Ok, so here is my soapbox speech of elder wisdom for the week...
From an old school import street racer (83 celica GTS with a camden SC and 87 celica GTS with tricked out 3Sgte - all back in the 80s and 90s) who spent almost every weekend night for a decade at the "lot" getting races and then heading out to run, it is not worth it.
For years my driving record was toast due to street racing - in fact for almost a decade in both TX and OK I was usually one ticket away from suspension - exhibition of acceleration, reckless driving (165 in a 55 in one case), speeding, running lights, running stop signs, improper lane changes, illegal U-turns, expired inspection, disturbing the peace, etc....you name it, I probably was cited for it.
Besides paying fines the high maintenance costs and insane insurance rates were the immediate downsides.
I was damn lucky to never get the "racing" ticket which in Tx is a felony and would have followed me forever and been a real issue whenever I apply for a job, passport, or security clearance.
But then again, I was even more lucky to have not killed someone by accident. I saw plenty of race crashes, two of them fatalities. I cannot imagine now what the hell I was thinking to have stayed in that lifestyle for so long. I guess it was the "20-somethings" testosterone.
I am not old now at almost 37, but you get to my age and you start thinking about all the things you will miss if you crash and die, or kill someone and go to prison. Street racing is not worth the risk.
That said: Track days and public dragstrip nights are your friend. If you want to take someone on, pay their gas to a local dragstrip on open-night and go at it. Or what I have done now on occassion is challenge someone to a best lap at one of the local racing clubs or a drag at Little River and loser pays the entry fees and gas. Pick your fights with care though.
And if you car is faster, never win by a large margin. Always "just barely" win. Otherwise, no one will want to play with you.
TG - perfect driving record since 1999.