Racing inspired by street culture

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Police crackdowns and traffic cameras have put the brakes on a lot of illegal street racing. Despite that, the sport continues to grow in popularity so car lovers with a need for speed are making it legit and taking it to the track.

That's what illegal street racing looked like back in the day in Hunts Point, The Bronx. Hundreds of spectators gathered to watch and bet on a winner, usually who could do the fastest quarter mile.

In 2015, the concept is the same, but the location has changed. Manny from the Mpire Boyz car club tells me they take it to the tracks.

Street racing culture earned huge international fans with the "Fast and Furious" franchise. No. 7 roared past the $1 billion ticket sale mark. So No. 8 will be on its way in 2017 -- for the first time ever in New York. The urge to compete is universal.

The Driving Force Club is for super car owners only. That means Lamborghinis, Ferraris and other exotic cars. The club rents out upstate runways for their races. Co-founder Dave Linn took me for a ride in his customized Lamborghini Aventador.

He bought the half a million dollar speed machine and added some extras. It goes over 200 mph so safety is always part of any race.

Linn says the sport is growing internationally, and it's a good sign for the economy. His Driving Force Club and many other car clubs use some of their races to raise money for charities and help the community.