Saturday, September 21, 2019

Ancient Hawaiian Kanehili Kalaeloa Race Track Drag Strip, Hawaii Racetrack Dragstrip History

Proposed Ancient Hawaiian Kanehili Cultural Area, 
Kalaeloa Race Track Drag Strip, 
Hawaii Racetrack Dragstrip History

August 28, 2019 Kapolei Makakilo Board #34 Agenda:
2. Board Discussion: Regarding the viability of a racetrack at
Kalaeloa property identified in the City Council Resolution 18-265,
which was formerly mentioned in City Council Resolution 98-258.

Some are proposing a race track drag strip at former WW-II MCAS Ewa Field
which is also the location of many iwi kupuna burials, the ancient Hawaiian trails
(Malden mapped 1825) and identified location of the Ewa Leina a ka uhane
spirit leaping place. This was area was designated as both a National Register
WW-II battlefield site as well as a National Register ancient Hawaiian heritage 
wahi pana cultural historic district.

This area has a great deal of historic, cultural and environmental issues that
these promoters have little understanding of. This also includes safety, insurance,
noise studies, public funds, viable, ethical and enforceable management, etc. 

It is very important to know the real history of race tracks and drag strips
and why all of the previous Oahu race tracks drag strips closed or failed for financial 
and environmental reasons, among others.


Hawaii Drag Strip Race Track History – Oahu

Kahuku Point Airfield (Oahu) Years of Operation:  1954-1964
Drag races took place on a runway of the WWII airfield at the very northern-most tip of 
Oahu. There were three old WWII airfields in close proximity to each other on the 
northern part of the island. The Kahuku Point Army Airfield at the very tip had the most 
facilities of the three with two paved runways and a taxiway paralleling the northern runway. 
Racing at Kahuku effectively ended when Hawaii Raceway Park opened. A hotel, golf 
course, and wildlife refuge occupy the site of the old WW-II airfield today. At least one 
racing death was recorded there in 1958.

Hawaii Raceway Park ​(Honolulu) Years of Operation: 1964-2006
The race track drag strip was built out in a then remote old Ewa sugar cane field area far 
from Oahu homes, unlike today. HRP became a racing complex comprising a dirt oval track, 
road course, and sand drag strip. Wealthy car racer Jimmy Pflueger, HRP track owner and 
developer, was the motivating force behind its construction at the Campbell Industrial Park.
$225,000 was spent on its construction. In 1973, the track briefly closed when the promoters 
failed to keep up with their lease rent. This was just the first of an on-again, off-again history 
of racing at the track. After their lease with the James Campbell Estate ran out, the drag strip 
had to close.

Land disputes plagued noted car dealership founder
James “Jimmy” Pflueger, a maverick Hawaii businessman who pushed limits to often thrilling 
and sometimes disastrous outcomes, has died. Pflueger developed and built Hawaii Raceway 
Park, in the 1960s near Barbers Point. His land management practices on Kauai contributed 
to environmental destruction and death. His company, Pacific 808 Properties LP, pleaded 
guilty to 7 counts of manslaughter and will pay a fine of $50,000 to the state for each person 
killed for a total of $350,000.

Car Dealer Alan Pflueger Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Tax Fraud
The U.S. Attorney said an estimated $14 million in proceeds “were sent to a bank account 
located in Switzerland” and that James Pflueger failed to disclose the existence of the foreign 
bank account to the IRS. Alan Pflueger’s racing talents and fearless attitude are reminiscent 
of his father, James Henry Pflueger, 87, also once was a successful racecar driver.

Waihee Race Track Land Deal Gets Busted By Feds – (Much more about this and the major
Hawaii Motor Sports deal further down as reported by Hawaii’s Investigative reporters 
10-15 years ago.)

$31 Million Purchase Price Only the Start Of State Expenses for Oahu Sugar Land
In 1991, Campbell Estate agreed sell to the state its Campbell Raceway Park, a feedlot, and 
about 1,100 acres of sugar lands farmed by O`ahu Sugar Company.

Acquisition of the raceway and feedlot turned out to be a bust when it surfaced that 
Waihe`e had illegally used airport funds to purchase the two properties. Waihe`e was 
further suspected of having bought the raceway in the first place not as a relocation site 
for businesses displaced by the Honolulu airport’s expansion, but rather as a favor to 
raceway operator and friend Thomas Enomoto. Waihe`e himself frequently took to the 
track. To resolve the problem, the state then went through a long, highly publicized land 
exchange with Campbell and was forced to restore to the airport fund the $65 million it
illegally took. The outcome of this process was the state’s acquisition of about 200 acres 
mauka of H-1, future site of the West O`ahu campus of the University of Hawai`i.

The 1,100-acre ag parcel, called the Golden Triangle property for its high productivity, 
escaped media scrutiny then because it had been purchased legally with funds appropriated 
by the Legislature. For it, the state paid $31,700,000 – nearly $30,000 an acre — and agreed 
to accept the property “as is.”

Although many racers and entrepreneurs have banded together to build drag strips, it’s 
much more difficult that it appears. Stories of tracks being closed all around the United 
States greatly outnumber stories of brand new drag racing facilities. Most raceways in 
decline.

MORE HRP SCHEMES: Land swap may yield new raceway, homes 
Under the agreement, Hawai'i Motorsports Center Limited Partners would purchase 180 
acres of agricultural land along Kunia Road across from the Royal Kunia subdivision, and 
exchange it for a 140-acre Hawaiian Home Lands parcel at the former Barbers Point Naval 
Air Station to build a new raceway park. Mike Oakland of Hawai'i Motorsports Center LP, 
president of the general partnership that owns the existing Hawai'i Raceway Park, confirmed 
that the tentative deal would allow his organization to build a new race facility next to the 
state Kalaeloa Airport. The renamed Hawai'i Motorsports Center would be more than twice 
the size of the racing venue at Campbell Industrial Park. (Later known as DHHL Parcel 9, 
today a major car storage area for Pasha Hawaii.)   http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/
article/2003/Jan/04/ln/ln02a.html
This scheme never happened because DHHL didn’t want the all of the liabilities of 
racetracks.

Other Hawaii Raceway Park Background History:
After HRP closed various smaller scale events have been held- sports car events at Aloha 
Stadium and Kualoa Ranch, both of which offer distance from homes. The UH Manoa has 
also held some dragster events at Aloha stadium. See photos further down.

Kalaeloa Raceway Park   2010-2014
Several incidents of fan misconduct resulted in a brawl and property damage…
VIDEO: Hawaii AG Serves DHHL Eviction Notice on H1 Freeway  From that point, 
the driver from the lead vehicle exited his vehicle and drew his firearm forcing Mr. Grace 
to submit to their demands and accept the paperwork at gunpoint. Although not visible 
in the video, a second gun was also drawn by one of the other agents during the serving. 
Abercombie blamed for not helping racing electioneering pal Jr. Grace

Chances of Honolulu race track dwindle - ACCUSATIONS ARE FLYING
A number of accusations have flown in recent weeks between the Souzas and the Graces. "The 
Souzas' racetrack plan is more realistic because what Mr. Grace is proposing in his layout would 
cover over a pond and archaeological sites," Vallarano said. One of the issues is the dumping by 
Grace and other trucking companies of more than 1,800 truckloads of dirt on the Kalaeloa property 
from an Ewa Villages public housing construction site. (Also see: Former city housing official Kahapea 
sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading no contest to six counts of theft and money laundering.) 
 http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2001/Jul/31/br/br04p.html
In early March, DHHL officials wrote a letter to Save O'ahu's Race Tracks asking that the dumping 
and stockpiling of dirt be stopped, citing an anonymous complaint. The letter said DHHL needed 
a soils analysis report and that Save O'ahu's Race Tracks should obtain grading and stockpiling 
permits from the city. 
Both the Souzas and Grace agree that dirt is needed for the racetrack. But the Souzas feel Grace 
and the other truckers are taking advantage of the situation and have put too much dirt on the 
property. Grace said he and the truckers did nothing wrong. "The dirt was given to us and it was free; 
we didn't have to go buy the dirt," he said. (Also see: Ancient Hawaiian site in Kalaeloa threatened
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2019/01/30/hawaii-news/ancient-hawaiian-site-in-kalaeloa-threatened/  
 An estimated 2,259 cubic yards of construction debris including dirt, concrete, iron bars, car parts and 
asbestos pipe — enough to fill about 100 to 150 dump trucks — was illegally deposited on the property 
soon after Kalaeloa Heritage Park opened eight years ago- 2010. KHP is located directly across Coral 
Sea Rd from Kalaeloa Raceway Park… City and State agencies began fines for illegal dumping, later 
found to have asbestos and removal mitigation costs piled up to hundreds of thousands. Kalaeloa 
Heritage Park currently lost their HCDA lease according to published HCDA Kalaeloa meeting 
minutes but still have right of entry for site maintenance.

Over 550 drag race drivers who died while racing have been identified and 
researched: https://dragstripdeaths.webs.com/

Hawaii Raceway Park

Years of Operation: 1964-2006

The Hilo, Maui and Kauai race track-drag strips are ALL
located in areas miles away from large homes tracts.
Hawaii Raceway Park was originally in a remote area of West Oahu which at the time had relatively few nearby homes.
HRP today In various stages of redevelopment as part of the Campbell Industrial Park.
See further down the various proposed replacements for the Hawaii Raceway Park. None were 
successful and the window of opportunity for either of the main two sites – DHHL Parcel 9 or the DLNR 
Hawaii Feedlot (purchased specifically as a HRP replacement with State Airport funds (later found to be 
illegal) have since been assigned other leases. The Hawaii Feed Lot is going to Dept. of Agriculture.
Kalaeloa Raceway Park 2010-2014

An example of the type of noise expected from racing dragster events
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZRmqstSUQU
The noise was heard for many miles in all directions of the Ewa Kapolei communities
There was apparently a lack of registered noise complaints however a great deal of pressure was put 
on Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) to close down the racetrack site due to many City and State 
violations and unpaid fines. Also many newer developments starting expanding nearby around 2014 
which included DHHL Ka Makana Alii mall, DHHL Kanehili homes, Haseko Hoakalei and the new Gentry 
Coral Ridge-Sea Bridge- all very near the 220 acre Cobian racetrack dragstrip scheme. Other homes 
include GrayStar (former Orion Navy housing), DHHL Kaupe’a and Varona and Ewa Villages.
The Cobian racetrack testimony stated that the Kalaeloa Raceway was just “seconds away,” but in fact 
it was over a mile away, not very close at all compared to the proposed City park parcel very close to 
many homes nearby.



Aloha Stadium


Aloha Stadium has hosted a variety of sports car and UH Manoa dragster events – far from most homes

Kualoa Ranch has hosted sports car rally events. Some dragster events have also been held out in 
Nanakuli, as seen on some social media sites. The fact is there are many other sites available other than 
in the center of Ewa-Kapolei communities. These race events pop up and disappear quickly. 

Kahuku Ranch - not a drag strip or race way

 

The Neighbor Island Race Track Drag Strips all have 

different histories not directly applicable to Oahu

The Hilo, Maui and Kauai race track-drag strips are all
located in areas miles away from large homes tracts.
Hilo dragstrip - Pana‘ewa Drag Strip:  1978-present 
Hilo dragstrip opened in 1978, also called the Pana‘ewa Drag Strip and is now operated by the County of 
HawaiÊ»i. It was closed for renovations that cost $5.2 million. The budget axed the night time lighting 
deemed too expensive. It is located several miles south, away from Hilo communities in the Pana’ewa 
rain forest area. 
Also Related: Kona Drag Strip     Years of Operation: 1971-77 (not shown)
Races were held at the Kona airport (called Kailua Airport Park), which had been used as an airport until 
1970 when the new airport was built. It served as an interim racing venue while the Hilo Drag Strip was
being planned and built, but closed when the track surface deteriorated around 1977. However even after 
the Hilo strip opened, interest was expressed to reopen the Kona strip. Race car drivers in west Hawaii 
were reluctant to tow their cars to Hilo. County officials rejected the proposal in 1978 as being too costly. 
The area became Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area- for surfing, spear fishing, swimming, with picnic 
areas and a jogging path. The community preferred this use over loud noise.



The old 3,800-foot-long runway now serves as an access road and large parking lot



A new Kona Motorsports Park was proposed in 2015. However there was community
opposition. A $20,000 sound study was done which basically bankrupted the local Hawaii Racing 
Association. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) would have cost at least $500,000. In 2017 
the primary promoter Paul Maddox, passed away. Since then there has not been any 
noted progress on the scheme.

KAUAI The Garden Isle
Mana Raceway/Kauai Drag Strip/Kauai Raceway Park  Years of Operation: 1971 – present
Drag races began in 1971 and was first called Mana Raceway. Located just northwest of Kekaha, It still runs 
quarter-mile races today, called Kauai Raceway Park and is located far away from most inhabited areas on 
the far western coast of Kauai in a rural farmland area.

 

MAUI
Maui Raceway Park Years of Operation: 1963-present
A quarter-mile drag strip located at the old Puunene WW-II Navy Airfield north of Kihei out in the middle 
of old sugarcane fields.  Racer Kenneth Souza was killed on July 27, 1969, when his car overturned. As 
Maui and the Kihei area expands and develops this racing site faces an uncertain future.
 

West Oahu Race Track Drag Strip Schemes
These locations all have big issues and complications 

Sites schemed for race tracks. The State DLNR Feed Lot by the Ewa Coast was the best situated to 
minimize noise and located in a major industrial area with car mechanics and repair shops.  It was 
purchased by Gov. Waihee specifically as a replacement for Hawaii Raceway Park
The State DLNR Feed Lot - Hawaii Motorsports Center scheme
“State raids airport-system funds,” Honolulu Star-Bulletin, December 1993.
After exhausting funds authorized by the Legislature for the purchase of land in Ewa from Campbell Estate, 
state officials raided highly restricted airport funds for another $65 million to complete the 1991 purchase 
of Hawaii Raceway Park and the Hawaii Meat Co. feedlot.

Audit tells state: Repay $76 million in fund flap
“Raceway Park got a nonbid contract to use state land. Developer Thomas Enomoto is linked to the 
operation, which also enjoys a city tax break.,” Honolulu Star-Bulletin, June 1993. State records show that 
the escrow agreement and lease were signed on behalf of Hawaii Motorsports Center by Enomoto.  The 
Star-Bulletin reported earlier that Enomoto and a group of several individuals and 16 companies have 
contributed more than $260,000 to political campaigns since 1987.

Ansaldo’s (HART RAIL) local manager has long political track record
Thomas T. Enomoto, with at least 16 associated businesses and seven individuals, gave more than $260,000 
to political candidates and committees since 1987.


The fast lane – Check Out All Of The Fingerprints on the Racetrack schemes:
Many political observers traced the race track deal to then-Gov. John Waihee's personal enthusiasm for 
racing fast cars. Waihee reportedly required members of his cabinet and other insiders to join in the 
ritual of high speed driving.

“Suit claims deal helped Waihee pal. The Kapolei land sale was structured to help Tom Enomoto, the 
documents suggest,”  Honolulu Star-Bulletin, May 1995.
The state’s plan, not made public at the time but conveyed to Enomoto and others, was to later move the
 racetrack to the nearby ocean-front site of the former Hawaii Meat Co. feedlot, where Enomoto’s company 
planned a new, privately owned racing facility, the documents say.



The State purchased DLNR Feed lot land actually had enough room for a 4000 foot drag strip and some 
various car and motorcycle tracks. It was also located in a large industrial area with wide access roads 
and many car repair shops and warehouses. However the land was tied up for years by a proposed 
solar farm project that never happened and now the Hawaii Department of Agriculture is taking control 
of to become a cattle feedlot slaughter house (again.)

The Parcel 9 Race Track Drag Strip Scheme



Parcel 9, ABOVE, transferred by the Navy to DHHL as part of the BRAC land disbursement.  
DHHL has preferred to lease the parcel for storage, primarily to Pasha Hawaii to store military 
cars inside climate controlled structures. DHHL apparently believes racetracks are not reliable 
income for Hawaiian Homelands beneficiaries and risks injury lawsuits, etc.


HCR 100 made a pitch to the Hawaii State legislature in 2012 to back a race track 
scheme on Parcel 9:  “WHEREAS, a motorsport center supporting all types of racing
including but not limited to dirt track and drag racing would be
ideal on the island of Oahu; now, therefore,”



None of the other raceway schemers like Kalaeloa Raceway Park Jr. Grace wanted to participate, 
however he had his own bigger plans as revealed in 2015, HB 1329

Paradise Ohana Raceway Motorsports $660 Million Scheme of 2015, HB 1329
PARADISE OHANA MOTOR SPORTS CENTERS
Hawaii Not For Profit Corporations (registered just days earlier)


Major Race Track Drag Strip “Non-Profit” on National Register 
WW-II Ewa Field   HB 1329


Details on Hawaii Legislators Insider $660 Million Raceway Deal: 
Now Grace is at the Legislature seeking $660M in loans from the State via six bills introduced by 
Senator Maile Shimabukuro and House Speaker Joe Souki.

Forcing George Grace III to the shoulder of the H-1 freeway, State Attorney General agents last July served 
an Hawaiian Homelands eviction notice throwing Grace off the land lease for his Kalaeloa Raceway Park. 
DHHL said Grace owed $40,000 in delinquent rent and utility bills.  Another $240,000 was owed Honolulu 
County for "several grading and stockpiling violations dating to 2012.

SB1277 and HB1331 authorize issuance of $360M in State Special Purpose Revenue Bonds to fund 
nine newly-registered health-related non-profits each of which boast George Grace III as a Director, 
according to DCCA BREG filings.

HB-1329 Passed without 48-hour hearing notice – Only ONE HOUR NOTICE:
http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ID/14781/Sunshine-Bills-Slip-Through-During-
Total-Solar-Eclipse.aspx   The legislature allowed only 48 minutes notice for general public to testify.

Breakdown: $660M Special Purpose Revenue Bonds

SB1277 / HB1331  $360M for various health-related so-called 'non-profits' tied to GGIII 

(HB1331 not moving.  SB1277 passed HTH, passed second reading as amended SD1, next stop WAM)
    $20,000,000 for the purpose of assisting Paradise Ohana Adolescent Center, Inc.
    $50,000,000 for the purpose of assisting Paradise Ohana Community Health & Wellness Center, Inc.
    $50,000,000 for the purpose of assisting Paradise Ohana Health Education & Research Center, Inc.
    $50,000,000 for the purpose of assisting Paradise Ohana Heart and Vascular Center, Inc.
    $50,000,000 for the purpose of assisting Paradise Ohana Oncology Center, Inc.
    $20,000,000 for the purpose of assisting Paradise Ohana Saging Center, Inc.
    $50,000,000 for the purpose of assisting Paradise Ohana Sports Medicine & Research Center, Inc.
    $50,000,000 for the purpose of assisting Paradise Ohana Community Health & Wellness Center, Inc.
    $20,000,000 for the purpose of assisting Paradise Ohana Women's Center, Inc.
SB1276 /HB1330  $200M for entertainment non-profits tied to GGIII

Raceway measure rolls on to Senate
The House passes a bill that would fund a speedway through state revenue bonds
By Andrew Gomes  March 23, 2015 (This story no longer found on StarAd website)

Several nonprofit companies involving former racetrack operator George Grace III would be able 
to use state revenue bond authority to sell $100 million in bonds to investors for a motor sports 
complex under a bill that has cleared the state House.

The state Department of the Attorney General said the racing-related facilities proposed in the 
bill don't appear to qualify as industrial enterprises eligible for Hawaii special-purpose revenue 
bonds.

Oahu car-racing enthusiasts have picked up some traction on a drive to finance a new motor sports 
raceway on the island after the demise of two track facilities in the past eight years.

House Bill 1329 now awaits consideration from two Senate committees.

Establishing a raceway has been a goal endorsed by local political leaders as well as racing enthusiasts 
since Hawaii Raceway Park closed in 2006 after 44 years at Campbell Industrial Park.

Grace subsequently got a new track running in Kalaeloa in 2010 but was forced to shut it down last year 
after disputes over a state land lease and city fines that remain unpaid.

Project supporters say organized and insured facilities provide a safe venue that reduces illegal racing while 
also generating jobs and tax revenue.

"Our motor sports community is in a very dire situation," Michael Kitchens, Hawaii Raceway Park's former 
operator, said in written testimony on the bill. "Currently, there are no viable alternatives for the majority 
of racing activities that have existed since the early 1960s."

The new initiative, however, faces major obstacles.

For one, the state Department of the Attorney General said the racing-related facilities proposed in the bill 
don't appear to qualify as industrial enterprises eligible for Hawaii special-purpose revenue bonds.

Of the $100 million in bonds proposed, $35 million would be for a motor sports center for racing, $30 
million would be for an education facility, $20 million would be for a manufacturing facility and $15 million 
would be for a training facility. Each piece of the project is proposed under nonprofit entities with the root 
name Paradise Ohana.

The attorney general said only the manufacturing facility may qualify, though the bill doesn't specify what 
manufacturing would take place.

In response, attorneys from local law firm Alston Hunt Floyd and Ing, representing the Grace companies, 
contend that revenue bonds can be for any general business activity under a broadly construed definition 
of "industrial" or "industry."

Special-purpose revenue bond financing is something that private entities can seek through the state if 
their projects have a public benefit and are within a few allowed industries that include agriculture, health 
care and nonprofit schools. The state does not incur a financial obligation for the bonds.

Private projects that have tapped such financing include a system to air-condition downtown buildings 
using cold seawater, a cacao processing facility, and electric power generation plants based on wave energy 
and solid-waste gasification.

Another obstacle to the raceway project is finding a site for the complex, envisioned to include a drag strip,
 road racing course, off-road course, dirt oval and motorcycle track.

The bill refers to the project only as generally on a portion of 400 acres in West Oahu.

Rodney Sato, a local attorney working with Grace, said various sites in West and Central Oahu have been 
studied, though efforts to secure a feasible site have not yet begun.

Dhevhan Keith Marcelino, also affiliated with the Grace nonprofits, included an image of proposed 
raceway facilities on a few hundred acres in Kalaeloa that includes land controlled by Hunt Cos., the 
Federal Aviation Administration and the Navy, which intends to give its portion to the city.

Sato said the image was prepared to show how much land the tracks and buildings might occupy, and that 
there are no plans to use the Kalaeloa site.

The most immediate obstacle is getting the bond bill approved.

Few people not affiliated with Paradise Ohana or Grace have testified on the bill.

The bill was among several rushed into a crucial vote earlier this month.

On March 5 public notice on the bill's hearing before the House Finance Committee was given less than an 
hour, rather than the required 48 hours, before the hearing began.

Paradise Ohana representatives tout that racing is the fastest-growing spectator sport in the country and 
will create jobs, generate taxes and promote education and training. It also could increase tourism in 
Hawaii, some contend.

"We would see more people vacationing on Oahu, particularly during winter, where the mainland is mostly 
too cold to race," Harry Hansen wrote in written testimony.

Grace, in written testimony, gave examples of estimated annual economic impacts from mainland motor 
sports facilities that include $200 million at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and $727 million at Indianapolis 
Motor Speedway.

Persuading Hawaii lawmakers to help finance a local speedway has been difficult in the past. In 2005 and 
2006, proponents of a raceway failed to persuade the Legislature to provide $50 million in state tax credits 
for such a facility.

The bond bill is at the midpoint of this year's legislative session, but the measure did not pass the House 
cleanly. The House Finance Committee removed all dollar amounts for the bonds and changed the bill's 
effective date to July 1, 2030. That guarantees that the bill, which was passed by the full House March 10, 
will have to be decided in a joint House-Senate conference committee if the Senate passes the bill.

There is some question as to whether Grace's former troubles with the city and state Department of 
Hawaiian Home Lands might negatively influence the bond bill.

Grace established Kalaeloa Raceway Park in 2010 through Save Oahu's Race Tracks LLC on 38 acres of DHHL 
land in an attempt to replace the 69-acre Hawaii Raceway Park. But the operation, which included a dirt 
drag strip and oval track, was evicted after DHHL claimed that Grace was about $40,000 behind on utility 
and rent payments and had engaged in unauthorized construction and mining.

Grace argued that DHHL did not properly inform him of lease regulations and unfairly refused to resolve 
the issues after he had invested about $300,000 improving the site.

Part of the trouble, according to Grace, was that officials with DHHL, which is exempt from certain county 
regulations, incorrectly told him he didn't need city permits to grub the land and stockpile dirt.

The city issued citations to Save Oahu's Race Tracks for those activities. Though Grace corrected three 
violations, he accrued $340,000 in fines that remain unpaid. A fourth, unresolved violation continues to 
earn Save Oahu's Race Tracks a penalty of $1,000 a day and was up to about $335,000 as of last week.

Grace sued DHHL but lost and was evicted from the site, which is adjacent to the site identified in 
Marcelino's testimony.

Despite his difficulties with DHHL and the city, Grace has garnered support from some government 
officials, including state Sen. Maile Shimabukuro and City Council Chairman Ernie Martin, partly due to 
the community value of a raceway. Shimabukuro and Martin wrote letters of support for Grace during 
his dispute with DHHL.

Shimabukuro introduced a bill in the Senate mirrored on HB 1329, which was introduced by House Speaker 
Joseph Souki. The Senate bill was not heard, allowing the House bill to be the vehicle to decide whether 
Paradise Ohana can float the requested bonds.

"We are very thankful to state Sen. Maile Shimabukuro and House Speaker Joseph Souki for introducing 
these bills in the Senate and the House," Grace said in written testimony. "Hawaii needs a motor sports 
center."

Maui Race Track Drag Strip Funder and 

House Bill 1329 Introducer Joe Souki Forced To Resign 2018


Post script: Souki was forced to resign in 2018 after admitting that he sexually harassed numerous 
women while serving at his State Capitol office. This was one of several disciplinary actions taken against 
Souki by the Hawaii State Ethics Commission. Multiple women, including former Department of 
Human Services Director Rachael Wong, filed complaints against him.

**************************************************************************

Cobian Proposed MCAS Ewa Field 
Drag Strip Race Track -City Kalaeloa Park parcel 



National Register MCAS Ewa - WW-II US Marine Corps airfield


Ewa - Kapolei homes, golf course, shopping mall all nearby


Most currently there is some drag racing 
and other forms of racing in Waianae Valley

"word of mouth" says it is by the Waianae valley
rubbish dump on a farm lot"

"Without a public drag strip on Oahu for years, drivers are taking
their passion for racing private. There's a new place to race, but
organizers had to resort to "dirty" tricks to build a track." 

 "These vehicles will do a 3-4 second run from point A to point B, it is full throttle then off the throttle," said long time racer Jimmy Souza.

Souza and other racers got together to build a dirt drag strip in Waianae. It is not very big, but it is all racers currently have on Oahu.
"We have been working on having a permanent race track facility, but it is hard...very, very hard," added Souza.


So all that is left is the private land transformed into a little race track.
What is the difference between the regular quarter mile drag strip and this one?
"Just as loud, not quite as fast," stated Souza.
Drivers ONLY have 200 feet from the start to the finish line. Then just a little more than that to stop.

They don't reach the top speeds of other dragsters, but dirt racing still comes with danger.
"One of my biggest challenges is keeping these guys safe. Because the liability is so high, I want to make sure these guy are strapped in their vehicles and they are put together well. Everything is welded, tightened, there is nothing hanging. 

That is one of the biggest challenges," said Souza.

One of the last remaining remote areas on Oahu is

 Navy Lualualei Ammunition Depot 





Lualualei Navy Ammunition Depot, built before WW-II is one of the last remaining vast areas away from many homes and has miles and miles of straight roadways in the middle of nowhere. 


 Naval Magazine Lualualei, occupies 8,105 acres of the Waianae valley


The Navy no longer keeps ammunition at Lualualei and has offered it to the Army which doesn't want it. So all of this land will have to be disposed of through a federal process, possibly under the GSA or Navy BRAC process. The City of Honolulu could possibly get a piece of it throught the National Park Service Lands to Parks program when the land is disposed of by the Navy. 


Other areas could likely go to Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL) but they most certainly could not plan to use the miles and miles of empty ammunition bunkers and roadways in the remote areas for Hawaiian home lots. 


It would most likely become an industrial area with other areas suitable for homes or farm lots. Home tract investment would be in the many millions as there is no infrastructure to support homes.


The nearest urban area is the town of Maili, which lies approximately 1 mile west of the station. The towns of Waianae and Nanakuli are also located nearby. The Navy VLF antenna farm occupies another approximately 1,700 acres which they would likely keep.

 
The topography is generally level and the elevation ranges from 10 to 100 feet above mean sea level. The land is on a thin layer of alluvial and coastal sediments and reef deposits overlying consolidated limestone, therefore not well suited for farming but once used for  sugar cane growing before WW-II.

Civilian land use today near this Navy facility is largely rural small farmlot areas.

The Nanakuli and/or Waianae boards would have to support an area being used 
for a possible City of Honolulu raceway after noise studies and a likely 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).