Teens Drag Race Against Police

Sonoma (CBS13) - Hear the screeching. Smell the burned rubber. It's a rare match-up: teenagers racing police officers, legally.

Teens in their own cars pay $15 to challenge police officers in their patrol cars for a head-to-head race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma County.

"They're not gonna get a ticket, they're not gonna get towed. They're not gonna hurt anybody," said Officer Robert Marin.

The track is hosting "Top the Cops," an 18-year-old traffic safety program, every Wednesday night through August.

It gives teenagers like 18-year-old Michaela Rossi of Napa an alternative to drag racing on the street.

"It gives me so much love and happiness when I go out there and beat the boys," said Rossi.

Over the summer, hundreds of teenagers are expected to race and develop rapport with their law enforcement competitors.

Marin has raced in "Top the Cop" for 13 years because of teenagers like Sean Winograd.

"It's fun to get to know the local police and ask them some questions about driving my car on the street," said Winograd.

The drag strip is a quarter mile, with speeds topping 80 to 90 miles an hour.

"It's fun to show them which car's faster," said Winograd.

In the end, everyone's considered a winner for the mutual respect driven home on the track.