I've been in NYC the past week & it's far different than back in the day. There's no way I'd run a car where we once did and, sadly, I didn't see a single classic musclecar roaming the streets, even during the weekend.
Stretracing had its own protocol, as mostmknew & even prepping too out just for a night of watching/betting on the cars meant you had a wad of bills in your pocket, usually you left your girlfriend at home & with any luck you knew where the "good" cars were running. That was part of the purpose of the locsal speed shop. All the neighborhoods had them & they were the "town square" when it came to learning new stuff, who had the latest set-ups & where guys were running. Sadly places like Jeg's & Summit have pretty much eliminated these shops.
Here in NYC I was happy to see there were still a handful of places still around. I didn't have a chance to stop in but I'd like to think they still do what they always did.