Billed as “the fastest girl on Kaua‘i,” Kira Kaiakapu is only 18, and on Sunday, celebrated her final race of the summer before she returns to school at Southern Oregon. Piloting the Western Motors rail, Kaiakapu jumped off the line
Billed as “the fastest girl on Kaua‘i,” Kira Kaiakapu is only 18, and on Sunday, celebrated her final race of the summer before she returns to school at Southern Oregon.
Piloting the Western Motors rail, Kaiakapu jumped off the line and tripped the clock at 8.76 seconds on one of her timed trial runs, the rail topping 150 mph on the run.
Walt Barnes, in his stock Mustang, talked about how Kaiakapu and he were pitted against each other for the jackpot championships at the recent Fourth of July races.
Barnes said he had a long lead based on his dial-in when he heard this thundering come roaring up from the back and passing him on the fly for the whole shot.
Kaiakapu is one of the few female drivers at the Mana Raceway facility, and Barnes said that when she qualified for her NHRA license, the GIRA (Garden Island Racing Association) felt they should do something special for her.
With the help of his wife, Anne, the couple finally settled on getting her a cosmetic compact with her license and the date engraved on it, Anne adding, “She’s a real girly-girl.”
Kaiakapu will be leaving for school on Sept. 23 thereby missing the next scheduled GIRA drag races which is slated to be a night race.
She is majoring in pre-med or psychology.
