I love Hawaii... and will someday retire to the islands from all this... I swear it. And with any luck, I'll get to go to the drag races every now and then. You do know that there is a rich 1/4-mile tradition in Hawaii, right? I assume it's foundatio... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
. Awesome footage Ryan! The Hawaii Motor Rebuilders Coupe know as the Wiki-Wiki Deuce (about 1:35 on the video) has always been one of my favorite drag deuces. I have never seen footage of it actually running until now. Adrun headed Flattie with tons of set back - What's not to love! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/jimmyschev/Hot Rod Mag/aug-19601.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/jimmyschev/Hot Rod Mag/aug-19602.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v605/jimmyschev/Hot Rod Mag/aug-19603.jpg http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd413/Jay-Tee-Too/HMR-3.jpg Here is a link to a thread I started about the car a while back: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=718212 Thanks for posting. .
That was the place a local told me about last year....Really wanted to go... but I got the hairy eyeball from wifey.... next year we go back....I plan to visit that strip.
It is quite a drive to get there, and the entrance sign is small and easy to miss unless they have put up a larger one.
Ryan, that video is taken at the old Kahuku drag strip (north end of island), an abandoned air field. It's long gone now and was replaced with Hawaii Raceway Park in mid 60's (west end of island) but that's also gone too. I've visited the Kahuku track several times as a kid then when I had a car and old enough to run it, the track was relocated to Campbell's (HRP). There are no tracks on Oahu today, only on the outer islands - so sad! That picture with the Hula girls is at the Sans Souci beach near the Natatorium (sp?) in Waikiki. I still remember that grass shack when my parents would take us to the beach there but that's long gone now, along with the two large cannons. Your post sure brings back a lot of fond memories. Vic
Great stuff , so you'll be joining Me over on the Big Island Ryan ? it really is Paradise & there is a drag strip in the Jungle
You SURE? The intro is different and I don't remember the bent notes in the bridge. Could be an album cut that I have never heard. Any one else?
That's badass. Have not seen this one. The Hawaii Motor Rebuilders Coupe makes a short, but prominent appearance.
Great footage. Only been to Maui and they have a great facility mid island. Check it out on google earth! Trying to order a Kauai t-shirt now.
Can someone post a link to the video on this thread. My iPhone wont pull it up on the Jalopy Journal entry. I really want to see this because I am in Kauai right now (Hanalei)! Thanks Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Hi Ryan Way cool video / film! The "Aloha Land Coupe" is Way Cool! If you're planning to retire on Oahu...? Don't bring the race cars. I don't think we'll ever get a race track here again... (too much development, birds, anti anything people, people in office that don't care!) Maui, Big Island and Kauai all still have race tracks. Aloha T
Island fever is a real concern for a rodder that likes to drive. The good news is, it takes several years to kick in, usually about the second year you miss the LSRU............
The drag strip in Hilo may not be the best ,but it is 16 mi. from my house. Only 2 gal of gas to drive my gasser .
I love Hawaii, been there to surf, also saw some cool cars while there...too bad the tracks are gone, makes me think of Sanford Maine and the stories I use to hear about it, a cool old track that I am sure a lot of you remember well. I always heard stories of Sanford from my dad and when at PV Speed...so many of these places are gone
The drag strip is still on Oahu, and being used to park trucks on. It would seem it could be brought back with the right backing and MONEY. Even as an 1/8 mile track and muffled would be better than nothing. I think that compromising on noise issues is the biggest hurdle, then increased traffic, and finally increased illegal activity that almost always follows race tracks. When my daughter had a gymnastics competition at Blaisdale Center (sp?) in Honolulu, I wanted to go to that track; it closed the year, or the following year after we were there. It was a purpose built facility, whereas most of the tracks on the other islands started as former airfields left over from WW II. Butch/56sedandelivery.
When flying in to Maui, watch for dragstrip out of right window. It's a great place to stop right after your Costco run.
The track on Kauai is pretty hard to find unless they've put a sign up. I found the wooden hand painted sign in the jungle and resisted taking it home for garage art, didn't want to desecrate the place. The next year I went back and it was gone.
If you look at the link I posted in #3, they're in process of getting it repaved and rebuilt and back in use!
Here're a couple shots of what's left of Hawaii Raceway Park (Campbell's) on Oahu as of Feb. '13. First pic is of staging lanes turning left on to the starting line. Second pic is the staging lanes and pit area. Looks like it's just sitting and wasting away... spent many years there, how sad!
It's clearly not The Ventures. Clearly modern production quality. In fact, there is a paradigm shift between the production qualities of the audio and video. Kind of a retro cool dichotomy. I'm liking your plan, Boss. And I'll lay odds that if you retire there, then there will be drag racing soon thereafter.
Our track is closed for re-surfacing and might not re-open this season For such a small island, having grown up in Sonoma just over the hill from Sears Point working and racing there as a High School student, the variety of racing and level of competition that takes place on the island of Kauai is pretty amazing. My buddy and I were hoping to settle a grudge match this season -his '72 Norton Commando 750 Cafe versus my '72 BMW R75/5 Cafe. Looks like we'll have to wait until next season to settle things!
I lived pretty close to Campbell Industrial Park during the early seventies, just up the road in Makakilo. A neighbor of mine was the custodian at the dragstrip (and had the key for the padlock at the gate!), and opened it for us all the time so we could grudge race each other and test 'n tune.
Last year (2012) there was still talk of the expansion of the Kalaeloa Raceway (near the airport for Private aircraft) to accomodate drag racers. However, AFAIK nothing has happened, and probably never will. In Hawaii, on Oahu, there is no lack of support (read money) to accomodate the sports car crowd, but Dragracers are of a lessor breed, it seems.
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