Last week the state of Texas and the Houston area in particular were drenched by pounding rains for several consecutive days with accumulations of up to 10 inches of water in some areas. But the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School students didn’t miss a run down the Royal Purple Raceway 1/4 mile in Baytown TX.
“We were running our race cars in perfectly dry conditions while it was raining 5 miles to the west in Houston,” said Hawley. “I’ve seen conditions like that for a few hours however this went on for days. Someone was definitely looking out for us.”
The school’s group of drivers ranged from locals, like Sherriff’s deputy Greg Brockett, 
to Gifford Hill whose friends Richard Hale and Lance Wells made the trip from Alaska. The drivers completed an incredible 115 runs during the competition course and those results produced 18 newly licensed NHRA drivers!
In addition to the competition course others competed in the Dragster Adventure program which allows drivers to do some “side-by-side” dragster racing. Kendall Levron from Houma, LA was the Challenge winner with Avery Smith from San Antonio, TX as runner-up!
“We had a special guest at the Adventure course,” said Hawley. “Alex Russell, the son of former TAD racer Chris Russell was on hand. His dad Chris is the brother of the late T/F driver Darrell Russell. Chris’s dad Burnell and his mom were also in attendance. It was great to see the whole fam
ily there cheering on the next generation driver,” continued Hawley. “Alex made it to the semi-final round but the high light of the day had to be a special unplanned one run match race between Alex and his dad Chris. Dad won! It was a lot of fun for all of us.”
So with the Houston classes in the books the school is back in Gainesville this week for some Nostalgia Funny Car classes.
If this sounds like something you’d like to try, check out our classes coming up in Gainesville, Denver, St Louis, Norwalk, Reading, and Fontana.
www.frankhawley.com
866-480-7223
How would you like to earn your NHRA competition racing license…or challenge your friends in a side-by-side dragster competition…or just feel the amazing rush of adrenaline when you’re flying down the 1/4 mile behind the wheel of a dragster? If you want to get the best training in the country and better prepare yourself for competition or you just want to check “drive a dragster” off your bucket list, then please check us out. Dragster Adventure programs start at just $399!
I’m inviting you to join me and my team when we host Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School classes at Denver and St. Louis in June. Bandimere Speedway (Denver, CO) June 10-12 and Gateway Motorsports Park (St. Louis, MO) June 17-19 are premiere NHRA National event race tracks and offer world class racing surfaces and all the amenities you’d expect. Space is limited, so call us at 866-480-7223 today to reserve your seat in the SC, SG or Bring your own car class or book the Dragster Adventure on-line!
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!
www.frankhawley.com
866-480-7223
Don’t miss the opportunity for you, your friends, your employees, or your customers to race in Side-by-Side Competition! Whether it is a life-long dream to drive a dragster or you’re looking for that special way to entertain clients or customers – this program is for you! Dragster Adventure Programs start at $399!
Here’s what some of our Dragster Adventure Challenge Winners had to say…
“Best day ever, I never drove down the quarter mile and the staff taught me how to do it…I won, if I can win, anyone can win…Great Day!”
“It was the best time we’ve ever had!”
“Thank you Frank for allowing our life-long dream to come true!”
“Words alone cannot convey the depth of my appreciation for the chance to experience what I did today…”
“We had a fantastic time and it definitely was a moral boost to our team and money well spent.”
The next Dragster Adventure is March 27th at Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville, FL! We have Adventure dates coming up at the following tracks – Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, CA; Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, TX; Bandimere Speedway in Denver, CO; Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis, MO; Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH; and Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, PA.
Seats are limited, so contact us or buy on-line!
www.frankhawley.com
866-480-7223
Sunoco Race Fuels will help to power every race car at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in 2015!
“We are excited that Sunoco will be working with us to provide a quality product so our customers can be assured of strong, consistent performances whether they are behind the wheel of one of our Adventure Dragsters or blasting down the track in a Top Alcohol Funny Car!
The Chevy engines in the school’s Super Comp and Super Gas cars will be burning
Sunoco 110, while the Alcohol cars will be powered by Sunoco Methanol and Southern Racing Fuels will be making sure plenty of product is on hand for every driving course.
If you’re interested in feeling the power that Sunoco Race Fuels can produce…call Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School and experience it!
www.frankhawley.com
866-480-7223
Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School will start its 2014 West Coast season at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, AZ. The world’s premiere Drag School will be conducting Super Comp and Super Gas Competition licensing classes on March 2-3, 2015 and the increasingly popular Dragster Adventure on March 4, 2015.
“We are excited to be heading to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix this winter. The weather in Phoenix around that time of year is spectacular. We will be running our classes following the NHRA Divisional race, so race fans from around the country can have a total motorsports experience. They can watch the races and then do some driving themselves,” said Hawley, owner and chief instructor of the school.
Hawley points out that the competition course which can provide drivers with an NHRA 4A or 4B competition license is not just for those who want to go racing. “In every class we have ever held we have had experience levels that ranged from veterans to folks that have never staged a car,” said Hawley. “Over the years we have worked very hard to develop a curriculum that never talked over someone’s head. I have always believed it is essential that we offered classes where everyone felt comfortable no matter their age or gender and that we provided an atmosphere where each person could enjoy themselves,” added Hawley. Racers can also choose to attend one of Hawley’s lectures on ‘Personal Performance Development’ which is offered as part of the Competition classes. Many of today’s top professional and sportsman racers have attended and greatly benefitted from Hawley’s teachings.
On March 4th you, your friends, your employees or your customers can enjoy the 10-second Dragster Adventure or race side-by-side in the Dragster Adventure Challenge! No experience necessary and you can book the program on-line!
So whether you want to earn your license, improve your skills, check one off your “Bucket List”, upgrade your current license, or try the new Dragster Adventure with Side-By-Side Racing, we hope you’ll join us in Phoenix for an experience you’ll remember forever!
Check us out at www.frankhawley.com or call us at 866.480.7223!
Here’s a few quotes from some of last year’s Phoenix grads:
“Best experience I’ve ever given myself! I would be forever blessed if I only retained even a quarter of what I heard & learned… Thank you!” Windy
“I just want to drop you a short note to thank you all and most of all Frank for giving me opportunity to get my License. I learned a lot in class and a lot of it I have applied to my business (American Walk in Coolers) the idea of staying calm and not to over react to things that happen which are out of our control was great, there was a ton of other things I leaned and I thank you Frank, It was all good stuff.” Gene
“ I wanted to thank everyone at the school for their help and a special thanks to Frank . I ran my first race this past weekend and ended up going to the finals with over 30 cars in the field and finished runner up running a super pro class with a local drag club.” David
Follow Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing school on Facebook and Twitter @frankhawleydrs
This has been a great year! We’ve covered the country from California to Washington to Pennsylvania with lots of places in between.
Our first full season with our Dragster Adventure thrilled drivers and produced some fabulous side-by-side racing and our school is still the only place student drivers can race dragsters in “side-by-side” competition.
Take a look at the video of the John Force Corporate Adventure day. You’ll see John with his daughters Courtney and Brittney and his team driver Robert Hight enjoying a day with their sponsors at our school.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAYWcYHztLg
Our school is the perfect place for you, your friends, customers or employees to join in the activities during the Adventure program
s. We can plan a private session just for your group!
The fall weather is spectacular here in Florida. We’re enjoying 70 degrees and sunshine while many people are stuck in the “polar vortex”. So treat yourself to a trip to Florida. We have a full schedule of classes in everything from Super Comp and Super Gas to our 200 mph Alcohol machines.
Many dates and locations have been finalized for 2015, so if you can’t make it to Florida this winter (although you should really try!), take a look at our other locations and decide what other race track will work for you or your group. https://frankhawley.com/class-dates-locations/
2015 will mark our third decade of providing excitement, thrills, education and fulfillment of many drivers’ dreams. We would love to help make it a memorable year for you behind the wheel!
We look forward to hearing from you!
Frank
866-480-7223
www.frankhawley.com
Seems our last news left off with us heading to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH where we had a terrific license class and Adventure program! Our 2-day license class had a range of experienced racers bringing their own cars to students just getting started.
Next, our guys headed to Seattle for media rides for the 3rd Annual Rainier Cup at Pacific Raceways during the NHRA O’Reilly Northwest Nationals, followed by a great Super Comp/Super Gas licensing class the following week.
Then it was back home to Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville, FL where the Top Alcohol Funny Car was put to work. Welcome our newest TAFC driver – Denver!
As you read this we are at Maple Grove Raceway running a Super Comp/Super Gas license program, followed by our Dragster Adventure. Then back to Auto Plus Raceway for a Corporate Dragster Adventure, a SC/SG class, a TAFC class and then it will be out to Auto Club Dragway for the final west coast trip of the year.
Frank
Quotes from Recent Grads:
“I was impressed with how well everyone progresses in a short time. As a 35 plus year veteran of bracket racing I picked up some pointers and had a great time. Frank does a great job of keeping your attention politely explaining mistakes and also telling them they did good also.” ~John and Lisa
“Just want to say thank you so much for the exhilarating and informative experience. Frank has a very unique way of teaching his subjects ( I am still trying to absorb all of it). I recommend anybody to experience Franks drag racing class.” ~Wayne
“I can’t say enough about the school and Frank I will be 64 this year and can honestly say I have never met anyone like Frank if this school was available when I was young and I took the class my life would certainly have taken a different course. I have never seen so many good people in a school of any kind and it’s amazing it radiates from Frank to all staff and students.” ~Larry
“ Just wanted to say thanks for the wonderful experience, and fulfilling a dream I had thought unobtainable. The class was tremendous and very informative. Frank and his crew were great and the way you worked with my wife to arrange this was instramental in achieving my strong passion of being behind the wheel of a real drag car. Franks teaching goes further than the track, I have noticed changes in my daily driving and thinking, I have a great sense of accomplishment and confidence. Thanks again.” ~Gerald
Upcoming class dates – give us a call at 866-480-7223 with any questions or to schedule a date!
September 23-24 – Gainesville, FL – SC/SG
October 9 – Fontana, CA ** Dragster Adventure
October 10 – Fontana, CA **Dragster Adventure (sold out)
October 15-16 – Fontana, CA – SC/SG
October 17 – Fontana, CA **Dragster Adventure (sold out)
October 28-29 – Gainesville, FL – TD
November 4-5 – Gainesville, FL – SC/SG
November 21 – Gainesville, FL **Dragster Adventure
December 2-3 – Gainesville, FL – SC/SG
December 4-5 – Gainesville, FL – PSM
December 4-5 – Gainesville, FL – TD
December 18-19 – Gainesville, FL – PSM
December 18-19 – Gainesville, FL – TD or Alky
December 30-31 – Auto Plus Raceway, Gainesville, FL – SC/SG
2015 CLASS DATES COMING SOON!!
www.frankhawley.com
866-480-7223
Our guys and the “Hawler” have been racking up some miles already this year. During the last few months we’ve held license classes, Dragster Adventures and Corporate programs at Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville; Auto Club Dragway in Fontana; Royal Purple Raceway in Houston; Atlanta Dragway (private corporate group), John Force Racing Corporate Group (pictured below) in Las Vegas; Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis; and now we’re off to Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk where we’ll be holding our popular two-day Super Comp/Super Gas 
license class, a corporate adventure and our popular Dragster Adventure!
Then we’ll be heading to Seattle to do media rides for the 3rd Annual Ranier Cup with class the week following the NHRA O’Reilly Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.
In between regular classes we’ve been having some fun working with Discovery Canada (full release soon) and Top Gear !
Attached is a short video produced by one of our grads from our June Super Comp licensing class at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, CA. It’s a very nice piece with some aerial shots from a ‘drone’ camera. Click on the following link to watch. Hope you like it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQvGlLct0lo
Frank
Here are some upcoming class dates – give us a call at 866-480-7223 with any questions or to schedule a date!
August 6-7 – Seattle, WA – SC/SG; August 19 – Gainesville, FL – TAFC; August 26 – Gainesville, FL – TAFC;
September 3-4 – Reading, PA SC/SG; September 5 – Reading, PA **Dragster Adventure;
September 23-24 – Gainesville, FL – SC/SG; October 10 – Fontana, CA **Dragster Adventure;
October 15-16 – Fontana, CA – SC/SG; October 17 – Fontana, CA **Dragster Adventure;
October 28 – Gainesville, FL – TD; November 4-5 – Gainesville, FL – SC/SG;
November 21 – Gainesville, FL **Dragster Adventure; December 2-3 – Gainesville, FL – SC/SG;
December 4-5 – Gainesville, FL – PSM; December 18-19 – Gainesville, FL – PSM
December 30-31 – Auto Plus Raceway, Gainesville, FL – SC/SG
By Jeff Smith
Photos by Mike Morgan and Jeff Smith
For 28 years Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School has been the leader in drag race driving instruction and licensing. Thousands of bracket and class racers and many of today’s Pros are on the graduate list.
This year the school has added a new program, the Dragster Adventure. The Dragster Adventure puts drivers behind the wheel of a real competition-styled 230” wheelbase dragster and lets them race in “side-by-side” competition!
Unlike the cars in Hawley’s well-known “Licensing Programs” which require a medical and two days of instruction, the Adventure Dragsters are powered by ZZ454 Chevy big blocks which are a milder version of the school’s 572 c.i. competition engines. However, even the ZZ454s are a little too powerful and to keep the cars away from 9-second runs, as per NHRA licensing requirements, the engines are throttled back to produce 10-second, 130 mph performances. But don’t think for a minute that these cars aren’t fast…they’re really fast!
The design of the cars, allows students to get up to speed in a half-day course and if they choose to, enter into ‘side-by-side’ eliminations in the afternoon. So when Frank invited me to do some racing at the Media Challenge, I jumped at the chance.
The race was at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, CA which was re-opened this spring. I joined a number of other journalists for the one-day course offered by Hawley. The event was to promote both the re-opening of the Auto Club Dragway and the return of Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School to Southern California.
To add a little excitement to the race and to give some folks much needed advice, Hawley invited John Force Racing driver Robert Hight and Don Schumacher Racing driver Jack Beckman (a veteran Hawley school instructor), as guest instructors. Nitro FC racer Jeff Arend, a sales rep for Hawley, joined in to help coach the media.
It all sounded like great fun, but these are very quick dragsters and just like you wouldn’t put a neophyte in an aircraft with no instruction, the same is true with these dragsters. First, we spent an hour or so with Frank in the classroom going over the intricacies of how to drive his dragster, then we moved outside where we were fitted with helmets and the all-important safety gear and driving suits. Finally, we learned how to get in and out of that tight cockpit so at least we looked like a 20-year veteran.
Once we had the basic instructions committed to memory, it was time to drive the cars. We first had to perform a burnout, stage the car, react to the ‘Tree’ and make an 1/8th-mile pass. Once we’d managed that successfully under Frank’s and the rest of the coaches watchful eyes, we returned to make a full quarter-mile run and prepare for qualifying, which would be based on Reaction Time.
The format for the race was a .500 Pro Tree, and a handicapped start with dial-ins. 5.0 Mustang and Super Ford magazine’s KJ Jones hit a 
perfect 0.000 reaction time to take the top spot in qualifying. On the other end of the field was Car Craft’s Douglas Glad who red lighted and therefore found himself at the bottom of the ladder. Using a Pro ladder, this placed Jones and Glad against each other in the first round. The rest of the field also paired up based on their qualifying times.
Although we were given instructions on dialing the cars in, each participant had to choose their own dial-ins. There were a few variables to consider including the drivers weight, the order the cars ran, temperature changes and more. Both Beckman and Hight helped their respective teams figure out how to negotiate the dial-ins based on each car’s previous best e.t.
The first matchup promised to be exciting as Glad had to take on top qualifier Jones. Both reaction times were within 0.005-second giving KJ the ever-so-slight advantage. KJ slowed only 0.008 against his 10.62 dial-in which seemed close enough to deliver the win, but Glad nailed his, running right on his 10.78 dial to take the win. First round also saw several racers forget to pull their shift lever back into First gear after the burnout, which meant the car left in high gear. Among the victims of this oversight were the author, Henry De Los Santos, and at least one other. Racer Alex Rogeo looked good in her first pass with an impressive 10.45 on her 10.44 dial-in. This was impressive given all the variables, but she has lots of bracket racing experience so she knows the bracket game well.
Hot Rod’s Elana Sherr transitioned to the second round as did Camaro Performers’ Nick Licata, Vette’s Steven Rupp, Speed Scene Live’s Donnie Couch, and Car Craft’s Douglas Glad. Alex beat Elana in the all-girl race when Elana broke out after pulling off an excellent reaction time advantage, Couch put Calin Head out with a great start, and Rupp beat his buddy in an in-house duel when Licata redlighted.
For the semi-final round, Glad met Alex the Car Girl. Glad nailed the ‘Tree but slowed against his dial-in giving Alex the win light when she ran dead on her 10.32 dial-in. That produced the closest race of the event with a 0.023-second margin of victory. On the other side of the ladder, Couch bested Rupp when the ‘Vette editor gave away a 0.063-second advantage on the starting line when he slowed against his dial-in. This gave us the final round of Alex The Car Girl versus Couch The Big Guy. Couch got the slower dial-in head start and both cut lights within 0.016 with Couch taking the advantage. Alex had been living on the edge of her dial-in all day and the gamble finally caught up with her when she broke out by a scant 0.020-second but it was enough to give Couch the win and the champion’s trophy.
Hawley’s Dragster Adventure program is an absolute blast. It is the only place where you can learn how to drive a 130 mph dragster and race it in competition in one single day. Hawley takes this program around the country to various tracks and it’s the perfect way to spend a day with your friends or for a company outing.
Check the school’s website www.frankhawley.com and see when they’ll be in your area.
Thanks to the Hawley’s and the staff for a great day!
We hope you have all had the opportunity to see our newly redone website, but if you haven’t, please check it out! 
You now have access to our calendar of dates and you can book the Dragster Adventure/Dragster Adventure Challenge on-line! We are also adding a video page, so watch for that. For anyone who would like to share some good video of their time at the school or grads in competition, please email the link to us so we can post it.
Speaking of video…We had a great time last week when John Spar, owner of ReplayXD visited our school here at Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville, FL. John, a long time friend and Tanner Stauss, a producer that works for John, spent two days shooting video of our cars in action. The video will be used for commercials at NHRA National events, our web site and other promotions.
They shot some of the most amazing video! At times they had as many as 10 cameras on a single car and the cameras were in very unusual 
locations. For one shot John put a camera on the race track a few hundred feet down the track and then proceeded to make a full power run…right over top of the camera! John is an experienced race car driver and multi-National Event winner and he did a great job as he put the center of the car dead on top of the camera at full speed!
Next week I’m heading to the Winternationals in Pomona, CA where we’ll be doing some media rides before the event and have a display also. Our new commercial will be running there on the Jumbotron during the event. Please stop by and say hello.
Remember to let all the adrenaline junkies you know that they can “Race Dragsters Side-by-Side” in the Dragster Adventure Challenge program starting in April at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, CA and other great race tracks listed on our website! Of course we’re continuing to run our popular Super Comp and Super Gas license programs too!
Frank
www.frankhawley.com
866-480-7223
Last week the state of Texas and the Houston area in particular were drenched by pounding rains for several consecutive days with accumulations of up to 10 inches of water in some areas. But the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School students didn’t miss a run down the Royal Purple Raceway 1/4 mile in Baytown TX.
to Gifford Hill whose friends Richard Hale and Lance Wells made the trip from Alaska. The drivers completed an incredible 115 runs during the competition course and those results produced 18 newly licensed NHRA drivers!
