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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Vandalism closes drag strip for at least rest of this year

Advertiser Staff

Vandals wrecked five structures and tore down new fences at Maui Raceway Park's drag strip in Pu'unene over the weekend, which may lead organizers to cancel races for the rest of the year, the Maui News reported.

"They basically took everything out there that we need to do the race," said Ken Sylva, president of the Valley Isle Timing Association, which uses the drag strip. "They just tore everything down."

Sylva said the races scheduled for Aug. 21 and 22 are canceled.

The organization will hold a meeting today to decide what to do, he said. Options include stopping races for the rest of the year and figuring out how or whether new structures can be built. He estimated repairs could cost more than $40,000, money the nonprofit organization doesn't have.

Police are investigating.

The vandals apparently used a green tractor or piece of heavy equipment to knock down the ticket booth and destroy other structures. Association officers observed green paint marks all over the damaged structures and found tractor tracks in the dirt.