An adrenaline rush just took over as the pedal pushes down and the numbers on the speedometer quickly increase. This is not a typical Friday night drive down Las Vegas Boulevard; this is a race. Whichever car wins is deemed the fastest car on the track, for at least the few minutes until the next two cars race.

This is Midnight Mayhem.

Midnight Mayhem began eight years ago at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. John Bisci, the public relations manager at the Speedway, has been a part of the program since the very beginning.

“Chris Blaire and I would go to lunch every day and we would always see something in the paper about illegal street racing and how people were either killing themselves or others and we just thought there had to be a safer way to race,” Bisci says.

Thus Midnight Mayhem was born.

Midnight Mayhem is a legal street-racing event that is typically held every two weeks, depending on other events that are taking place at the Speedway. Alcohol and weapons are strictly forbidden, making it an incredibly safe environment for everyone. Although the police do not attend the event themselves, cars must go through an extensive search before they are allowed on the track.

“We didn’t want people to feel as if cops were running their license plates or watching their every move, we just wanted to create a safe environment where people could have a good time,” Bisci says.

Midnight Mayhem has definitely created a safe event; over the past eight years there has only been one serious accident and the person suffered only minor injuries. This proves to be an especially impressive record considering the fact that drivers are not professionals. Anyone with a valid driver’s license and a street legal car is able to race on the Speedway.

“We offer something that no other sport is able to offer: we allow the average person the opportunity to race in the same place where the professional drivers drive,” Bisci says.

Along with giving drivers the opportunity to race on a professional track, the Speedway also offers classes for beginner drivers so they can feel more at ease before their first race.

In addition to a lot of racing, Midnight Mayhem also holds different themed nights ranging from bikini contests to pajama parties.

“It is a complete social scene and it gives young people an opportunity to do something fun that doesn’t cost a lot of money,” Bisci says.

Midnight Mayhem charges $10 for racers and $6 for spectators. Once the racers pay, they are able to race as many times as they want.Racers can also pick from two different ways to race: either racing against random cars, or pulling over into lane 10 where they can choose their opponent or next victim.

The common theme felt among everyone at Midnight Mayhem, whether they be racers themselves or the people who help put the event together, is an understanding of the feeling that takes over once a person gets behind the wheel of a car.

Waldo Alcocer, a frequent racer at the Midnight Mayhem events, has been racing for the past three years.

“Before a race I will pump myself up by listening to music, but once I am behind the wheel waiting for the last yellow light to change to green a huge adrenaline rush takes over and I completely go into tunnel vision,” Alcocer says.

That is a feeling that few places can capture and bring to the general public. Midnight Mayhem is one of them.

Special thanks to Aaron Crowley of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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