Raceway drivers THE SIGHT of a Honolulu Police helicopter hovering over the Hawaii Raceway Park last night got the attention of racers for a moment. Then it was back to worrying about something else in the sky.
say heat is on but
temptation remains
Owners of souped-up cars are
constantly being challenged
to race in the streetsBy Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.comRain.
"Damn, I just got new tires I wanted to try out," said Guy Takasawa, a 41-year-old who likes to race his 1987 Buick Grand National about twice a year. "I hope they don't cancel the race because of wet roads."
The rain stopped and the roads eventually dried up, but the helicopter continued to circle, a constant reminder that police will be looking for speeders and street-racers all of this weekend.
"I wonder if they'll shine the spotlight on you if you're speeding?" asked 17-year-old Brian Harrison while peering into the air.
Many car enthusiasts say the spotlight has been on them for the past week. Honolulu police have said that 18-year-old Nicholas Tudisco was racing another car when he crashed into a van on the H-1 freeway last Sunday near the Kapiolani Boulevard overpass. Elizabeth Kekoa, a 58-year-old religion teacher at Holy Trinity, was killed, and her husband and mother were seriously injured.
But some racers said last night that police had been more visible even before that.
"Ever since that one kid flew off the freeway in Kahala, the cops been on the streets," said 21-year-old Brandon Gapol, referring to 18-year-old Logan Fujimoto, who died when the 1993 Acura Integra he was driving on H-1 crashed and fell 40 feet below onto Waialae Avenue on June 10. Police determined that Fujimoto had not been racing but that speed was a factor in the crash.
"The cops are all over the place," said Gapol.
While some car enthusiasts feel HPD is going overboard with not just helicopters, but decoy cars and increased manpower, others feel it is not enough. And they back proposed laws that would take away the car of anyone caught street-racing or speeding excessively."The amount these guys spend on these cars, the ticket means nothing," said Steve Muraoka, who also races a 1987 Buick Grand National. "Take away their car, that'll make a big difference -- sell it at auction and make 'em cry. Enough's enough already. Enough people have died."
Several racers at the park said there is not a day that goes by that someone does not try to challenge them when they are on the highway.
"Morning, day and night," said Brandon Sison, a 21-year-old who drives a Toyota Tacoma. "They pull up next to you, and they press their gas; they wait until you press your gas, and then it's on."
"Every time I'm on the street, they pull to the side, and they wanna see what I got," said Gapol, who admits taking the challenge sometimes. "I've raced a few times on the road, but not where I'm weaving in and out of cars. Usually it's an open street, straight away where there's no cars.
"Nothing over 100 miles an hour, I'll tell you that much."
Last night, Gapol was aiming to shave his time down the quarter-mile by a second, to 13 from 14. Others were preparing for today's Toyota Aloha Nationals, touted as the biggest import racing event in Hawaii ever.
Whatever their goal, those involved in Hawaii's racing scene say there will always be those who unfortunately keep challenging others off the track.
Jason Skaggs, operator of Hawaii Raceway Park, said: "There's always that one rotten apple that spoils the bunch. With every generation you're going to get that one up-and-coming guy that hasn't matured or hasn't had something happen to him or to his family.
"They don't realize their responsibilities or the consequences. We have to just try to keep pounding it in their head that there are consequences."
Skaggs said Hawaii Raceway Park may soon start offering programs at Oahu high schools to educate teenagers as soon as they get their licenses about the responsibility that comes with the right to drive.
"It won't be cured today, but if we can start with the high school students, I think we can scare them so that they think every time they've got their foot on the gas pedal."