Breaking Down Stereotypes
UK Tribes
We chatted to Tom Wright, a self-confessed car modding fanatic, to get his view on the Boy Racer scene and to find out how accurate the public’s perception of the scene actually is…
Boy Racers or Car Modders as they’d rather be known are not the drink-driving, drug-taking trouble makers we mistake them for, the new breed are hard-working enthusiasts who want nothing more than to earn the respect from the public that they argue the scene deserves. We chatted to Nottingham-based Tom Wright, a self-confessed car modding fanatic, to get his view on where it all went wrong and what the true image of the Boy Racer is.
Only a few years ago, convoys were a regular fixture in Tom’s town. Collecting every Sunday night at the local Sainsbury’s, conforming to every classic stereotype – bass heavy sound systems, loud modified exhausts, there to loiter and generally cause trouble. He explains that this was typical of the scene and how it was perceived was accurate at the time.
A few key things happened from then until now, firstly, due to complaints, the police were forced to intervene – stopping drivers with modified cars at random and then increasing the amount of speed cameras (even installing them into speed bumps). Combine this with the cost of insuring modifications (which you could no longer get away with not insuring if the police were constantly checking your papers), the safety concerns and the amount of accidents the reckless behaviour was causing and there was little choice left – the rules and attitudes had to change.
While there was resistance at first and a certain amount of fallout, surprisingly there is now very little tension between the law and Boy Racers – there’s even an understanding and respect, and the new breed accepts this is better for the scene as a whole and the majority welcome it. Today’s Boy Racer is concerned by a much more trivial, but no less serious rivalry. That between carmakers and the countries they reside in – the big battle at the moment is Japan VS Germany. Japan is way ahead in terms of speed but Germany has its loyal fans as well. It’s Honda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Mazda versus the likes of VW, Skoda and Audi – it can get very competitive but importantly no one’s getting hurt.
With a decline in illegal meet-ups, organised shows have exploded; there are more car shows, more charity run events and generally just more places to go for Boy Racers to indulge their hobby. They seem to be winning the battle but the media portrayal is the community’s last front-line; this is where the minority has a lot to answer for. If the focus could shift to the good that the community provides for those involved instead of focusing on the minority who do still give the scene a bad name then there’s hope it could even be considered a ‘sport’.
Boy Racers are conscientious; they’re not out to cause trouble, just simply indulging their passion for cars. While on the surface you might assume a bright red lowered VW Golf is something to avoid, more often than not, inside is an enthusiast who has spent precious time and money on his hobby, so much so he’s going to play totally by the rules, not just for his benefit but for Boy Racers as a whole.
Websites to check out:
Tom’s local car club:
