“Accept - then act. Whatever the present moment contains, Accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life.” --- Eckhart Tolle

1. THE MAUI COUNTY, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION continues the finest tradition of
making green spaces available, accessible, safe and great places for picnics, outings, and just enjoying beautiful
Maui. Thank you!
A collaborative effort by Mayor Alan Arakawa, the Maui County Council, Maui Represenatives to the State
Legislature and their collegues in the Hawaii Legislature, Governor David Ige and Lieutenant Governor Shan
Tsutsui and the Valley Isle Timing Association will ensure that Maui Raceway Park continues to remain a
venue for safe motor sports activities.
The Maui Raceway Park is a very special place. Maui County and the Maui County Parks and Recreation
Department manages and has control of the 220-acre facility. Strict adherence and compliance with
standards of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is required to ensure the safety of this motorsports
activity.
Maintenance of the drag strip is paramount. More specifically and in parallel with the Mana Drag Racing
Strip (MDRS) on Kauai,
Originally constructed in 1971 and managed by GIRA [Garden Island
Racing Association], MDRS at Kauai Raceway Park is one of only two
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) member tracks in the state. [Maui
Raceway Park being the other]
At speeds exceeding 120 MPH, the aging and deteriorating pavement at
MDRS was to the point where safety was of concern. With the assistance
of the State of Hawaii, Department of Land and Natural Resources
(DLNR), the Garden Isle Racing Association (GIRA), a non-profit
organization comprised of volunteers, proposed to reconstruct the drag
strip at MDRS.
To maintain their NHRA track certification, the proposed improvements
needed to meet strict NHRA guidelines to ensure driver and spectator
safety was maintained. Also the location of the race track also created
various construction challenges due to the high temperatures and proximity
to the ocean.
With the strict NHRA guidelines for the track surface, additional measures
were taken by the contractor to ensure proper installation of the pavement.
Surveys were taken of the prepared base course to ensure proper elevations
and string line method of pavement installation was used along with cross
checking of pavement slopes and thickness to ensure the finish surfaced
adhered to the maximum 1/16th inch deviation allowed by the NHRA.
Source: Vagay, Trevor & Kaneshiro, Kyle. Mana Drag Racing Strip
Improvements. http://hawaiiasphalt.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/ASCE-OCEA-Mana-Drag-
Strip-Summary-of-Project-Merits.pdf

2. MAUI RACEWAY PARK – VALLEY ISLE TIMING ASSOCIATION (VITA)
“In 1963 a small group of Maui drag racing enthusiasts joined together and laid the foundation for the Valley
Isle Timing Association, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote safe racing. For years prior to
VITA's creation, Maui racers had been using the old Puunene military airport for impromptu races. With the
formation of VITA and its association with the National Hot Rod Association, the sport of legitimate drag
racing on Maui began. Our events are sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association and their strict safety
guidelines are followed closely. Our safety record stands for itself. No major injuries have ever been
recorded.” Maui Raceway Park – Valley Isle Timing Association http://www.mrp.org/info/history.html
The importance and value of having a safe raceing venue for the community is recognized by the
State. Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui opened groundbreaking ceremonies for improvements
for the Kauai Raceway Park on June 20, 2013 as described,
Carty Chang, the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources
engineer, said the DLNR has assembled a strong team with the goal
of resurfacing as much of the facility as possible by Labor Day.
Chang, in an overview of the $1.3 million project, said when he
received the work, he never realized the importance the drag racing
facility had for the community.
The project — which includes removing and resurfacing the
pavement — is set to begin in July. Construction includes repaving
the asphalt concrete race track, reconstructing the launch pad and
burnout box and restoring pavement markings. The track was last
resurfaced in 1972. Capital improvement funding of $246,000 was
authorized by the Hawaii Legislature for design and construction
management, plus $847,000 for construction.
William Aila, DLNR chairman, said the project is about families.
“It’s a place to gather to share stories of the past, make stories for the
present, and to teach children about how they will create stories for
the future.”
Source: Fujimoto, D. Drag Racing: GIRA breaks ground on drag
strip The Garden Island http://thegardenisland.com/sports/motor-
sports/gira-breaks-ground-on-drag-strip/article_db227238-da43-11e2-b9a4-
0019bb2963f4.html

3. MAUI RACEWAY PARK – VITA – THE FUTURE
“We use sponsored funds and materials to maintain and improve our facility, enlarge and encourage our
membership, increase community awareness of our programs, continue our participation in race programs
that involve today's youth and maintain our support of the Maui community. We work with the Maui Police
Department to promote safe driving and the concept of racing at the track, not on the street. The Maui Police
and Fire Departments also utilize our facility for training purposes. VITA provides an annual scholarship at
Maui Community College for students in the automotive programs and we are also pleased to participate in
the NHRA Junior Dragster program, which is a counterpart to programs like Little League and PeeWee
Football.” Source: MRP – VITA http://www.mrp.org/info/history.html
Acknowlegement
My Special Thanks to Edie and Roy Bonilla for the inspiration and remeberance of
drag racing at the Old Puunene military airstrip. Lloyd Arisumi, Bert Ogasawara, Wayne
Takahashi, Dan Kiyomoto, Stan Arakawa, Reggie Sato, Lloyd Inouye and I, Class of ’67 at
Old Maui High School, worked on Lloyd’s Chevy II Nova, installing a Duntov Corvette
cam, Edlebrok manifold, Holley 4-barrel, Mallory ingnition system, exhaust cut-outs and
traction bars made in the OMHS machine shop, Monroe gas shocks, Goodyear performance
tires and a Hurst shifter to run on the Old Punene military airstrip. We did good!
Personnally, I have run the drag strip only once, so far, Hawaii Raceway Park in my
Saturn Ion 3. On the green light, engine reved, letting go the hand brake, the car shuddered,
the tires and front wheel drive gripping the sticky track surface. I gained on the Toyota pick-
up, passed him and let off the gas as the shutdown area was in sight. Too soon! The Toyota
passed me just at the finish line. Got my trip ticket. Upon returning to the pit and getting
out, my hands could not stop shaking. Got rounds of applause and roaring laughter!
Friends got me off the street, racing light-to-light under the Nimitz Bridge. Totally
unsafe and dangerous to others.
Street racing, outlaw racing, is illegal and justly so.
Having and ensuring a safe, NHRA sanctioned venue is the only way!
Little GTO, you’re really lookin’ fine. Roy Bonilla – GTO.
There she goes! Turning and burning! Smok’em, Roy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E1rIWkbswk [4:19]