San Diego County law enforcement were hot on the tails of drivers in a Southern California car club suspected of looking to turn county roads and freeways into racetracks Friday night.
The caravan of cars -- CHP estimated more than 2,000 cars -- is actually made up of enthusiasts from three separate clubs known as Car Show Addicts, Dose Madres and King Fresh.
Investigators said the groups are known to stage in parking lots, and at times, close down streets to perform “sideshows,” which consists of burnouts, donuts and other exhibitions of speed.
The San Diego Police Department with assistance from every one of its allied law enforcement agencies through the county, as well as CHP and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, participated in the crackdown.
An NBC 7 news crew embedded with the officers and deputies saw authorities issue several citations.
The caravan of cars first tried to stage in the parking lot of the Carlsbad Premium Outlets but police crashed the party and closed the entrances. Then they attempted to migrate to a UTC parking lot where agents issued citations for vehicle violations, and then finally to the North County Fair in Escondido.
Police said the drivers are mostly from Orange County but travel from region to region.
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A driver told NBC 7 that the clubs don’t gather to race, just to build friendships while admiring each other’s cars.
On Saturday, local law enforcement confirmed that officers were aware of a social media post that alleged the speedsters would return at 7 p.m. with a caption, “A lot of people are still here from out of state let’s give them what they came for.”
According to the DMV, the penalties for street racing can include three months in jail, having your car impounded for 30 days, and fines up to $1,000.
