1320: A West Coast Story

1320 A West Coast Story, an independent film, is a feature length documentary on the subject of illegal street racing. It is presently showcased at its website.
As stated on its website, 1320 A West Coast Story discusses aspects of the street racing subculture, and the producers claim it to be a “…groundbreaking documentary…attempting to debunk any misnomers brought about by a certain Hollywood blockbuster.” The film is still under development as of June 2008, and should be released in 2009. It is also currently uploaded on the popular video sharing website YouTube under the heading “1320 movie”.
Film Topics of Discussion
Drag Racing Standards
1320 A West Coast Story acquires its numerical title from the “standard” track length in drag racing. Many consider the standard track length in drag racing to be exactly ¼ mile, (including the NHRA - the sanctioning body of legal drag racing) which translates
into 1,320 feet. There is also some debate over the subject of track length, as drag races frequently also occur over half the standard length course, at 1/8 mile or 660 feet.
The Fast and the Furious Critique
As illustrated within the trailer to 1320 A West Coast Story, the producers touch on the popular Universal Studios franchise The Fast and the Furious. While many people (law enforcement, politicians, watch groups blame The Fast and the Furious for increases in street racing, 1320 A West Coast Story will address these issues in depth. As the fourth installment of The Fast and the Furious is due out in 2009, so is 1320 A West Coast Story It is not stated on the webpage for 1320 A West Coast Story whether this is merely a coincidence, or planned. In the trailer, a gentleman states “…it (NHRA) was
basically founded as a solution to street racing, but over 40 or 50 years, it evolved into a professional racing organization, with a lot of money involved…” (at time 1:40 in movie trailer).
The inference appears to question the modern day motivations of the NHRA; is its mission to generate money, or does its original mission of taking kids off the street and onto a safe track still hold true?
On the NHRA website, it features individuals discussing street racing deaths, and then states:
“As many other legitimate drag racers and NHRA fans have pointed out via online chat rooms and Internet blogs, the deaths could have been prevented. There are 140 NHRA member tracks around the country that offer NHRA Street Legal Drags presented by AAA.”

This film focuses on the street racing issues in California (West Coast), and its lack of tracks as mentioned during the trailer to the film. California is considered by many, including the NHRA, to be the birthplace of modern day drag racing.
Partial List of Notable Interviews within film
*Wally Parks (deceased) founder of the NHRA, additionally the first editor of Hot Rod magazine.
*David Freiburger former editor of Hot Rod magazine, current editor of Carjunkietv.com
*William "Big Willie" Robinson founder and President - Brotherhood of Street Racers
*John Naderi former editor Super Street magazine, current editor of Riceboytv.com
*Don Montgomery photographer, author of several Hot Rodding books (see references)
*Carroll Shelby automobile racer, designer
*San Diego Police Department
*Ontario Police Department
*Import scene interviews with actual street racers.
*Lisa Kubo female professional Drag racer. World record, first to run sub-8 second quarter mile time in a Front-Wheel Drive car.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu