Seven Killed in Street-Race Crash

The boot down boys

Tony Thompson

The race is on. Jeff hits a straight section of the A127 and guns his Toyota's engine. He's up to 115 mph in seconds, tyres squealing as he skilfully weaves in and out of slower traffic all around him. Rival Craig's souped-up Peugeot is gaining fast. It flashes past Jeff as though he's standing still before screeching to a halt half a mile ahead when a battered Transit van fails to get out of the way in time.

It's 8 pm on a Saturday and scores of extreme car enthusiasts, known as modders or cruisers, are heading for Southend in Essex in a series of convoys. Their highly tuned vehicles represent the sharp end of the £3-billion-a-year car modification industry.

They are also a growing headache for police who say the cruise scene is closely linked to the fast-growing, potentially deadly street racing subculture.

Six people died and 113 were seriously injured in crashes linked to cruising and street racing in Essex in 2002, the last year for which figures are available. Police say most cruisers' cars travel at more than 100 mph on Saturday nights on the A127, which links London and the resort. One of them was clocked at 134 mph earlier this year.

Measures taken by the police include high-profile patrols and threats to seize vehicles involved in racing or dangerous driving. But they've done little to stop the rapid growth of the cruising and racing scene.

The numbers involved have been boosted particularly by more women getting involved in the scene. "I'm just a normal girl," says Nicki, 22, a bank clerk and self-confessed car nut who heads for Southend most Saturday nights. "I like my shopping and I love getting my nails done, but I like fast cars as well.

"Some of the cars here are modified for show, some are modified for go. I'm not really into the body styling side of things. I'm more into horsepower."

Nicki is not alone. While such magazines as Max Power and Fast Car tend to portray women as sex objects, more of them are turning up behind the wheel of modified cars. The website, girlracer.co.uk, is devoted to women interested in motorsport and cruising. It gets 8,500 hits a day and will launch its own magazine on the newsstands later this year.