Ron’s Performance Center closing after 52 years

Ron’s Performance Center, a retailer that has sold and installed custom auto parts and accessories for 52 years, is closing Oct. 31.

The family-owned shop at 111 Sand Island Access Road will shut its doors after struggling to survive after its core business dried up more than a decade ago.

After the 2006 closure of Hawaii Raceway Park, Oahu’s only race track, “business took a sharp down­turn.” The company was forced to change its inventory from primarily focusing on motor-sports enthusiasts to servicing the everyday driver.

Other retailers and wholesalers servicing machine shops, engine builders and smaller speed shops also took a huge hit, and within a year and a half the wholesale business disappeared, said Ron’s owner Leigh Hamasaki.

The store has eight employees, and Hamasaki said she tried to hang on all these years in hopes that legal racing eventually would return on Oahu.

Talk of a new track recently emerged after numerous failed attempts to open another park in West Oahu.

Michael Kitchens, CEO of BTT LLC, is moving forward with plans to build Circuit Hawaii, a $15 million motor-sports complex for local, national and international racing at Campbell Industrial Park.

The privately funded project has acquired the license agreement to build on 51 acres and is expected to open within three years.

“Ron’s is a legend,” Kitchens said. “They’ve always been a spotlight of the motor-sports industry here. It’s a true loss that they’re closing down.”

“It’s definitely further proof that we need a facility here because we’ve lost so many different types of shops. There’s literally thousands of people here that love cars. The enthusiast market here is huge … but for the high-level racing stuff there’s no market. No place to go.”

Despite plans for another track, “keeping the business open is no longer a viable option,” Hamasaki said.

When the racetrack was open, racers who’d “push their cars to the limit” would seek the help of Ron’s for parts and repairs to get their cars running again for the next race.

“Without a racetrack, there is no urgency or necessity to have our type of inventory on the island,” Hamasaki said. “Customers will wait four days to order their part online instead of buying it in-store. Unfortunately, there is no other retail store like ours in Hawaii.”

Hamasaki’s father, Ron Uemura, started the business in a small garage in Kalihi and expanded into a chain of eight stores on four islands. The business was thriving when Hawaii Raceway Park was at its peak of popularity. The other locations closed in the 1980s.

The company will shut down at the end of the month following an inventory reduction sale with 30% to 40% off retail prices beginning today .

Oahu Auctions is liquidating remaining inventory, as well as automotive equipment, machinery, fixtures, materials and supplies and tools. An auction is scheduled for November.

“It’s ridiculous that we’re losing all these legendary shops that have been around for so long. It’s really sad,” Kitchens said. “Having a proper motor-sports complex will change the face of our industry here. It’ll really drive change not only for motor sports, but for the rest of the mom-and-pop stores, big-box chains … and our tourism industry.”