High School Kids Drag Racing Cops, and it's Legal

Normally, speeding away from cop cars is frowned upon, but starting Wednesday night, local high schoolers will have a chance to do just that at Sonoma Raceway's Top the Cops program, according to RaceSonoma.com:  

High school students can drag race head-to-head against Bay Area law enforcement officers when the popular Top the Cops™ program returns as part of the weekly Wednesday Night Drags program. 

The Top the Cops™ program, which enters its 19th season in 2013, offers an alternative to illegal street racing and gives teens the chance to race against law enforcement officers, who compete in full uniform in their official vehicles. The program also provides a unique environment for the officers to talk with teens about safe driving and the rules of the road.

Top the Cops™ will run in conjunction with the Wednesday Night Drags program at Sonoma Raceway, April 17-Aug. 14. Participants must have a current high school identification card and driver’s license, and a car that passes a simple technical inspection.  Students are given practice runs, which then lead to head-to-head competition against an officer in his/her patrol car.

The nine participating law enforcement agencies are:

• California Highway Patrol                                        
• Fairfield Police Department
• Fremont Police Department
• Napa Police Department                                          
• Novato Police Department
• Sebastopol Peace Officers Association
• Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department                                                 
• Sonoma Police Department
• Windsor Police Department

Gates open at 3:30 p.m. with racing spanning from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Cost is $15 for students (with high school ID card) and $10 for spectators.  For more information about the Top the Cops™ or Wednesday Night Drags program, call 800-870-RACE (7223) or visitwww.racesonoma.com/wnd.