If you watched the 2014 season premiere of the History channel’s show “Top Gear”, you witnessed one of the best “Top Gear” episodes ever! The show’s hosts Tanner Foust, Rutledge Wood and Adam Ferrera tore up the streets of north central Florida before taking to the Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville, Florida for some wheelstanding, tire smoking action at the Gatornationals! If you didn’t see it… go right now to the History Channel web site and check for future air times.

The premise of the show is that 2 of the 3 hosts will get a chance to race a couple of current model Super Stock cars in an ‘old style’ side-by-side 2 out of 3 match race at the NHRA Gatornationals. In order to choose which two will get to compete, the hosts go through a series of crazy qualifying tests while driving super fast vintage muscle cars in and around Gainesville Florida. Then it’s on to the NHRA Gatornationals!

Well it wasn’t quite that simple. In order to race a 9 second car at a dragstrip a driver needs to qualify for a Competition driver’s license. The Top Gear producers needed their drivers to get the proper training and obtain their competition racing licenses before they ever thought of driving at the Gatornationals. That’s when they called Frank Hawley.

“The producers actually called us several months ago and explained to us the format of the show,” said Hawley. “Even though each of the hosts had spent many hours behind the wheel of some crazy fast machines they knew that preparing them to race at the Gatornationals, in front of thousands of people would require some training and time behind the wheel. I felt honored that after all of their research they choose our school to train their drivers.”

All 3 hosts spent plenty of time at the wheel of Hawley’s Super Gas cars practicing burn-outs, staging, working on Reaction Times as well as reviewing video and attending lectures.

“Rutledge, Tanner and Adam were absolutely wonderful to work with,” said Hawley. “They were very professional and focused when they needed to be and a few minutes later they were laughing and making fun of one another”.

Also, take a look at Rutledge Wood on You Tube.

http://youtu.be/t4ZRc60jZZ4

“I also want to thank Linda Wolkovitch, the show’s Producer,” added Hawley. “Linda and her team did an amazing amount of behind the scenes work to make this happen.”

 To get yourself , your friends or your group behind the wheel at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School … visit us at www.frankhawley.com or call 866-480-7223.

Recently a group of corporate executives got their first introduction to NHRA Drag Racing courtesy of John Force Racing, Just Marketing, Inc. and Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School. The group attended and competed in Frank Hawley’s Dragster Adventure Challenge at the Strip in Las Vegas. The private session included members of a number of America’s top companies.

“We are constantly working to grow NHRA drag racing as well as our race teams. In order to grow our sport you’ve got to get people excited about it and I couldn’t think of any better way to do that than to get them behind the wheel of a dragster,” said Force. “Hawley and I have worked together for years and I don’t know anyone else I’d want to represent John Force Racing and our sport more than Frank Hawley and his team.”

“It’s always a lot of fun to work with John,” said Hawley. “John’s entire team was there – John, Robert, Courtney and Brittany. Each one of them pitched in and helped make this a memorable day for all of the participants. Everyone was thrilled when they got the chance to get behind the wheel and blast down the track.”

Following rides in the school’s 2-seat race cars, each participant made practice runs in the school’s Adventure Dragsters prior to competing in the side-by-side Dragster Adventure Challenge.

“I was impressed, but not surprised by how competitive these folks were. They absolutely loved the side-by-side racing,” said Hawley. “It was a great day that would not have been possible without the great planning and organization of the folks at Just Marketing. They handled everything from a cocktail reception the night before to road signs and decorations in the suites! They are a very well organized marketing group and a pleasure to work with.”

Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School operates at tracks across the country. If you or your group is interested in the Adventure of a lifetime, check out the school at www.frankhawley.com or give them a call at 866-480-7223.

NHRA Nitro Funny Car driver Jeff Arend has joined Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School team as a Program Sales Representative.  Jeff will be working with 18 year school veteran Paul Shields in a position for which Jeff is uniquely qualified.  Jeff’s entire career has been devoted to drag racing.  He has worked as a mechanic, instructor, sales rep and race car driver…a position he currently holds as driver for the “Grime Boss” NHRA Nitro Funny Car campaigned by drag race legend Jim Dunn.

Jeff Arend and Frank Hawley go way back.  Both natives of Ontario, Canada, Jeff and Frank grew up racing at the same drag strips in Southern Ontario and both fulfilled their childhood dreams of one day getting a shot in the “big show”, driving NHRA Nitro Funny Cars.

When Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School opened its west coast program back in 1996 Frank needed experienced, skilled drag racing mechanics and drivers to maintain the school cars and instruct the classes.  Jeff Arend was one of the first people he called.

“I had known Jeff for many years and was very familiar with his skill set,” said Hawley.  “I needed someone that could tune and maintain our Alcohol cars as well as instruct our drivers.  Jeff could do it all,” continued Hawley.  “I met with Jeff, offered him a position and he accepted.”

About the same time Jeff signed on, another “up and coming” driver came to work for the school.  Current Don Schumacher Racing Funny Car driver Jack Beckman joined Jeff.  “We had quite a staff,” said Hawley!

When the School’s lease at Pomona was not renewed several years ago the west coast staff continued building their own individual drag racing careers but the relationships and friendships stayed intact.

“We are enjoying a time of growth at our racing school,” said Hawley.  “We have new programs we are offering and new race tracks we will be attending.  Jeff will be a great asset to our team and a great help to our customers.  He understands every aspect of our business and of course everything about drag racing.  Jeff will be able to help answer anyone’s questions and guide them to the perfect program,” said Hawley.

“I’m excited about working with the school again,” said Jeff.  “I love talking with folks about drag racing and my job is wide ranging.  On one call I’ll be talking with a guy that wants to come out and race his friends in our “side-by-side” Dragster Adventure, the next call I’ll be helping a future racer decide on the right direction he or she should take with their racing career and then I’ll be talking with a company executive or owner about a corporate day for their sales force,” said Jeff.

“The fact that I’m currently racing a Nitro Funny Car on the NHRA Mello Yellow series is a real bonus for me and our customers.  I’ll be at every major drag strip in the country this year and although I get very busy sometimes helping the crew with the car, it will provide a great opportunity for folks to stop by our pit and talk about their racing plans and how Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School may help them achieve their goals or fulfill their dreams,” said Jeff.

Contact Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School at www.frankhawley.com or 866-480-7223!

Paul Shields x102, pshields@frankhawley.com

Jeff Arend x103, jarend@frankhawley.com

Click on the link below to read about what we’ve been up to so far this year!  It’s been very busy indeed!

Frank Hawley School News – March 2014

We have lots more exciting things going on! More updates coming soon!

Contact us to schedule your Adventure or License Course!

866-480-7223

www.frankhawley.com

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

Frigid temperatures across the country didn’t stop students at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School from bringing in the New Year with a roar at the school’s annual “New Years” class held in Gainesville, FL.  Blue skies and warm temperatures greeted the drivers that made the trip south.  Following two days of tire smoking action and over 70 quarter mile runs, a new group of NHRA competition licensed drivers will start the 2014 season on the right track. 

Classes will continue here at Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville for the next several weeks and then we’ll be headed west for Phoenix, AZ.  This will be the school’s first trip ever to the Phoenix track.

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park is the new name for the facility in Phoenix, previously called Firebird Raceway.  The raceway is under new management.  I’ve been talking with the folks there just this week and I think racers, fans and our students will be quite impressed when they see the racetrack.  They have a new concrete racing surface, new state of the art Compulink timing system and many other improvements.  Our Phoenix class will run Feb 25/26, just after the National Event and before the Division event which will give our students the chance to take in some NHRA racing action in addition to driving our cars.

The school will be back in Gainesville after our Phoenix trip with classes in March following the Gatornationals.  This class is always popular with students looking to escape the long winter, travel south to watch the Gatornationals and enjoy some race car driving at the school.

Then it’s off to Fontana, California for the school’s debut at Auto Club Dragway.  We are so excited about the re-opening of the drag strip at Fontana!  Our classes begin at Fontana in April with our competition licensing courses and our new Adventure Dragster course which offers ‘side-by-side’ racing.  The Fontana, California track will be a regular visit on our 2014 tour.

In the next few weeks watch for updates on our new race cars and new transporters!

Frank

Hello Folks,

I got a call from “Big Daddy” Don Garlits himself, telling me that I’ll be inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame next spring!  This is “very cool”, especially when you read the list of previous inductees!  Check out my letter!  Hall of Fame 2014

The banquet is Thursday, March 13, 2014 during the Gatornationals.  So if you’re going to be in town, contact the Garlits Museum and get some tickets.  Hope to see you there!

Frank Hawley

www.frankhawley.com

866-480-7223

Attached are two stories from the July issue of MoparMax Magazine – the first one is by one of our grads, Alex Rogeo. Alex attended our class in Las Vegas this spring and we thank her for the very nice and detailed article she wrote!

The second link will take you to an interview with Frank by Richard Kratz, Editor/Publisher of MoparMax. Enjoy!

http://moparmax.com/features/2013/viii_7-hawley-1.html

http://moparmax.com/features/interview/viii_7-hawley-1.html

Contact us for information on all our classes at 866-480-7223! Or visit our website at www.frankhawley.com

We’re heading to Houston, then on to Las Vegas for classes!   This will be our last road trip of 2013.  There are still some seats left, so contact us soon…we’d love to see you at one of our classes!  Bring your own car, drive one of ours or get a “tune-up” during our classroom lectures.  Click on the link below for information.

Houston Pre-Release 2013

866-480-7223

www.frankhawley.com

We’re going to be back at Maple Grove Raceway in August, so don’t miss out!  Whether you bring your own car, drive one of ours or tune up your mind with our classroom, we’d love to see you August 27 & 28 at the Grove!

Just click on the link below to access the story:

Maple Grove Pre-Release 2013

Contact us at 866-480-7223 to answer your questions or schedule a class.

SC and SG Class Dates:   Seattle August 7-8, Maple Grove August 27-28, Gainesville Sept 10-11, Houston September 24-25, Las Vegas Sept 30-Oct 1 & Oct 2-3, Gainesville October 17-18, Gainesville November 4-5, Gainesville December 9-10.

PSB Class Dates:  November 21-22 and December 19-20

TAD and TD dates available on request