Hilo Raceway Park Adapts to the EV Era

By Michael Markrich

At the present time, only 2.8% of Hawaii’s more than 1 million cars are electric vehicles. The acceptance of electric vehicles by large numbers of people is important to Hawaii's transition away from fossil fuels. One way to increase the acceptance of EV cars is by putting them through trials in drag car races as a means to interest young people in driving and racing them. On the mainland, teenagers become interested in learning how to build and race cars because of their interest in race tracks. As more people become accustomed to EV cars, more will be purchased. The EV car races at local hometown tracks also help create a pool of young machinists and “gear heads” that local companies, the government, and others can look to for future talent as mechanics and engineers. For this reason, it might be a good idea to encourage the Hilo Race Track programs, which are managed by the County of Hawaii Parks and Recreation Department, with electric car races and maybe even demonstration projects with new hydrogen-powered “H-Cars.”

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is the biggest racing association in the world. It comprises 75,000 participants and sanctions races on 86 race tracks throughout the United States, including two in Hawaii, the Kauai Racetrack and the Maui Race Track. There is a third race track in Hawaii that is still used by locals but is little known outside of Hawaii: Hilo Raceway Park. It is organized by the Hawaii Drag Racing League (HDRL), which was founded in 2011.

This year in Hawaii, plans are being made to consider electric cars. Recently, a test was done taking Tesla cars down the track.

On the US mainland Electric vehicles have been raced at NHRA events since 2022. Interest now exists to sanction races on the Big Island as part of an effort to encourage interest by a new generation of racing enthusiasts in electric cars.

Unlike combustion engines that have to rev up to reach acceleration, the E cars accelerate instantly. People who advocate for electric cars call this “instant torque.”

The Hilo Raceway Park idea of using electric cars as a separate category is still in the idea stage, but it holds great potential. The market value of the cars, even on a small and isolated track like Hilo, is potentially high as more and more young people turn toward EV car races. Most are battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).

The Tesla Model S Plaid has been the first production car to ever break the 9-second barrier in the quarter mile. Other BEV cars that are popular are the Porsche Taycan, the Audi e-tron GT, and the Ford Mustang Mach E-GT. People are also excited about the potential of the hydrogen fuel cell car, the Toyota Mirai, a Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV).

On the Mainland, similar kinds of EV car events have so intently captured the imagination of young people that in 2021, the NHRA started an Electric Junior Dragster Category. There is even a National Electric Hotrod Racing Association. Part of the reason for the excitement is the billions of dollars being poured into the research and development of both BEV and FCEV cars and automobile companies. Automobile companies encourage young people and colleges to engineer, design, and race their own cars because they see the races as places for recruiting a new generation of engineers. This would be an incentive for the University of Hawaii Hilo and the Hawaii Community College engineering and auto repair programs. The other incentive is for renewable energy educators who are trying to reach new households with information about the benefits of EV cars and solar panels.

Those who are excited about the spread of electric cars in Hawaii see this as having great potential.

However, there are still problems that drivers and organizers have to deal with. BEV cars are heavier because they depend on batteries and the batteries have a limited range and need to be charged. The faster they go, the faster the battery drains. There are also questions from race fans. People who go to raceway parks like the spectacle of engines accelerating, which is typical of combustion engines. Some race car fans wonder “whether without the flames and spectacular noise of combustion engines,” things won’t be the same. As one writer put it, “People don’t go to drag races just for the event; they go for the visceral pounding you get from just being there.”

EV races in Hilo, when broadcast, could bring racers to the Big Island from Japan, China, the Mainland, and Europe as racing teams test new ideas and equipment. The track’s revival could bring great economic stimulus to Hilo during a “race week” that encourages more young people to participate. Hawaii has to find a way to increase the percentage of its EV cars to more than 3%, and this may be a way to reach that goal. The excitement and economic potential of this sport for Hilo and the Big Island could not just encourage the adoption of more EV cars by the public; it could also encourage a new generation of racers, auto designers, and race track attendees of all ages.