a trooper driving a patrol car.

On a recent day, dozens of drivers lined up to race at the speedway, revving their engines and squealing their tires before hurtling down the quarter-mile track. Most drove highly tuned vehicles, but there was the occasional stock SUV or pickup.

“This is a great alternative to street racing. You can bring out whatever you have, be it a supercar or mom's minivan, grandpa's Buick. We want to see them all out here. ... And you can race a cop, and do so legally,” said State Trooper Josh Lewis, who beat a Toyota SUV in his first race last week by topping out at nearly 89 mph (143 kph).

The Colorado State Patrol has been involved in the “Take it to the Track” event for more than a decade, but its goals have gained new importance and urgency after two recent high-profile street racing incidents in the area.

On April 3, police say a mother of two who was delivering food was killed when a street racer broadsided her car with his SUV in the heart of downtown Denver.

About a month earlier, hundreds of street racers clogged a stretch of interstate in suburban Aurora, some allegedly blocking the shoulders to keep officers away. Police warned other...