MANA — The Kauai Raceway Park will host its last drag races of the year today and tomorrow and will crown one racer the King of the Track. Winners from each class tonight (excluding Jr. Dragsters) will be able to
MANA — The Kauai Raceway Park will host its last drag races of the year today and tomorrow and will crown one racer the King of the Track.
Winners from each class tonight (excluding Jr. Dragsters) will be able to compete for the title — and bragging rights, as King of the Track tomorrow. Along with the winners from tonight, three other registered racers will have the opportunity to vie for the title in a random Wild Card draw.
The race classes or categories include: Pro ET, Muscle V8, Sport Compact, Street, Bike and Jr. Dragster, as well as a Quick 8.
Currently, Marc Perales leads in the Pro ET class with 585 points, while Dave Onodera follows with wins totaling 530. Calvin Costa trails by a mere 10 points in the Muscle V8 class with 575 points to Shandon Takayama’s 585. Proving consistency with 655 points is Ricky Uemura who competes in the Sport Compact class with Brad Chikahiro holding 495 points. Claiming a season of several wins in the Street category is Kainoa Raposas who leads with 600 points while Matt Corbin is right behind with 585. David Hudcovic and Weldon Merkel compete in the Bike class with 600 and 465 points, respectively.
In the Jr. Dragster class, Kyle Groves leads with 525 points followed by Sheldon Costa at 470.
Gates open at 11:00 a.m., on both days, for racers and 12 p.m. for fans and spectators. For more information visit www.dragrace-kauai.com or call 639-1046 or 639-3965.
Mayors’ Challenge Cup tees off today
The inaugural Mayors’ Challenge Cup tees off at 9 a.m. today at the Ala Wai Golf Course on O‘ahu. The two-day golf tournament pits teams from Honolulu and Kaua‘i against each other.
The Kaua‘i team features Charles Kawakami, a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawai‘i and is the owner of Big Save on Kaua‘i, and his wife, Arlene and Hawai‘i Golf Hall of Famer Art Fujita.
This year’s special guest and official starter will be young professional golfer Tadd Fujikawa.
Next year’s Mayors’ Challenge will be held on Kaua‘i.
Teenager gets another crack at Sony Open
HONOLULU — Tadd Fujikawa received a sponsor’s exemption to play the Sony Open, where last year the 16-year-old became the youngest player in 50 years to make the cut on the PGA Tour.
With all the attention on another Hawai‘i teen, Michelle Wie, Fujikawa made a 15-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole for a 66 in the second round to make the cut. He went on to tie for 20th, and turned pro this summer.
The Sony Open, the first full-field event of 2008, will be held Jan. 10-13 at Waialae Country Club. Fujikawa, a junior in high school, turns 17 Tuesday of the tournament.
“Tadd captured our imagination at last year’s Sony Open, and has been an outstanding role model and ambassador for Hawai‘i,” Gov. Linda Lingle said in making the announcement.
Fujikawa won the Pearl Open in Hawai‘i this year, but he has yet to make the cut in two Nationwide Tour event and two PGA Tour events since turning pro. He plans to play in the Casio World Open late this month.
Still waiting for an exemption is Wie, who has never made the cut in seven PGA Tour starts. Wie, now in her freshman year at Stanford, has an endorsement contract with Sony.
— TGI and Associated Press wire services
