Created: 10/16/2009 10:25:36 AM 
High Point, NC -- Car junkies were able to get their hands on several former street racing vehicles this weekend.
The bust was part of a project called Operation: DRIFT. The operation started after months of complaints and tips about racing on US Highway 311 in Forsyth and Guilford Counties and Main Street in High Point.
People charged with street racing face conviction of a class 1 misdemeanor and could lose their driver's license for 3 years.
A total of 72 warrants were served and more than 20 vehicles were seized.
On Saturday, the first group of the confiscated vehicles went on the auction block. Nine vehicles were sold at Mendenhall Auto Auction in High Point.
All of the cars on auction passed inspection and are now street legal.
Some of the confiscated cars had so many modifications, they couldn't be sold at auction. So, some law enforcement agencies will use those for undercover operations.
District Court Judge Tom Jarrell of Guilford County, who heard the cases, said auctioning cars seized from street racing is rare.
"All of the my experience with this type of pre-arranged racing case, the cases get reduced to spontaneous racing and the folks get their car back, but the highway patrol was extremely prepared on this case and they were able to meet their burden of proof in these cases without any difficulty," he said.
The money from the auction goes to Guilford County Schools.
Wayne Mendenhall estimates the cars could bring in between $60,000 and $75,000
