In Modesto, cruising was originally called "Dragging 10th" for short sprints from light to light on 10th Street, but drag racing also took place on deserted straightaways throughout the area. Though illegal and dangerous, it was regularly practiced on long roads and streets on the outskirts of Modesto, outside Modesto Police jurisdiction, and the nearness of downtown to country roads made quick pick-up races easy to arrange. Service stations such as Neville Brothers tuned cars before races, and many car clubs had their own workshops to prepare them. Blue Gum Road, connected to North 9th Street, was one of the main drag roads, with racers meeting at Poust and Blue Gum past the old Hammond General Hospital. Paradise Road and the straight stretches of Rumble, Claribel, and Ladd Roads were also used, along with Rose Avenue near Locke Road, Santa Fe, and Terminal Road. These races were usually quick and lacked the fanfare shown in movies, but they were high-speed and very dangerous, and the narrow roads and soft agricultural soil could turn a simple swerve into a deadly accident. Among notable local racers were the Bell Brothers, Gary Johnson, Charlie Reynolds, and Allen Grant, who was reported to be one inspiration for John Milner in American Graffiti, though George Lucas said Milner was a composite of a few people. Drag racing remained a regular event around Modesto for many years, but in 1958 a drag race on Claribel Road that exceeded 100 MPH killed seven people, shook the community, and effectively ended the common drag races in the area for a few years.