Ummm.. Okay okay, I know I am gonna get flamed for writing this page, with 70% of emails from those 'always obey your speed limit' freaks that say, "You stupid jerk. Don't race on the streets! Racing on public roads is so immature. Innocent lives were lost because of morons like you.. blahblahblah)....And the rest of 30% of emails from BMW drivers that say, "You retarded kid, bimmers aren't even made for drag racing. Why were you racing your car in straight lines? If you want straight line racing, go buy a cheap Camaro or Mustang or Japanese rice burner! BMWs are made for tracks and twisty roads with their awesome handlings!"  Oh well, just to clarify, for those who simply don't like people to break speed limit laws, most of these incidents happened when I was just a lad. Like most of you out there, I did some stupid things when I was young. Besides, I only raced on wide open streets with higher speed limits. So technically I wasn't really breaking the law (even if I did, I only did it by a little margin) since many other drivers out there would have easily gone as fast as I did on these streets.  Heheheheh, at least I am better than those who are doing 70MPH in 25MPH zones. Now that's really immature! And for those who think I was dumb enough to race in straight lines in a bimmer, I know that! I've been studying BMWs and their performance characteristics for many years, and there's no need for you gear heads to teach me such simple knowledge. Again, I raced on streets a bit simply because I was young and wanted to go fast. I was not a reckless driver and I always slowed down when I proved my point to the other driver. Of course, as I get older and wiser, my driving habits have become even more mature and cautious. Anyway...  on with these fun stories.. =P

1. Red Honda Prelude (1997+) v. My BMW 325isA  ----> Prelude won  (March, 98')
    When I saw this Prelude at the stop light, it immediately caught my attention because it was 1997, and the new Prelude just came out! I was
    busy checking out the car as the Prelude's driver (a dorky Asian guy in glasses) looked at me as if he was God. My friend noticed his
    expression and warned me what was about to happen. "Oh well.. it's just a Prelude..." I said. When the light turned green, this dude took off
    like an arrow and I also gunned it. Due to my friend's weight (at 230lb, he's a big guy) and my bias against 4 bangers (hehehe.. sorry.. ), I was
    caught off guard. I had to down shift to third and do a kick down to keep up with the Prelude. The bimmer ran beside the Prelude for 50ft or
    so and then I was blocked a by car in front of me. The Prelude zoomed past me from the right lane and never looked back. Stupid guy, I bet I
    would've taken him had I launched properly and without my friend in the passenger seat. 1997 Honda Prelude: 0-60mph in 7.0-7.4  sec.

2. Gray Nissan Sentra SE-R (1993 or 1994) v. My BMW 325isA ----> I won  (98')
    Holy this was a good race! I was traveling on Nogales Ave. when this gray Sentra SE-R pulled next to me. It was revving its engine and edging
    forward as we were waiting for the light to turn green. I already knew what this guy was up to. I could also tell that he had a stick instead of an
    auto. As soon as the lights turned green, I meshed the throttle and downshifted to third, the bimmer took off half a car length quicker than the
    Nissan did and the rest was history. The other guy never had the chance to overtake me. 40, 50, 60, 75mph came by in just a few ticks of
    seconds and pretty soon we had to stop for the traffic. Overall, the SE-R performed quite well. Its front end stayed within my passenger's door
    and I wasn't able to gain on him at the speed we were going. But the victory did make me smile. :)   1993 Nissan Sentra SE-R: 0-60mph in
    7.4-7.6 sec.

3. White BMW M3 (1995) v. My BMW 325isA ----> I won  (Summer, 97')
     This is another incredible story. I was going on Azusa Ave. on the overpass this one sunny summer and I saw this white shiny M3 catching up
     fast behind in my rear view mirror. Its driver was an Asian kid with two or three friends in the back seat. He caught up with me immediately
     since I wasn't over speeding and made a quick lane change to the right lane. As he was about to overtake me... I said to myself, "oh well, let's
     have some fun!!" I stumped on the gas and pulled the lever to third. The 325 quickly accelerated as its RPM needle swung upward. We soon
     approached the crest of the overpass, but there was a curve going to the left side of the overpass. I guess I had some advantage over him
     since I was in the inner lane and my car didn't have any passenger at that moment. The M3 just couldn't pass me even when we got up to
     85mph or so. At this moment there was this old guy driving in an Escort in front of the M3, so the other driver made a sharp turn around the
     Ford and cut back in front of it again to stay with me. Poor old guy, he must have been scared by that crazy move.... Again, I guess I still won
     the race... not because I had a better car.. perhaps because I was either more crazy or stupid or insane than the other guy was....We soon
     parted at the next light... I noticed that M3 had a set of gorgeous BBS 18' RC rims on it.  1995 BMW M3: 0-60MPH in 5.4-5.7 sec.

4. Gray beat up modified Chevrolet Camaro (1960s) v. My BMW 325isA ----> I lost, by a lot  (Summer, 97')
    Okay okay.. I've heard stories about muscle cars so I know how fast they are, but I just didn't expect to get beaten so badly by one..
    especially a crappie looking one. This is another incident happened on Azusa. I was traveling (north bound, I think) and the road was going
    uphill. I pulled next to this crappie looking Camaro with big fat tires at the red light. I told myself, "there's no way that I am gonna let this crappie
    car embarrass me...." So I shut off the A/C, dropped the gear to third, and tapped my throttle. As soon as the light turned green, I took off. I
    had a quick launch so by the time I went past the other end of the block, the Camaro was still smoking its tires... "hahahahahhahah..piece of
    junk..." as I said to myself when the I was still accelerating hard thru 45MPH. Just a couple more seconds later, this big beast just blew by me
    as if I wasn't moving at all!!! I mean.. he just went pass by me and kept on pulling until he almost disappeared in front of me! I guess my car
    really wasn't as fast as I thought, especially when going uphill. The bimmer just didn't have enough torque to keep up with the big American V8.
    The Camaro later stopped to make a left turn, I tapped my horn as I drove by as a showing of respect.  1960s modified Chevrolet Camaro:
    0-60MPH in 5-6 sec.

5. Gray beat up Plymouth (1970s) v. My BMW 325isA ----> Plymouth won  (Summer, 99')
    This is another similar incident happened on Amar Rd. I was waiting for the light to turn green when this white dude pulled up next to me in a
    beat up Plymouth with his girl friend. He started to rev his engine (which sounded kinda loud, even with my air conditioner and stereo blasting, I
    could hear the exhaust notes) and edged his car slowly ahead of me. I knew what he was up to so I prepared for the run. After that Camaro
    incident, I was more cautious this time. I shut off the A/C again, shifted to third and lined up with his car. As soon as the light turned green, we
    both went at it. The Plymouth's V8 still edged the bimmer in drag racing by a small margin. My front bumper was at his passenger door all the
    way until around 75MPH when I was blocked by the traffic. Obviously his girl friend looked happy and satisfied as she waved at me for their
    victory. I flickered my head lights to acknowledge. Fine, I lost. But I wasn't driving a M3 either :).  1970s Plymouth: 0-60MPH unknown

6.  Black Nissan Maxima SE v. My BMW 325isA ----> I won  (Summer, 97')
     Wow this race actually came pretty close... I was traveling on Amar to go to school one day when this black Nissan Maxima (1996) with
     tinted windows pulled up next to me at a red light. I didn't know if the guy wanted a piece of me or not. But I took off quickly as the light
     turned green anyway. The Maxima was apparently ready for it because its driver gunned it as well. That car had an incredible engine, I could
     see his front end going up as he started to accelerate hard. We were going uphill at the time so I was able to see his car clearly as he kept up
     with me all the way up to 55MPH or so. During the race, his front end was just at my right front fender so I guess I didn't beat him a lot. But
     either way I was still happy.. hehehehhe..  1996 Nissan Maxima SE: 0-60MPH 7.1 sec.

7. Yellow (or blue?) Honda CRX v. My BMW 325isA ----> I lost, by some weird reason  (Summer, 97')
     Hmmm.. I really don't think I should lose in this encounter. The day was really weird.. my car felt very slow for some reason and the engine
     just wouldn't pick up. It might have something to do with the weather, since it was super hot that day. With my dad as a passenger, I didn't
     turn off the A/C as I usually would. Then I saw this kid in a CRX try to get my attention by revving the engine. As the light turned green, I
     accelerated with gear left in 4th and gosh.....the CRX just walked away as if I wasn't moving at all..... sobsob.. :*(  I also heard some whines
     as he ran past me, I guess he must have turbocharged his car. Given a better day when my car runs well, I am sure I would've had a shot
     against that little CRX.  1989 Honda CRX: 0-60MPH 8.2 sec. (they can be easily modified to be super fast cars as well.)

8.  White Toyota Rav-4 v. My BMW 325isA ---> I won  (June, 98')
     I was coming back from Crystal Lake with my girl friend when this high school kid in a two door Rav-4 pulled next to me... he was revving his
     engine and unlucky him.. I happened to have my windows rolled down and his action kinda irritated me... So I decided to put him to shame in
     a drag race. As the light turned green, I took off and he immediately followed... To my surprise.. that little Rav-4 could actually run fast! Much
     much faster than the automtic version I've seen before. I think he had a stick because the Rav-4 jerked as he shifted.... Not to be beaten, I
     floored the bimmer and it kept him from passing me.. As we hit 80MPH it was clear that the Rav-4 had no chance at all..... On one hand, I
     was happy that I won.. On the other... my girl friend got really mad at me for doing this.. ooops... 1996 Toyota Rav-4 stick: 0-60MPH
     8.0-9.0 sec.

9. White Cadillac DeVille v. My BMW 325isA ----> I lost again.. sigh  (June, 98')
    My dad has always been fast with his Caddy. Due to my knowledge no one has beaten him yet in a stop light race. I have no idea why his car's
    so fast since its stats didn't look too impressive at all. Anyway... I had the chance to line up against him this one time at the red light and I asked
    for his permission to race. I had my uncle and aunt with me in my car this time. And his car was even more loaded with 4 passengers. As the
    lights turned green, I stumped on the gas and to my surprise, the Caddy made a roaring sound and overtook me with no problem!! I couldn't
    even catch up before we hit 45MPH... Even then.. I suspect it was because my dad let off the gas just to let me catch up.. What the heck?????
    I wonder how he's made that car so fast.....I guess driving skills matter a lot when it comes to racing.. 1990 Cadillac Sedan DeVille: 0-60MPH
    8.8 sec.

10.Red Corvette ZR-1 v. My BMW 325isA ----> Ha ha ha.... I had no chance at all  (Summer, 97')
     Courtesy of my friend Cinny... I had a chance to play with this exotic Corvette on the freeway once.... I remember she asked me to go ahead
     and start running before she counts to 10 and try to catch up.. I was like..."huh?.. you silly girl.. you ain't gonna catch me.. heheheh"... She just
     smiled and told me to go ahead... I jumped in my car immediately and gunned it (there was no car on the freeway that day, for some strange
     reason)... as I counted 10 sec. myself.. I was going about 80 or 90MPH... the all of the sudden.. it must have been no longer than an
     additional 10 or 15 sec, I saw her coming right at me!!! Holy smoke!! I was already going at around 110MPH and she just passed me like
     that Camaro did (actually.. I think she's much faster.. ) and within secs. I lost her in sight... I was only able to spot her again when she braked
     and her taillights caught my attention. Gosh... please don't be this mean to me again Cinny..... 1994 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1: 0-60MPH 4.7
     sec.

11.Purple Accord SE v. My BMW 325isA ----> I won, of course  (Summer, 99')
     This happened on Azusa, I believe. As I was waiting for the light to turn green, this pretty Asian girl pulled up next to me and wanted to play...
     Hmmm.. I didn't want to embarrass her too much... As she began to take off, I only let myself barely stay in front of her so she wouldn't look
     too bad... But at the same time.. maybe she didn't want to race at all.. hehhehehe..  1997 Honda Accord SE: 0-60MPH 9.0 sec.

12.Black M3 v. My friend's E320 ----> M3 won  (Feb. 98')
     Okay.. this wasn't really a stop light race but it was nevertheless a very good one!!!  Sometimes in Feb. 1998, I had an opportunity to drive
     my friend Carl's 1995 Merc. E320 from Sacramento to Berkeley so I took the chance! As I was listening to Blumchen's "Gib me mir zeit" on
     MD in repeat mode... this black M3 pulled next to me.. it was night time and we were going about 75MPH or so.. he stayed with me for a
     while in the right lane and I got the notion that he wanted to play.... Before I could react.. he stepped on the gas and the M3 started to surge
     forward.... I pressed on the Merc's pedal and decided to follow.. 80, 90, 100, 110MPH passed by in just a few sec... to my surprise this
     Merc. could actually hang with the M3!!!  All the time I followed close behind him and he wasn't able to shake me off at all! The Mercedes
     felt very stable in high speed and its engine never showed any signs of strain.... as we hit 135MPH the M3 finally slowed down.. I guess he's
     hit his speed limitor... so I passed him...Wow... good driving experience... 1995 Mercedes E320: 0-60MPH 6.9 sec.

13.Black 500 SL v. MR-2 Turbo ----> SL won  (Summer, 96')
     I was driving my friend Rita's shiny SL with her in the passenger seat when this kid in a Toyota MR-2 pulled next to us... I knew he wanted
     something since he kept looking at us (or Rita.. since she looks cute.. heheheh) and revving the engine... I just couldn't resist what this SL
     could do so I took the bate.. before she could even object... I stumped on the gas when the light turned green.. The kid must had a quick
     reaction time because he was on par with the SL all the way until around 50MPH or so.. I am not sure if he later mis shifted or what.. but after
     50MPH the SL just walked away from the MR-2 and he wasn't able to catch up since then.... Was I happy?? Of course.. I just beat a fast
     sports car in a Mercedes! Was Rita mad??.. you betcha she was....  sorry... I promise I won't do this to you again Rita..  1992 Mercedes 500
     SL: 0-60MPH 6.2 sec.  1994 Toyota MR-2 Turbo: 0-60MPH 6.2 sec.

14.White Cadillac v. White Fiero ----> Caddy won  (95')
     This time I wasn't the driver in this race.. my dad was.... When he took me home from school this afternoon.. there was this guy following us in
     a Pontiac Fiero with his girl friend in the passenger seat... he looked at us and smirked as he prepared to shift for the light... My dad saw what
     he did and I guess he wanted to teach him a lesson.. As soon as the lights turned green.. the Caddy jumped forward and to that guy's
     surprise.. he couldn't keep up with the Caddy! Granted.. he had a stick so he was able to keep his front end within the Caddy's right rear
     passenger door.. but from 0 all the way up to 75MPH... he never had a chance to catch up.... So long Fiero...  1988 Pontiac Fiero Formula:
     0-60MPH 8.2 sec.

15.Gray Oldsmobile/Pontiac v. Maroon Pulsar ----> Pulsar won  (Dec. 00')
     I raced with this GM little boxy car with my daily driver, 1989 Nissan Pulsar. At that time I had my friend in the passenger seat.. there was this
     dude in the Oldsmobile who wanted to overtake me by going on the right side, which wasn't supposed to be a legal lane to be driven on.... I
     knew what he wanted and since he never bothered to give me any courtesy of getting the right of way..As he attempted to pass me I stumped
     on the Pulsar's gas pedal and it just outran the Oldsmobile as the needle went past 50MPH.... "were you racing that guy?..." my friend
     asked.... "hmm.. oh well.. he was doing some illegal maneuver so I didn't want to let him overtake me......"  1989 Nissan Pulsar: 0-60MPH
     10.3 sec.  1980s Oldsmobile/Pontiac: 0-60MPH 11.4 sec.

16.Red Supra v. My Pulsar ----> Duh!.... I lost... (Nov. 00')
     Okay... this happened at one night when I was heading to my friend's place in Sacramento... As I was traveling on Florin there was this
     annoying car with huge head light that kept tailing me.. upon inspection it was a 1993+ Toyota Supra with some big rims... As we approached
     the lights he finally switched to the left lane... I decided to find out how my Pulsar would do against this Supra so I inched forward as we
     waited for the light to turn green.. As I tried to take off when it's time to go.. this Supra just surged forward and never let me have a chance..
     worst of all.. this Civic that was behind the Supra also overtook me as I hit 45MPH or so.... sigh.. the little poor Pulsar just didn't have a
     chance against both the Civic and the Supra.... I slowed down and pulled into my friend's apt. as I watched them continue to race.. to my
     amusement.. a patrol car popped out of nowhere and went straight after them.. hahahahhahahah... I bet their parents are gonna be really mad
     at them when they go home that night.....  1993 Toyota Supra Turbo: 0-60MPH 5.1 sec. 1997 Honda Civic: 0-60MPH 9.3 sec. (depending
     on the model.)

17.Black Honda Accord v. White Caddy ----> Caddy won...(Summer, 95')
     This actually happened when I was in high school.. this sunny day my dad was driving my family on the freeway when suddenly.. a Hispanic
     guy in a Honda Accord pulled right next to us and gave us a finger... I guess he thought 75MPH (which was how fast we were going) wasn't
     fast enough.. so he passed us and cut in front of my dad with a dangerous maneuver.. "what the heck??.. " my dad said in disgust... "get him
     Dad.. he gave us a finger!!!".. as soon as my brother said that... my dad stumped on the gas and the Caddy immediately caught up with the
     Accord.. by that time we're virtually tail gating that guy... at 95MPH or so.. we came too close and he had to switch to the right lane to let us
     over take him.. my brother gave him a finger as we passed by... To our surprise.. this moron actually followed us and forced the Caddy to the
     side ramp on the 605/10 freeway intersection.. he rolled down the window and started swearing as we stopped... My brother and I got out of
     the car and took off our shirts...he looked at us.. got scared.. and drove away.. "Chicken....."...The only person who thought we did the wrong
     thing was my mom, of course...   1993 Honda Accord: 0-60MPH 9.7 sec.

18.Red Ecplise GS-T v. My Pulsar ----> Ecplise won  (Nov. 00')
     When my friend was driving alone with me in his Ecplise on Florin Rd... I pulled next to him at a light and told myself.. "oh well.. why not???" I
     wasn't in a good mood that night so I decided to give his Ecplise a good run... When the light turned green, I stumped on the gas and the
     Pulsar quickly took off as usual.... about a few sec. later.. the Ecplise caught up and passed me... after the drive.. my friend asked me.. "pretty
     quick car eh??.. You let off the gas, didn't you???".... I just said yes...  In fact.. I did try to keep on going but I guess the Pulsar was just no
     match for the Turbo charged Ecplise.  1995 Mitsubishi Ecplise GS-T: 0-60MPH 6.4 sec.

19.White Expedition v. My Pulsar ----> Expedition won  (Nov. 00')
     I had the chance to play with this guy in a gigantic Ford Expedition SUV when I drove from Berkeley back to Sacramento sometimes last
     year...It was night time so the traffic on the freeway was light.. this guy in the Ford decided to go fast for some reason.. so I followed him as he
     went faster and faster.. I guess he knew what I wanted so he never slowed down.. as we approached 100MPH.. I overtook him for a brief
     while.. I guess he was hesitant whether he should go faster or not.. anyway.. at around 110MPH.. he caught up with me again and slowly
     pulled away.. I kept on accelerating until the Pulsar ran out of breath at around 117MPH.... My Pulsar did a good job given the fact that it's
     only a 4 banger and it's eleven year old... The Expedition.. on the other hand.. really amazed me with its high speed capability... given the fact
     that it's currently the largest SUV in the world....  1999 Ford Expedition: 0-60MPH 10.5 sec.

20.Silver Lexus GS 400 v. My BMW 325isA ----> Got killed  (Summer, 98')
     Okay, this time it wasn't really my fault that I lost the race. The GS 400 was just way too fast. Actually we weren't even racing. I was traveling
     on Azusa when I saw this big Lexus cutting lanes all over the place...I said to myself, "this guy's pretty brave in a shiny new Lexus..." Before I
     finished my sentence, the Lexus was right next to my car! "No way I am gonna let you just walk away like this!" I shifted to third and did a
     kick down. The bimmer responded to my command but was still unable to catch the GS 400 as it passed me. Middle age crisis I guess... who
     says only little boys like to go fast in their sports cars.. ? :)  1998 Lexus GS 400: 0-60MPH 5.9 sec.

21.Dark blue BMW 7 Series v. Mercedes E320 ----> BMW won  (Feb. 98')
     This was a rainy day when I drove my friend's Benz with my girl friend on Riverside Blvd.  There were many lanes on the road and I was
     driving on the left most lane. All the sudden I saw some shiny Xenon lights in my rear view mirror and I immediately checked out the car as it
     stopped on the right lane. It was a shiny dark blue late model BMW 7 Series, driven by a middle aged white guy. I couldn't tell if it was a V12
     750iL or a V8 740iL because it was too dark. Hmm.. I wondered if this guy wanted to go at it or not. As I said this to myself, the light turned
     green and the BMW just rushed across the intersection. I did try to keep up with the Mercedes but I didn't apply full throttle since it was
     raining and dark. But the big 7 Series surely was fast! I am sure if I wouldn't have a chance against this car even if I did a full throttle run
     against this guy.  1997 BMW 740iL: 0-60MPH 6.4-7.7 sec.

22.Avus Blue BMW M3 v. Mitsubishi Montero SR ----> M3 won  (Mar. 98')
     This wasn't really a race either because I knew what would happen already. I was driving my girl friend's Montero when I saw this white guy
     pulled up in a shiny M3 with windows/sunroof open. "Nice car!" I said to myself. I wonder if he'll go if I give him some hints. So as the lights
     turned green I tapped the throttle and did a quick start. I guess he noticed what I was doing and quickly accelerated away. Again, it wasn't
     really a drag race but I remember this incident because from the Montero's tall driver's seat, I was able to see the M3 in its entirety. Man was
     it a beautiful car or what? :)  1996 Mitsubishi Montero SR: 0-60MPH 11.0 sec.

23.Green Acura Intera v. BMW M3 automatic ---->  M3 won (May 97')
     This wasn't a real race as well because I wasn't sure if the other guy was trying to go fast or not. Anyway, it was 1997; the new M3 sedan
     just came out. I was lucky to get a ride in it this one day around town in San Francisco. Sometimes that night when we stopped for the red
     light, there was this green, modified Integra next to us. I asked the M3 driver, "how about showing me how fast this thing can go?" He looked
     at me, and clicked on the sports mode in its automatic transmission, and gunned it as the light turned green. The Integra was left far behind. I
     was impressed. Many people claimed that M3 automatics are slow but it certainly didn't feel that way to me. By the way there were 4 of us in
     the M3 that night!  1997 BMW M3 sedan automatic: 0-60MPH 6.6 sec.

24.White Ford Thunderbird v. Caddy ----> Caddy won  (95')
     This was a funny incident. This one time when I dad was driving me in his car, there was this guy in a Ford Thunderbird to our left. He kept
     taunting us as he increased his speed when he drove next to us. The light finally turned red. I asked my dad, "how about letting this guy know
     how fast your car is?" My dad nodded and said, "sure". As green lights came, both cars took off. I have to admit that the T bird wasn't slow at
     all (it might be a V8 T bird, but I wasn't sure). It stayed within a car length of the Caddy in the first run. Second time at the next block, this guy
     tried harder. But he was still not able to pass the Caddy. Same thing happened in the third time. I guess he gave up after wards. Interesting
     race, though.  1991 Ford Thunderbird: 0-60MPH 8.5 sec.

***** Okay, these are about all the races I remember so far..... I am sure there were many other interesting, unforgettable incidents happened in 1996 and earlier but I just can't remember them from the top of my head now.. with this said... please don't be as stupid as I was (I guess my dad had a reason to go fast.. he knew what he's doing as a 35 year driving veteran with perfect records)... always obey your speed limits and buckle up!!!