Busy times at FHDRS! We have been running lots of classes and helping new racers earn their NHRA competition licenses this year! Our annual class after the 50th Gatornationals is always a melting pot of drivers, and this year we had people attending from all over the US, Canada, Norway and England. We followed up with a Funny Car class, hosted another Super Comp/Super Gas Competition License Class and the one-day Dragster Adventure. Then while we were getting ready to head west, we added another 2-day competition license class and Alcohol Dragster class to help more people earn their licenses to go racing.
When you receive this we’ll be running classes at Tucson Dragway. Following Tucson, we head to Auto Club Dragway and then on to Las Vegas. While our classes in Vegas have been sold out for some time, we have a few seats left at the Fontana class on April 24-25. There are also a couple seats in the Dragster Adventures on April 19 and April 26 at Auto Club Dragway. Class dates coming up: Gainesville Raceway May 14-15 (license class); Route 66 Raceway May 23-24 (license class); Houston Raceway June 5-6 (license class) and Houston Raceway June 7 (dragster adventure); Woodburn Dragstrip June 26-27 (license class with only SC Dragster seats left) and Woodburn Dragstrip June 28 or June 29 (dragster adventures); Summit Motorsports Park July 15-16 (license class); Heartland Motorsports Park July 30-31 (license class); and Maple Grove Raceway August 12-13 (license class). More fall dates on our calendar, too!
Many of our dragster adventure days are already sold out, so we thank you for your support of this program and please know we’ll try to increase the dates for these next year!
All the competition license classes include the lectures on how to “Improve your Personal Performance”. The classroom sessions cover the physiology of how your mind and body work together. You’ll learn how to mentally prepare, perform at the highest level, improve focus and block out distractions. Frank teaches how to practice more effectively whether at the track, at the shop or at home. He’ll share techniques on how to remove the emotional baggage (everybody has some) that can often disrupt good performance. People share with us they find this classroom time extremely useful in their work, at home and of course on the track!
Remember, our Alcohol class dates are scheduled on demand, so give us a call if you’re ready to take that next step in your career.
Paul Shields and Jeff Arend can answer all your questions about our programs and their contact information is below. We look forward to seeing you at a class soon!
Jeff Arend, jarend@frankhawley.com, 909-973-8279 cell
Paul Shields, paul.fhdrs@gmail.com, 904-472-6312 cell
866-480-7223
www.frankhawley.com
It’s awesome there are lots of people getting ready to race this year! So, due to overwhelming demand, we have added an additional competition license class on March 22-23 at Gainesville Raceway. We’re doing everything we can to let people know about this new date, so please help us spread the word! You can earn your competition license to 7.50 in this program, improve your skills if you’re moving up to a faster car, or check an item off your bucket list. This class is a great foundation for future racing in NHRDA, NMCA, NMRA, PDRA, NHRA, IHRA and your local bracket races.
If your interest is in the alcohol cars, or you’d like to schedule a group event, remember those dates are on demand, so you’ll need to contact us to schedule.
Below is a link to currently scheduled class dates/locations. We hope to see you at a class soon! Contact information is below to reach out directly to Paul or Jeff.
The Frank Hawley Drag Racing School, led by the two-time NHRA Funny Car champion, has announced the continuation of its relationship with the Mickey Thompson Tire Company, an organization built by an equally-important figure in racing history. Mickey Thompson Tires and the school first worked together in the mid-1990s when Hawley was based in Pomona, Calif., and has spent 20 years creating the top drag racing school in the world.
Begun when Mickey Thompson Tires Vice President of Sales and Marketing Ken Warner joined forces with Hawley at Pomona, the partnership has evolved into a pairing that has seen incredible benefits for both sides. Kirk Fenn of the Mickey Thompson National Accounts Business Development Department, said the relationship has had incredible rewards for them.
“Frank was looking for the best products when he was going through his suppliers with his cars for the school and it was the perfect fit for us and for Frank,” Fenn said. “It allows anyone who’s going through for certification to be exposed to the best tires that are out there for drag racing for those classes and those categories. “
“Not to mention it works very well for us for when we’re doing relationship building with clients or customers. It really helps give them some hands-on experience to better sell and speak to the product when they’re marketing it out there.”
Hawley, an NHRA Nationals winner in both Funny Car and Top Fuel as the pilot of the legendary Chi-Town Hustler, said Mickey Thompson Tires has been an amazing partner for the school.
“It’s always important to have great traction and a good handling race car but it’s even more important when you are learning to drive. We’ve trusted Mickey Thompson Tires at our school for years!”
The most successful display for the two entities has been the Mickey Thompson Dragster Adventure. The program provides training at various drag strips across the country with the students racing in a Frank Hawley Drag Racing School dragster at the end of the day.
“We usually do two a year and I’ve been doing that for almost eight years and managing it for the last year and a half,” Fenn said. “We have nothing but rave reviews. People coming into it kind of skeptical in some cases, kind of ‘What is this all about?’ and after they make their first pass, they get out and get their helmet off…they’re like a little kid who’s just had their first exposure to a roller coaster.”
The Adventure has seen some amazing highlights, from its most recent winner Floyd Carter at Fontana, Calif., April 21, to a group of Navy SEALs last spring. While working with the SEALs is an unforgettable experience for both parties, the primary goal for Mickey Thompson is to provide education to customers and staff. The company also has a sizable involvement in off-road racing and provides an all-new experience to staff members who are unfamiliar with drag racing, although that’s not always the case.
”Floyd was a great example because he runs a speed shop so he was very in touch with the product on the drag racing side,” Fenn said, “but yet, was still absolutely floored by the experience. We go into it with a high-level objective, but we fine tune it based on what we want to get out of it and how the partnership is going to grow together.”
At the end of the day, success is measured in profit and the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School has definitely provided the opportunity for the Mickey Thompson Tire Company to expand both its reach and its customer loyalty.
“It certainly provides more of a hands-on takeaway,” Fenn said. “The more familiar our customers, dealers, and the end users become with a product, the more receptive they are to talk about it and essentially, sell it. That tends to be a positive take away and going back to the Fontana event, we had customers there who have since ramped up there overall volume of Mickey Thompson product.
“That’s an easy metric to see that we’ve accomplished our goal.”
Don’t miss out on classes for the rest of the summer! We’re visiting some of our favorite tracks, as well as a new one. Our Super Comp & Super Gas classes, as well as our Dragster Adventure programs have been filling quickly, so don’t wait. Give Jeff Arend (x103) or Paul Shields (x102) a call at 866-480-7223 to reserve your seat now. Advance reservations are required and seats are limited, so whether you want to earn your competition license, bring your own car to improve or upgrade your skills, or just have some fun, we’d love to help you. You’ll learn so much more in the 2-day competition course than how to drive a race car. Here’s a list of the upcoming school classes that still have some openings.
Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School is coming to Woodburn Dragstrip in Woodburn, OR June 7-10! “This is the first time we’ve ever brought the school to Woodburn and the response has been fantastic!” said school founder Frank Hawley. “There are only a few seats left in the Super Comp/Super Gas competition license course on June 7-8 as well as the Dragster Adventure program on June 9. The folks at the track have been very helpful in welcoming the school to Woodburn.”
“There are different reasons drivers attend our courses,” said school founder Frank Hawley. “Some are looking to get a competition license while others just want to drive a fast dragster and check another item off their bucket list. Every class has a combination of experienced racers and folks that have never been down a drag strip. The course is designed to work for drivers with various levels of experience.”
The two-day Super Class allows drivers of all backgrounds the opportunity to earn their NHRA competition driver’s license in the school’s Chevy Performance 572/720R equipped Super Comp Dragsters or Super Gas Firebirds. For drivers that already have their own car, the school offers a “bring your own car” program that gives drivers the opportunity to enjoy the same driving course behind the wheel of their own race car. No experience is necessary to take the course.
In addition to on-track time, students will learn from Frank’s classroom sessions which cover the physiology of how the mind and body work together. Participants will learn how to mentally prepare, perform at the highest level, improve focus and block out distractions. Frank teaches how to practice more effectively, feel more confident about pulling up to the starting line and he shares techniques on how to remove the emotional baggage (everybody has some) that can often disrupt good performance.
For those that are simply looking for the thrill of blasting down the quarter mile, the Dragster Adventure is offered on June 9th and 10th. The Dragster Adventure starts at just $399 for the half day program, or $599 for the whole day program with SIDE-BY-SIDE racing.
Seats are limited and advance registration is required, so call now to reserve your seat for the June 7-8 competition course, or book on-line for the Dragster Adventure on June 9 or 10.
For additional information, please call 866-480-7223 and speak with Jeff Arend (x103) or Paul Shields (x102) at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School. Also visit the school’s website at www.frankhawley.com.
There are still a few seats left in our popular 2-day Super Comp and Super Gas license course on April 13 & 14. This 2-day course includes classroom, in-car and on-track instruction. Drivers will make progressively faster runs down the strip, enjoy video review of all runs and learn from Frank Hawley’s lectures on improving personal performance. Those new to drag racing will learn basic techniques and procedures. Experienced racers will master the mental challenges that separate winners from losers. Contact us for more information or to register for this course.
The Dragster Adventure and Dragster Adventure Challenge will be offered April 21st and April 22nd. This course is for drivers that want to “drive a dragster” and compete in “side-by-Side” racing without committing the time and resources required to become a licensed race car driver in one of our licensing courses. This is a great program for you and your friends, your customers or your employees and Adventure grads tell us this is the most memorable day of their year! Click here to book this course on-line!
So whether you want to earn your license, improve your skills, check something off your “Bucket List”, or try the Dragster Adventure with Side-by-Side Racing, we hope you’ll join us for an experience you’ll remember forever!
Oh, and in case you can’t make it in April, we’ll be back in October for the SC/SG license class and the Dragster Adventure! Please visit www.frankhawley.com for other class dates and locations!
Remember, pre-registration is required for all programs, so call Paul or Jeff at 866-480-7223 for info or to sign up!
Scroll down to watch our new video on the Dragster Adventure Challenge! If you’ve already seen it, please share it with friends! Experience the excitement and thrill of side-by-side racing in the Dragster Adventure program! Prices start at $399 and no racing experience is necessary. This is a great program for individuals, groups or company outings! Great gift idea, too!
Attend one of our scheduled dates or we can design a special program for your group at your track!
If you’re seeking higher speeds, advanced training and a competition racing license, try one of the School’s Competition Licensing Courses. Give us a call at 866-480-7223 and Paul Shields x102 or Jeff Arend x103 will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Please “like” Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School on Facebook and keep up with us on Google +, Twitter and Instagram (Frankhawleydrs) too!
www.frankhawley.com
866-480-7223
We just added a couple new Dragster Adventure dates and a brand new location. We’ll be at Tri State Raceway in Earlville, Iowa on Saturday, October 17th! Wow, that’s just a couple weeks away! So if you’re in the area it will be your last chance this year to do some drag racing. Tri State Raceway is just north of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Go to frankhawley.com or call us to sign up for some side-by-side drag racing excitement in one of our Adventure Dragsters.
Also, we’ve added a Dragster Adventure program at our home track in Gainesville, Florida on Saturday, November 14th! So if you’re in the South, come and join us for the beautiful fall weather and some HOT action on the track.
Frank
www.frankhawley.com
866-480-7223
We love running our race cars and we love watching people drive them, and lately we’ve been doing a lot of both! Some people were driving a race car for the first time and others wanted to move up the ranks and learn how to handle faster machines. In the past few months we’ve seen it all. From running corporate classes to teaching US Navy Seals and Hollywood celebrities like Jay Leno to helping a guy achieve his life-long dream to drive a NHRA Nitro Funny car…it’s been a lot of fun.
One of our best moments was working with a group of active US Navy Seals at our school in Fontana. The group was hosted by Mickey Thompson Tires. M/T is a big supporter of the US Armed Forces and bringing these guys out was quite a thrill. The Seals had a great time driving and we had a great time visiting with them.
Another highlight was working with a star like Jay Leno. Jay has a new show called “Jay Leno’s Garage” which airs on NBC. The show’s producers contacted us about filming a segment in which Jay learns how to drive a Super Comp dragster. The show also featured the “not yet in production” 2016 SS Camaro. It was great to have our former student and current Pro Stock NHRA world Champ Erica Enders show up to help with the class. We were asked not to divulge anything about Jay’s on track performance until the show airs in October. We’ll let you know when it will be on and then give you a little behind the scenes story as well. Thanks to Jay and all his staff…. great people!
Companies have been bringing their customers and employees to the school for some great side-by-side racing action in our Dragster Adventure programs. A group of designers and engineers from New Balance shoes showed up. New Balance is working on shoe designs that can enhance a runner’s acceleration and wanted to experience some acceleration “dragster style” before sitting in on a lecture Frank gave on the physiology of human reaction time.
The school of course travels to many locations and the MAC TOOL company recently invited us to ZMax Dragway in Charlotte where MAC assembled a group of their top dealers from the US and Canada for a day of dragster racing. The on-track action was awesome and the racing was crazy close.
And then there are guys like Jim Campbell. Jim is a firefighter and works in relief efforts at major disasters around the globe. But he had a dream of one day driving an NHRA Nitro Funny Car. Dream BIG… right? Well, he did it. We got Jim through a couple of our programs and “up to speed” in our Nostalgia Funny Car. That earned him the chance to try out the “big” car. Last week with Jeff Arend and Del Worsham at his side Jim made his qualifying passes in the Worsham car and earned his Nitro FC license. How cool!!
In addition to all of this we have been fulfilling lots of other dreams for folks that want to scratch something off their “bucket list”, just have some fast fun or find a shorter route to the winner’s circle.
~ Thank you for a great course at Fontana. You and all your team really helped us to learn in a methodical manner conducive to learning a lot about driving and perhaps more about life. In addition to my formula car racing I am very interested in periodically doing Super Comp runs in your dragsters. I have wanted to drive a dragster since I first saw them up close at Keystone Dragways outside of Winnipeg at the age of ten and thanks to you I finally reached that goal! Paul Coleman, SC grad
~The School was so much more than anticipated, like one of Frank’s talks, “I didn’t know what I didn’t know”. I really can’t imagine as a new car owner and driver how long it would be before I had the level of confidence and experience I gained from the Frank Hawley School. I really believe Franks driving course, classroom talks and driving instructions will be a huge part in successful driving and enjoying the sport. Greg Moore, SG grad
~ Anybody who wants to learn how to drive a race car would be foolish not to take your class. The experts that you have working for you are the best. From Jack Beckman, Jeff Arend, Jimmy, Matt and Derek, because of all of you, I have achieved my dream in becoming a Fuel Funny Car Driver. Jim Campbell, NFC grad
~ I just wanted to thank you for helping me “clear the clutter”. Yesterday I made it to the final of our AFX group at the NAPA Night of Fire and Thunder at Bandimere I’ve never made a final before. I did lose the final in a double breakout race but I gave it hell and lost by a micro second. It was a huge crowd and lots of folks attending that are family and friends. Lots of pressure. Lol!! I credit you and all that you taught us. For the most part I stayed on task and clear of distraction. Brad Shaffer, SG grad
Contact us for more information on any of our programs or to schedule your date!
Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School is coming to Summit Motorsports Park July 20-24! “There are different reasons drivers attend our courses,” said school founder Frank Hawley. “Some are looking to get a competition license while others just want to drive a fast dragster and check another item off their bucket list. Every class has a combination of experienced racers and folks that have never been down a drag strip. The two-day SC/SG license course is designed to work for drivers with various levels of experience.”
“The staff, as well as the entire Summit Motorsports park facility, is one of the best you’ll find anywhere in the country,” said Hawley. “The Bader’s make us, and our students, feel very welcome and give us a superb surface in which to conduct our courses.”
The two-day Licensing program on July 20-21 allows drivers of all backgrounds the opportunity to earn their NHRA competition driver’s license in the school’s Chevy Performance 572/720R equipped Super Comp Dragsters or Super Gas Firebirds. For drivers that already have their own car, the school offers a “bring your own car” program that gives drivers the opportunity to enjoy the same driving course behind the wheel of their own race car. No experience is necessary to take the course.
In addition to on-track time, students will learn from Frank’s classroom sessions which cover the physiology of how the mind and body work together. Participants will learn how to mentally prepare, perform at the highest level, improve focus and block out distractions. Frank teaches how to practice more effectively and feel more confident about pulling up to the starting line and he shares techniques on how to remove the emotional baggage (everybody has some) that can often disrupt good performance .
For those that are simply looking for the thrill of blasting down the quarter mile, the Dragster Adventure is offered on July 23 or July 24. The Dragster Adventure starts at just $399 for the half day program, or $599 for the whole day program with SIDE-BY-SIDE racing.
Seats are limited, so call now to reserve your seat for July 20-21 for the competition course, or book on-line for the Dragster Adventure on either July 23 or July 24!
For information on all classes, dates and locations for Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School, visit the school’s website – www.frankhawley.com or call 866-480-7223.
Here’s what some of our recent grads had to say:
“This was by far the BEST WEDNESDAY OF MY LIFE! Thanks to the outstanding program offered by the Hawley group. They are the best. I will be back! I thank everyone involved, Frank, Lana, Jeff and all the rest. My bucket list has 1 less thing to do!” Kevin Crawford, Dragster Adventure Challenge Winner
“I’m still processing my two days at drag racing school. I learned as much about myself as I did about racing, which is what I was looking for. Instead of lecturing about cars and driving, Frank teaches the bio-mechanics necessary to perform a precise task under pressure, and the state of mind needed to do well. Drag racing requires a keen self-awareness and presence in the moment.” Joseph Brown, Super Gas Firebird
“I attended your super comp class on December 2 & 3 in Gainesville and 7 weeks later I have a Top Fuel Dragster license and I couldn’t have done this without the things you teach your students. Thank You!” Shawn Reed, Super Comp Dragster now Top Fuel driver!
“I learned much more than I expected to and had fun doing it. Frank is a terrific teacher! And I’ve had lots of teachers over the years (undergraduate school, medical school and 6 years of surgical residency). The teaching format worked well for novices and experienced racers. The cars worked flawlessly and were equal in elapsed time. I was surprisingly comfortable despite my sizable frame. My diminutive wife was comfortable too. The adjustability of the cars make them the right size for any driver. Derek and Jimmy were a tremendous help before and after each pass. I look forward to returning for the super comp/super gas program. I’ll be bringing my friend Wayne down with me so he can work on his lights too.”Dr. Ron Franzino, Dragster Adventure winner
Please like Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @frankhawleydrs!
Busy times at FHDRS! We have been running lots of classes and helping new racers earn their NHRA competition licenses this year! Our annual class after the 50th Gatornationals is always a melting pot of drivers, and this year we had people attending from all over the US, Canada, Norway and England. We followed up with a Funny Car class, hosted another Super Comp/Super Gas Competition License Class and the one-day Dragster Adventure. Then while we were getting ready to head west, we added another 2-day competition license class and Alcohol Dragster class to help more people earn their licenses to go racing.
the Dragster Adventures on April 19 and April 26 at Auto Club Dragway. Class dates coming up: Gainesville Raceway May 14-15 (license class); Route 66 Raceway May 23-24 (license class); Houston Raceway June 5-6 (license class) and Houston Raceway June 7 (dragster adventure); Woodburn Dragstrip June 26-27 (license class with only SC Dragster seats left) and Woodburn Dragstrip June 28 or June 29 (dragster adventures); Summit Motorsports Park July 15-16 (license class); Heartland Motorsports Park July 30-31 (license class); and Maple Grove Raceway August 12-13 (license class). More fall dates on our calendar, too!
Remember, our Alcohol class dates are scheduled on demand, so give us a call if you’re ready to take that next step in your career.
me people were driving a race car for the first time and others wanted to move up the ranks and learn how to handle faster machines. In the past few months we’ve seen it all. From running corporate classes to teaching 
programs and “up to speed” in our 
