Locals burn rubber at Kauaʻi Raceway Park, the United States’ westernmost drag strip

For most, the lush Hawaiian island of Kaua‘i conjures up the roar of ocean waves — not the sound of revving engines.

Yet even here, where sun, sand and surfboards reign supreme, some have a need for speed.

“It’s the adrenaline,” Danika Braun said. “It’s like a roller coaster. When you leave the line, your stomach drops.”

Since the age of 9, Braun has raced high-speed dragsters at Kaua‘i Raceway Park outside Kekaha on the West Side of the Garden Isle. She is among the many locals who for decades have burned rubber on the quarter-mile drag strip, which holds distinction as the westernmost track in the United States.

Braun, now a first-year student at Texas Tech University, has continued to compete in every Kaua‘i Raceway Park event of the season. She wants to maintain her position as the track’s 2024 points leader and finish the year as “King of the Track.”

The final race of the season is Nov. 16.

A team of friends and family members are helping Braun achieve her goal. They maintain her current ride: A 21-foot black dragster.

The machine’s rear wheels are bulky and cartoonishly large. Its front wheels resemble small bicycle tires. When Braun is in the driver’s seat, the dragster can complete the quarter-mile drag strip in 7.8 to 8 seconds at 170 miles per hour.

“I’d like to go three seconds one day,” she said.

Drag racing can be expensive. Serious participants strip their vehicles’ interiors, replace glass windows with plastic alternatives and take other measures to reduce their time by fractions. One driver claimed his wife’s fuel costs $20 a gallon. She also spent $4,000 dollars on specialized rims to save three-tenths of a second.

Braun and her family are members of the Garden Isle Racing Association, the nonprofit corporation that hosts National Hot Rod Association-sanctioned drag racing at Kaua‘i Raceway Park.

The Garden Isle Racing Association, incorporated in 1999, is the latest group to operate Kaua‘i Raceway Park since its creation in the 1970s. The track is set on a 3-acre parcel leased from the state adjacent to the Kekaha Landfill.

Former state lawmaker and Kaua‘i County Council member William “Billy” Fernandes, who died in 2011, was part of a group that established the track in an effort to curb illegal racing on public streets.

Today, the association has about 125 members based throughout Kaua‘i. Busy race days see thousands of fans turn out to cheer their favorite drivers. It’s no mean feat on an island with about 74,000 residents. Some visitors to Kaua‘i plan their vacations around the track’s event schedule.

Race day on Oct. 5 revealed a family atmosphere. Multiple generations repair, fine-tune and share cars of all shapes and sizes. Some pilot souped-up muscle cars or dragsters. Others drive everyday sedans or SUVs, the same cars used to pick up groceries or commute to work. Motorcyclists and children as young as 8 may race, too, in certain classes.

Tony Ricci, president of the Garden Isle Racing Association, says its mission is street safety. Every season, young drivers are invited to participate in a free “High School Shootout.” Efforts also are underway to bring drag race teams and driver’s education courses to local schools, considering many schools on Kauaʻi no longer offer it as part of their curriculum.

“We can get them a car, we can mentor them about safety first, and then they can come out racing,” Ricci said.

Some schools, the Kaua‘i Police Department and the Office of the Mayor have expressed enthusiasm for the project, he said.

Kaua‘i Raceway Park, although operated by volunteers, runs like a well-oiled machine. Staff members in donated golf carts zip around the track, adjusting sensitive electronic equipment and preparing the starting line with VHT, a synthetic resin that increases traction. A team that includes O‘ahu-based announcer Ryan Pepple calls each race from a tower near the starting line.

An ambulance staffed by off-duty emergency personnel is always present and all participating vehicles must pass a safety check. The total length of the track is nearly one mile, providing plenty of pavement for decelerating vehicles.

Mary Kealoha, secretary of the Garden Isle Racing Association, attended drag races at Kaua‘i Raceway Park as a child. About 15 years ago, Kealoha’s husband encouraged her to participate, and she soon “got hooked.”

Unlike most local women, many local men grow up burning rubber in empty parking lots and driving pickup trucks on sandy beaches, according to Kealoha.

“I was always a very safe and courteous driver,” she said. “Then I got into this race car, and it was loud and it was vibrating.”

Kealoha now reaches 129 miles per hour in her 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, which boasts a ZZ520 big-block engine beneath its cherry-red hood. Air-brushed flames adorn its door panels; a sticker on its rear windshield reads “Girls Gone Wild.”

There is no doubt Kaua‘i drag racers want to win trophies. But competition is relegated to the drag strip itself. On the sidelines and in the pits, drivers and their pit crews frequently share tools and equipment. Anyone with a broken part will likely find a neighbor willing and able to provide a replacement.

“Everybody is family and we all watch out for each other,” Kealoha said. “It’s an amazing experience. To be a part of that community is a gift.”

For participation and membership information, tickets and more, visit dragracekauai.com.