Illegal street racing, sideshow stunts in KC get Mayor Lucas’ attention

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cars doing doughnuts in the middle of downtown streets have generated a lot of complaints recently. Others have called the so-called “sideshows” a free form of entertainment.

Burned rubber on the pavement now has the attention of Mayor Quinton Lucas. Video posted on social media last week of cars performing high-speed stunts at the intersection of 13th Street and Grand Avenue generated a lot of comments among downtown neighbors.

This is only a couple of blocks away from police headquarters. Some say since the city stopped the “Smoke Your Tires, Not Your Homies” event at 31st Street and The Paseo this summer, drivers have simply taken their dangerous activities to the streets.

“It’s important that we have it in the urban core to give them something to do,” said Desmound Logan, organizer of the Smoke Your Tires show.

“This is the new basketball. This is the new trend that they want to do. So they are not going to stop. As you see, they are starting to do it more and more and more. Because the police are not doing anything about it.”

A downtown resident told FOX4 that the sideshows have been happening every Sunday at 10 p.m. She says she calls police but never sees officers arrive to break up the event.

“It’s pretty frustrating considering that they would give me a ticket, you know if I was going a few miles over the speed limit,” she said. “But when you are doing reckless driving like this, that doesn’t require the police to show up? But they can still ticket regular residents.”

That may change now that this issue has gotten the mayor’s attention.

Many are concerned that from Swope Park to Ward Parkway, the stunt drivers are posing a danger to the traveling public and others nearby.