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Real racers don't care about street racers, says Toronto-born racecar champ Paul Tracy. As part of an effort by the O.P.P. and Toronto Police, Tracy is starring in a new TV ad telling young people that not only is extreme driving dangerous, it's stupid too.

"Extreme driving is a problem everywhere," warns the 39-year-old pro driver. "There's no street racing that is even recognized as anything important in motor racing."

Also known as 'The Thrill from West Hill', due to being from that area of Scarborough, Tracy began racing at a very early age. In 1985, when he was 16-years-old, he became the youngest-ever Canadian Formula Ford Champion.

"You want to prove yourself, take it to the racetrack. You're either going to hurt yourself or hurt somebody else," he advises. "So the consequences are very high."

Tracy places a lot of the blame on the movie industry and says there are more than enough places to compete and drive safely in Ontario.

"A lot of movies lately are themed around street racing and it's not a good message to send to kids who are just getting their licenses," the driver notes. "I went through most of my career up to when I turned professional in 1992 was racing here in Ontario. There's lots of places where you can go to do that."

Fines for street racing have gone up from $1,000 to $10,000 and police can take away your license.

By the end of the Canada Day long weekend, traffic deaths on O.P.P. patrolled highways climbed to 225. That's up from 186 at the same time last year.

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