Once a year, Statia transforms from a quiet island into a roaring circuit. It’s drag race day: short, fast, and above all loud.

The island has its own die-hard racers, but every year more extravagant machines show up from the neighboring islands. Brightly painted, polished, and tuned, they look like they belong in a movie rather than on a 21 km² island.

How the organization actually works is known only to insiders. Even which riders will compete remains a mystery to many.

The noise is outrageous, the speed just as much. For a moment, the smell of fuel and burnt rubber even beats the smoke of goat and chicken. And everyone shows up — because this is without a doubt one of Statia’s top events.

Afterwards, the road is pitch black with burnt rubber. It takes almost a year to recover — just in time for the next edition.

And then… silence returns, as if nothing ever happened.