Fast and furious in Mana

Yes, most auto racing does have its share of testosterone on and around the track, but it’s not a totally macho-gearhead experience.

A good case in point would be the Garden Island Racing Association’s weekend events at the Kaua‘i Raceway Park in Mana. GIRA hosts National Hot Rod Association-sanctioned drag racing at Kaua‘i Raceway Park. GIRA races include classes for street-legal cars, imports, junior dragsters and professional race cars.

It’s an exciting weekend community event that brings a rush of exhilaration not found in couch-potato-land in front of a glaring tube. It’s about family and friends yelling and screaming in support of each other while drivers are trying to beat opponents and the timer.

Ricky and Helen Uemura are one such family that shares the thrill of hammering the gas pedal and feeling the boost of adrenaline rush through their veins as their car hurtles on its way to the finish line.

Ricky Uemura began racing cars in the late 1980s and has entered numerous races at Mana and enjoys the challenge of each event. When Uemura first altered his Honda for racing, he gathered his friends and together they removed the front passenger and rear seats, then  installed the nitrous oxide system and tuned it up for its first race. Now it’s a shared experience for Uemura and his friends to work on their weekend racers together, prepping their cars before each ride.

Uemura’s Honda is a stock 1.8 litre Integra Type-R with a double overhead cam and a 75-shot nitrous. The term 75-shot nitrous means an additional 75 horsepower worth of nitrous oxide that is shot directly into the intake.

At the start of the race the driver sits on the starting line and watches a panel of lights blink yellow until the light changes to green. At that point the driver’s reaction time when hitting the gas pedal and shifting through gears to the finish line determines the time for that run. The driver who wins that run moves up to the next round.

The kicker in racing is this, “If you see a red light, then it’s time to pack up your gear,” said Uemura. Drivers must be so finely tuned into timing the release of their synaptic triggers that one shot on the gas pedal to soon will inevitably jump the gun and the driver is instantly disqualified. No pressure here folks. Like the old saying goes, “Cool head is da main ting.”

For years, Helen Uemura watched her husband race his Integra until she finally decided to feel the thrill of beating the clock and an opponent for herself. Uemura’s friends and family offered words of encouragement, “Go, go, you’ll be fine,” and this lead to Uemura believing she could enter her first race.

“The first time I made a run my fear went from A-a-a-aa-aagh to Yea-a-a-a-AAH!, I want to go again!” Helen Uemura said with growing excitement. On her first day, Uemura successfully pulled off 12-second run. Helen has just given birth to a beautiful little girl they have named Kelsi. This may slow down her career as a racing mom, but now the Uemuras have a brand new member to their racing team.

Ricky Uemura offered a final comment about racing at Mana, “It’s all about timing and the fun of getting together with your friends to see how fast you can go and helping each other out.”

Street racers take note: When you race on Kaua‘i’s streets, you endanger the lives of both yourself and others. When you race at the Mana raceway park, you get to experience a genuine adrenaline rush right off the line and get to see just how fast you can crank your ride.

Here’s the bonus: Paramedics are standing by in case of rollovers or any other unforeseen crisis, making drag racing a much safer experience.

Garden Isle Racing Association will host its monthly drag race Saturday at Kaua‘i Raceway Park in Mana. Gates open at 11 a.m. for racers; 12 p.m. for fans and spectators. Tech inspection starts at 11 a.m. through 3 p.m., bracket racing eliminations begin at 7 p.m.

• Leo DuBois, contributor, can be reached via news editor Nathan Eagle at 245-3681 (ext. 227) or via e-mail at neagle@kauaipubco.com