The street-racing event featured in The Fast and the Furious is Race Wars.
In the 2001 film, Race Wars is a large gathering where racers, car enthusiasts, and modified vehicles come together for drag races and social competition. The event provides the setting for several important scenes involving Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and their rivalries.
The film presents Race Wars as more than a single race. It is a showcase for customized cars and underground racing culture, with spectators surrounding the competitors and multiple vehicles representing different tuning styles. Brian attends the event while investigating the truck hijackings linked to Dominic’s crew.
Race Wars is sometimes confused with the film’s opening street race, which takes place earlier in Los Angeles and includes Brian’s first major race against Dominic. The event also helped make car culture a defining visual feature of the franchise, alongside nitrous oxide, imported performance cars, and high-speed quarter-mile contests.