DENVER (KDVR) — Neighbors living close to Denver shopping centers with big box store parking lots are used to hearing the revving of engines, loud pops and racing caused by what they call race car rallies.

They told FOX31 it’s noisy and a safety and nuisance concern near East Mexico Avenue and South Colorado Boulevard.

They say the disruptive sounds mostly happen on the weekends, and you can hear them from midnight until 3 a.m.

“The biggest thing I’ve noticed within the last couple months, there have been spinouts in the intersections,” neighbor Nick Sandoval said.

It’s not something he has seen personally, but after watching a video captured on Oct. 7th around 11 p.m., showing a parking lot filled with cars and loud popping noises, he’s not surprised.

“You can see the evidence of it,” he said.

How are racing rallies enforced?

The Denver Police Department responded to the area for reckless driving and having a large number of vehicles gathered in the parking lot. By the time officers arrived, all the vehicles had taken off, and no arrests were made.

“The community probably does know this problem,” Sandoval said. “What’s the point of calling the police if they’re not going to do anything, or if they don’t have the resources to do anything?”

The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment told FOX31:

“While the department does enforce the Denver noise ordinance, in general vehicle noise is regulated at the federal level. Furthermore, DDPHE noise investigators do not have curbing authority, they can’t pull vehicles over, and they cannot enforce on disturbance of the peace. For these types of instances, we would refer them to the Denver Police Department (DPD).”

Denver Department of Public Health and Environment

Sandoval said people treat the intersection like a racetrack. He said if nothing stops drivers, he’s worried something may happen.

“I think it’s going to probably get worse and probably cause an issue in the future if these problems don’t go unchecked.”

According to Denver Police: “In general, cars are able to gather at parking lots unless they are blocking traffic, or told otherwise by the property owner or posted trespassing signs. With regard to the noise, people can report noise complaints, but complainants must be willing to sign them for officers to issue a citation to the offender. If there are large groups, creating an inordinate amount of noise, we ask people call police.”

Also, if people know there may be a similar gathering, they can go to ReportStreetRacing.com to report it.