While being interviewed, Street Racing Kills’ founder Lili Trujillo stands before a picture of her daughter Valentina, who she lost to street racing, as officials gather for a press conference on dangers of street racing and takeovers while standing in the burnout box at Irwindale Speedway on Thursday, September 22, 2022. The speedway hosts Thursday Night Thunder from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. where burnouts and drag racing is legal. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Urging drivers to stop street racing and street takeovers, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami and representatives of the California Highway Patrol and LAPD Street Racing Task Force, were joined on Thursday, Sept. 22, by Street Racing Kills founder Lili Trujillo and its director of outreach and communication Lori Argumedo.
Dep. District Attorney Jonathan Hatami reaches out to Street Racing Kills’ Lori Argumedo, center, and Lili Trujillo, who lost their niece and daughter respectively to street racing, after he spoke during a press conference on dangers of street racing and takeovers while standing in the burnout box at Irwindale Speedway on Thursday, September 22, 2022. The speedway hosts Thursday Night Thunder from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. where burnouts and drag racing is legal. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Street Racing Kills’ director of outreach and communication Lori Argumedo, who lost her niece Bethany to street racing, talks about her loss and the dangers of street racing and takeovers with L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva during a press conference in the burnout box at Irwindale Speedway on Thursday, September 22, 2022. The speedway hosts Thursday Night Thunder from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. where burnouts and drag racing is legal. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva joins Street Racing Kills, founded by a mother her lost her daughter to street racing, and other officials for a press conference on dangers of street racing and takeovers while standing in the burnout box at Irwindale Speedway on Thursday, September 22, 2022. The speedway hosts Thursday Night Thunder from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. where burnouts and drag racing is legal. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Both Trujillo and Argumedo lost loved ones to street racing. Speaking at the Irwindale Speedway, Argumedo described the deep tragedy when her niece Bethany was killed. Trujillo stood before a huge photo of her daughter, Valentina, who was killed during street racing. They urged drivers countywide to end the dangerous, tragic, and increasingly popular, illegal practice.
Instead, law enforcement leaders and activists both urged those who enjoy street racing to head to Irwindale Speedway and try out the “Burnout Box,” a 2,000-seat venue at the speedway where people can drive their own cars into the “Box” and perform burnouts, donuts, drifts and swings. Irwindale officials say it’s all is done “in a safe and controlled environment.”
The speedway hosts Thursday Night Thunder from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., at which burnouts and drag racing is legal.
The Sheriff’s office said in a statement that the multi-agency message on Thursday is intended to “remind street takeover enthusiasts that law enforcement has zero tolerance for this misconduct on the streets of Los Angeles County.”
