Some police departments in Colorado are hoping to slam the breaks on street racing. There is a big effort underway in some communities to crack down on those drivers using the roads as race tracks.
Brighton resident Adam Hilton describes car racing as a kind of adrenaline that is hard to shake off.
“It’s something that once you do it, you never stop doing it,” said Hilton.
Hilton is the owner of Uptown Speed Shop in Fort Lupton, where he has been working on fixing race cars and continuing to fuel his passion for the sport.
“I really try to cater to mostly street cars and fast race cars,” he said.
Hilton with customers who may want certain modifications to make their cars racing-ready. However, he says it does not mean he supports those who utilize their cars to take part in illegal street racing.
Getty Images/iStockphoto 
“I just don’t like street racing because of the dangers that are there, but love racing in general, of any type,” he said. “I found myself out street racing before.”
Hilton took CBS Colorado through an inside look at some of the street-legal racing cars that were in his shop. Some of these cars could just as likely wind up back on Colorado’s roads and highways to race against other cars.
“My kids, unfortunately, still go out and participate in things I don’t support, and each and every night I worry,” he said.
It is a worry for safety that is prompting local police jurisdictions, particularly in Adams County right now, to come together in an effort to curb illegal street racing as the summer ramps up.
This month, the Westminster Police Department announced multiple departments would begin to have officers on the weekends that are dedicated to enforcing traffic laws and preventing racing.
However, Hilton does not think that enforcement alone is the solution to preventing bad behavior on the road.
“It just doesn’t go away. You’re not going to just sell the car. You’re not going to go home,” he said.
Instead, Hilton’s been focused on encouraging people to find alternatives that can be just as exhilarating while safe for drivers, like riding on a racetrack.
“I kind of leaned out of street racing probably about a year ago, when I came to work for him,” said Dylan Jaramillo.
Now, Jaramillo says he is building cars to race on circle tracks, thanks in part to Hilton, and feels like the process is more rewarding than when he was illegally racing on city roads and highways.
“The idea of going out and getting arrested or killing yourself out on the street, that kind of got in the back of my head,” said Jaramillo.
However, Hilton says there is still a lack of safe driving options that are close enough for the public.
“I think what’s happening is more and more racetracks are getting closed up, such as Bandimere Speedway,” he said.
He says if government agencies and the public do not come together to support the construction of racetracks, street racing will still continue to be a problem, no matter how much enforcement is on the road.
“It’s an inexpensive way to go out and get your adrenaline out and go on a legal race track, and play legally and safe and kind of even have something to brag about when you’re done with it,” said Hilton.
