Police are ready for street racers in Baytown this weekend

BAYTOWN, TX (KTRK) -- Near Baytown, some of the fastest and most expensive street racing cars are being brought to Royal Purple Raceway for the annual TX2K.

It's among the biggest competitive race meets for street and drag racers in the United States and Canada.

It's also extra work for the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Last year nine people were arrested during a 'sting' operation that targeted illegal street racing. The crackdown was focused in west Harris County, about 40 miles from the Royal Purple Raceway, where the event's been held for some years. A search of past stories showed that the illegal street racing crackdown has coincided with TX2K for more than three years.

Deputy Thomas Gilliland said that there are some spectators who try to recreate what they've seen on the track. "It's the adrenaline, but they put a lot of people in danger who are just driving on the freeways.

RELATED: Nine arrests made in west Harris County street racing sting

Drivers have been clocked at more than a hundred miles an hour, he said.

That's why regular and reserve deputies will be doing extra duty. The primary focus will be parts of the Grand Parkway, Beltway 8, and I-10.

They'll be in patrol cars, 'ghost' cars, and even vehicles that would blend in the fast and furious.

The manager of Royal Purple Raceway said the track does not condone illegal street racing, and that the race is conducted in a safe restricted environment.

Dan Look, with Straight Jacket Motor Sports, is on the team competing in the event. "They want to prove something to somebody else, and you know as well as I do it's safer in a controlled environment," he said.

TX2K begins tomorrow and ends Sunday.

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