Mainland drivers take on best Hawai'i has to offer

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i sprint car driver Gary Costa has never met a gas pedal he didn't like.

"I drive on the edge of my seat, every time I'm out there, and I try to do my best," says Hawai'i sprint car driver Gary Costa. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

The colorful Costa is one of two dozen select drivers itching to speed around a quarter-mile track in the $19,000 Hawaiian-USAC-Southwestern Sprint Car Classic tonight and tomorrow at Hawai'i Motor Speedway in Campbell Industrial Park. Gates open at 5; races start at 7.

Twelve professional drivers will compete against 12 of Hawai'i's best in the competition that features lightweight, 400- to 800-horsepowered cars capable of reaching 140 mph. Sprint car competitions are popular on the Mainland, and in Hawai'i the races have lured more than two dozen drivers and scores of fans to weekend races.

The Sprint Car Classic will feature as many as 20 cars racing wheel-to-wheel on a tight, dirt course, and is the first to be held with USAC drivers, who are considered the best in the country.

Costa, who is one of the best Hawai'i drivers, often executes high-speed maneuvers without fear.

"Most of the times, I'm just driving with three wheels on the ground," Costa said. "That's exciting to people. To me that's an every day drive. I drive on the edge of my seat, every time I'm out there, and I try to do my best."

"This is really a fun track to race on," Burns said. "The guys are going to be going very fast; they'll be very close, banging and bumping. Sprint cars are known for flipping and some really hellacious crashes."

Rick Ziehl, the USAC series point leader, said sometimes sprint car drivers go an entire year without wrecking their cars; other times "you tear up a bunch of cars in a year."

"It's kind of like playing roulette," Ziehl said. "You'll never know."

USAC driver Mike Martin said many fans enjoy the non-stop action of sprint car races, as opposed to other racing competitions, such as the NASCAR Winston Cup, which sometimes unfold with less drama.

"This is a lot more enjoyable to watch, especially for the average people who aren't into racing day in and day out," Martin said. "We'll be running 30-lap and 40-lap main events that are really highly competitive, side-by-side racing. It's constant action. Whereas the Winston Cup race, you'll get 400 laps of (drivers) spreading out, pit stops and pit stop strategy. Some of the racing is thrown out the window."

The Sprint Car Classic will have its own rules, including one that might prove very challenging to Hawai'i drivers. Per USAC rules, all drivers must remove the "wing" attachment from the top of their cars. The wing is a 25-square foot airfoil that stabilizes the car and has been used by Hawai'i drivers for years.

In turn, Hawai'i drivers said they hope their local knowledge of the Hawai'i Motor Speedway will help overcome the non-wing setup.

"They're coming to our backyard, but they're bringing their series and their style of racing," said Hawai'i points leader Dean Freitas. "It's an interesting mix. We need to learn their style of racing, yet they need to learn our track. That's why I think it will be a real interesting event. We hope to be real competitive. We hope it's not a cakewalk for them."

USAC driver Ronnie Clark said the home-course edge could be one of the keys to the races.

"They run there all the time," Clark said. "We've never run there at all. I think we'll be all right, but they definitely have the advantage."

Several other racing organizations have expressed interest in performing in Hawai'i, but officials want to see how the Sprint Car Classic fares this week before scheduling more competitions, according to Jerry Apana, general manager of the Hawai'i Motor Speedway.

Notes: The USAC drivers are Rick Ziehl, Brandon Lane, Robert Hall Jr., Kaylene Verville, Beau Binder, Mike Martin, Leighton Crouch, Bruce St. James, Dave Burns, Shon Deskins, Ronnie Clark and Mike Boat. The Hawai'i drivers are Gary Costa, Dean Freitas, Jimmy Pontin, James Chinen, Shannon Souza, John McArdle, Mike Kiyama, Shawn Ternora, Brandon Ternora, Rodney Capello, Dennis Krob and Larry Peterson. ... According to Burns, a used sprint car costs about $7,000 to $15,000. A very competitive motor can run from $10,000 to $30,000, and a new chassis ranges from $15,000 to $20,000. ... Sprint cars run on methanol fuel, generally use a Chevy V-8 motor and have a horsepower of up to 800.

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.