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

West coast classes are coming up soon, so don’t miss out!  The 2-day competition license class will be coming to you from Tucson Dragway on April 15-16; Auto Club Dragway on April 24-25 and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on May 1-2 (the LVMS class is SOLD OUT)!  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.

Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, CA will also offer the fun, one-day Dragster Adventure and Dragster Challenge on April 19 or April 26.  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. 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, give us a call with your questions or to register!  Lots of class dates & locations on our website at www.frankhawley.com!

Paul Shields, 904-472-6312 c, paul.fhdrs@gmail.com

Jeff Arend, 909-973-8279 c, jarend@frankhawley.com

866-480-7223

www.frankhawley.com

We’ll be heading west soon for classes at Tucson Dragway, Auto Club Dragway and the The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway!

The school will be offering both the Super Comp and Super Gas Licensing courses as well as their fun Dragster Adventure Program.  The Dragster Adventure Program offers drivers a chance to get behind the wheel of a dragster for as little as $399 and also give folks a chance to do some ‘side-by-side racing!

You can earn your license to 7.50 in the 2-day competition license program and classes are filling up quickly at all the venues, so don’t delay in contacting Jeff Arend x103 or Paul Shields x102 to register at 866-480-7223.  During the 2-day license program novice and veteran races alike will benefit from Frank’s renowned lectures on Personal Performance.

Tucson Dragway – SC/SG/BYOC April 12-13;  Dragster Adventure April 15

Auto Club Dragway – SC/SG/BYOC April 18-19; Dragster Adventure April 20 or 27

The Strip at LVMS – SC/SG/BYOC April 30-May 1

And of course there are lots more dates & locations on our website at www.frankhawley.com!  Please contact our guys for information on any of our programs!  Jeff Arend, jarend@frankhawley.com, 866-480-7223 x103 or Paul Shields, paul.fhdrs@gmail.com, 866-480-7223 x102.

www.frankhawley.com

866-480-7223

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.

Class Dates & Locations

Paul Shields, paul.fhdrs@gmail.com, 866-480-7223 x102

Jeff Arend, jarend@frankhawley.com, 866-480-7223 x103

www.frankhawley.com

866-480-7223

Photo credit: Rich Samuels

Thank you to The Speed Journal for this great piece on the Dragster Adventure Challenge program!  Click on the link below for the video and article – enjoy!

http://www.thespeedjournal.com/exclusive-feature-frank-hawley-drag-racing-school.php

We have lots of dates and locations on our calendar!  Programs coming up at Route 66 Raceway, Woodburn Dragstrip, Gainesville Raceway (year round) Summit Motorsports Park, Maple Grove Raceway, Heartland Park, Tri-State Raceway, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Dragway, and of course our 200 mph class dates are on demand at our home base in Gainesville, FL.

The Dragster Adventure program is great for you, your friends, your employees or your customers!

If you’re interested in higher speeds, advanced training and a racing license, check out our 2-day competition license program. This has been the start for so many people in ALL categories of drag racing!

Contact us for info on any of our classes!  Seats are limited and advance registration is required.

Paul Shields, pshields@frankhawley.com, 904-472-6312 cell

Jeff Arend, jarend@frankhawley.com, 909-973-8279 cell

www.frankhawley.com

866-480-7223

By Brandon W. Mudd

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.”

www.frankhawley.com

866-480-7223

Hawley and Hughes.  Two iconic names in the sport of drag racing will begin working together this November when Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School begins classes at the new Tucson Dragway.

“We’re really excited to be offering classes in Tucson,” said school owner Frank Hawley.  “I already knew that Tucson had a great drag strip but as soon as I heard that Jim Hughes was taking charge of the racetrack I grabbed my phone, called him and asked if we could be a part of his new venture.  Jim has both an amazing history in our sport and an impeccable reputation.  He is a world championship-winning driver, successful businessman and a true friend to the sportsman racer.  Jim and his team will do a fabulous job working with everyone from the fans to the racers and of course our mutual marketing partners,” added Hawley.

“We have had remarkable interest since announcing that we will be taking over the operation here in Tucson,” stated Hughes. “I was flat blown away when Frank called and expressed his interest in immediately partnering with The New Tucson Dragway and couldn’t be more excited about collaborating with a fellow world champ, working with him and learning from him and his staff.”  Hughes went on to state.

In Tucson the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School will be offering both the Dragster Adventure programs and the Competition Licensing programs.

The Competition Licensing courses have started the careers of thousands of today’s racers.  In these courses the drivers are trained and certified to drive race cars as quick at 7.50 ET.  Participants choose to drive either the S/C dragsters or the S/G door cars.  These courses also include Hawley’s popular seminar on “Personal Performance Development” which combines elements of psychology and physiology in an informative and entertaining way to help each student reach their maximum potential.

The Dragster Adventure programs are for individuals, groups or companies that are seeking a fun, high energy experience.  This course puts drivers at the controls of a real dragster and gives them an opportunity to race in a heads-up “side-by-side” 130 mph competition with other students!  The Adventure cars are equipped with automatic transmissions making them user friendly for a wide range of drivers.

“We can’t wait to get started in Tucson this November.  The weather will be awesome, the track will be great and the Tucson team will be ready.  We’d love you to join us!” said Hawley.

Class dates for Tucson are this November with the Competition Licensing Course on November 19-20, 2015 and November 21, 2015 for the Dragster Adventure.  For more information on the school or to schedule a class visit frankhawley.com or call 866-480-7223.

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

If you’ve ever thought that racing a dragster in side-by-side competition sounded like a thrill… then there is only one place to go… Frank Hawley’s Drag racing School!

On August 25-27, 2015 Hawley’s school will be offering 2 programs at the famed 1/4 mile facility.  For those that want to experience the thrill of flying down the drag strip behind the wheel of a dragster and competing against other drivers, the school will be conducting the Dragster Adventure. In this program you’ll be making Full 1/4 mile runs in one of the school dragsters in the morning session and going head to head with other drivers in the afternoon competition.  It’s the only school that offers a real side-by-side racing program.

But if you’re after even more power and speed you might want to try to earn your NHRA competition license in the Super Comp or the Super Gas cars.  This is the course that started many of the PROS careers.  The Frank Hawley program has no competition when it comes to training winning drivers.

Advance registration is required for the programs, so don’t delay. Take a look at the Hawley school at frankhawley.com or call us at 866-480-7223.

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.

“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 family 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