Fast Cops advises teens on driving habits
By JEANNE SCHRAM
There are some fast cops in the area who own a 1993 Ford Mustang with a 460 cubic inch engine.
But they don’t just race this car, they use it to teach driving safety to youth.“The fatality rate among juveniles is horrendous,” said Larry White, a Minnesota State Trooper and one of the founders of Fast Cop Inc., a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. “We were tired of hearing the screams of kids maimed for the rest of their lives in highway accidents,” White said. In February 2002, White, his son Shaun, and Mike Taylor, all avid drag racers, formed Fast Cop dedicated to save lives and reduce injuries on public streets and highways. “We wanted to take drag racing off the streets and onto the track,” White said. Fast Cop took off and now includes a board of directors that includes Scott Quick, general manager of the Brainerd International Raceway, and several more volunteers who are employed in law enforcement or emergency medical services.
The race car
Fast Cop purchased a 1993 Ford Mustang LX from the impound lot of the Minneapolis Police Department. Powered by a 460 cubic inch displacement power plant and with the aid of a Ford C-6 transmission and a “hot” rear end, the car will hold its own on a drag strip. This car will be at Brainerd International Raceway’s Show-N-Go and Muscle Car Shootout next summer.
Young drivers will be challenged to race and beat a cop, ask questions and gain information – all at the drag strip. The racing will also be an opportunity for the public and police to interact. Larry White and Taylor will be concentrating on the setup and maintenance of the car and Shaun White will be the primary driver.
High school challenge
In the summer racing season, students are invited to particpate in the monthly Wednesday Night Street Challenge at BIR. There were 10 cars in the races the first year. When the season ended in October, there were 200 cars coming from about seven schools. Talking to Aitkin students were, from left, Don Hannahs, Mike Taylor, Larry White and Shaun White. White said that because of the number of cars and participants, there will be two Wednesday nights per month where students can race during the coming race season. Crosby-Ironton High School was the overall winner last season.