news-record.com

HIGH POINT (MCT) — The blue Honda Civic parked inside a garage at Mendenhall Auto Auction Wednesday didn't look particularly threatening.

But last year, it caught the attention of state troopers in a big way.

It's one of more than 30 vehicles seized after a two-month N.C. State Highway Patrol undercover investigation into illegal street racing on N. Main Street in High Point and U.S. 311 in Forsyth County. The Civic, which at one time was modified to hit speeds well over 100 mph, will be auctioned off at the business this weekend, along with a Nissan 350Z, a BMW M3 and some of the other seized vehicles.

''It should bring $15,000 to $18,000," Forrest Mendenhall, founder and owner of Mendenhall Auto Auction, said of the Honda, a 2008 model with about 15,000 miles. "They all seem to be in nice condition. Of course, they only used them for toys."

Troopers seized 34 vehicles and filed 188 charges after a sting operation caught a group of racers planning and carrying out races on video and audio recordings in November 2008. Most of the defendants were convicted of prearranged racing, which allows for forfeiture of the vehicles involved and the loss of driver's licenses for up to three years. Some were convicted of the lesser charge of spontaneous racing, which does not allow authorities to seize their vehicles but results in a license suspension. The sentences also carried probation and fines.

''The testimony from the troopers was there were easily 100 races a month being run on that road, and it was just a matter of time before somebody would have been hurt or killed," said Guilford County District Court Judge Tom Jarrell, who presided over 18 of the defendants' cases. "The Highway Patrol was extremely prepared for these cases."

The proceeds from the auction will go to Guilford County Schools after any liens are satisfied. Several of the seized cars will be auctioned in Forsyth County, where the remainder of the cases were handled.

The Highway Patrol mounted the investigation after receiving numerous complaints about the races, which were typically held on Friday and Saturday nights by groups that used radar detectors, text messaging and other means to evade law enforcement. Some of the cars involved had tens of thousands of dollars of work done to soup them up for racing.

Mendenhall Auto Auction is scheduled to auction some of the seized vehicles Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. at its facility at 6695 Auction Road. The phone number for the business is 889-5700.