HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Hillsborough County deputies have arrested nine men after they took part in a street racing event in Tampa earlier this month.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, undercover deputies were at the street racing event when it began on Jan. 9 in the parking lot of the Bass Pro Shops, located at 10501 Palm River Road.

Before the event, deputies say the sheriff’s office received information it was happening and decided to take a proactive approach to curb street racing as part of “Operation Burnout.”

“It’s just reckless behavior happening. At one point one of the cars kind of loses control when they’re doing a donut and goes into the crowd. Thankfully no one was hurt,” said Amanda Granit, spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Once the street racing was underway, deputies say they saw several people doing burnouts, donuts, and driving recklessly through the parking lot. With the help of HCSO’s Aviation Unit, marked patrol units moved into the parking lot. At this time, the crowds began to disperse from the scene.

Nine men were arrested for reckless driving in connection to the street racing event.

Throughout the course of the operation, deputies say they also performed 139 traffic stops and issued 106 citations and 40 warnings.

“Street racing has no place here in Hillsborough County,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “This dangerous and reckless behavior will land you behind bars. This is not a game. Street racing can destroy lives, and we’ve unfortunately seen that scenario play out in our county in recent years. I hope ‘Operation Burnout’ will serve as an example to others who think about street racing in our community.”

Deputies say additional arrests could potentially come following the event.