super comp dragster - Frank Hawley

Arianna Brown Attends Frank Hawley’s, Follows Family Traditions on Track

Growing up in the shadow of her multi-time NHRA Top Fuel champion father, Antron Brown, 21-year-old Arianna Brown never had a problem finding her own light with which to shine. Now, Arianna is busy building the life of her dreams – and that life definitely includes a big dose of drag racing.

Arianna raced in the NHRA Junior Dragster program when she was young, but the Brownsburg, Indiana, native took a few years off in her late teens to focus on school as well as her competitive dance career. “I’ve always had an interest in racing,” explained Arianna, “but I know I can’t dance forever so I chased that first.”

Ready to move up from her half-scale dragster to a full-size competition vehicle and follow in both her father’s and her brother Anson’s footsteps as both previously completed courses at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School, Arianna recently attended so that she could obtain her NHRA Super Comp license and open the door of opportunity for a future filled with fast-paced action.

Thanks to her experience in the Junior ranks, Arianna had a good handle on what to expect but still took the time to actively prepare prior to starting the 2-day Super Comp course. “I thought it would be all professionals and experienced racers, but I was happy to see it was a good mix of people – some who hadn’t touched a car ever before and some refreshing their skills, and it made me feel comfortable,” she shared of her initial experience. “Nobody realized I was Antron Brown’s daughter at first, too, which was pretty funny.”

In the classroom, Frank Hawley’s candor and comforting personality made Arianna feel right at home, too. “He made sure we knew everything before we got in the car so that we would be safe,” said Arianna. “It reminded me of how I feel with my dad.”

For her first pass on the track, Arianna was both excited as well as nervous. She related the experience to a dance routine and went through the process of completing all the steps she had learned in order, and the result was nothing short of thrilling. “It was a light switch moment for me… this is where I want to be, so why didn’t I do this sooner?” she proclaimed.

After each run, Arianna and her classmates, including Joe Maynard whose family co-owns Don Schumacher Racing’s Top Fuel team, headed back to the classroom to watch their videos and review their performances; she was surprised to see how straight she was able to pilot the dragster down the track, even while topping speeds of 160 mph.

“I remember many years ago when Antron came and drove our Alcohol dragster. He was amazingly good, considering he had never raced those cars,” reminisced Hawley. Since then, Antron has returned with two of his children and has clearly passed on his skills. “Both of them did remarkably well. Anson had immediate success, winning his first two races! I can’t wait to see how Arianna will do. I wish her well!”

Although Arianna absolutely loved the thrill of blasting down 1,320 feet of pavement and having all of the attention on her instead of on her father for a change. “I especially enjoyed Frank’s lectures on the psychology of success. I can apply those lessons and insights to all areas of my life, including dance,” she affirmed.

Looking ahead to what will assuredly be a very bright future for Arianna, the ambitious young woman hopes to both own her a dance studio and maintain a racing career on the weekends with her father’s AB Motorsports team. “I don’t think I’ll be able to die happy if I don’t try Top Fuel at least once,” she laughed. “But, for now, I’m planning to do some bracket races around the Indy area and in the Midwest with my brother.”

Written by Ainsley Jacobs.

Seats in Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School courses are limited and sell out quickly. To reserve, please call 866-480-7223! For more information on all upcoming class dates and locations, visit www.FrankHawley.com.

Three Generations of Kalitta Family Racers Visit Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School

It was a momentous occasion as Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School hosted three generations of Kalitta family racers in July of 2023 and enabled the latest group to fast-track their own drag racing careers.

Held at the iconic Summit Motorsports Park facility in Norwalk, Ohio, Hawley’s popular NHRA Super Comp dragster licensing course welcomed future stars of the sport, veteran NHRA Top Fuel competitor, Doug Kalitta’s 22-year-old son, Mitchell, the late multi-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Scott Kalitta’s 23-year-old son, Colin, and 28-year-old Kalitta Motorsports’ Marketing Manager, Luke Fath.

The famous Florida-based drag racing dynasty also surprised School staff and attendees, as Doug brought his uncle, the legendary “Bounty Hunter” Connie Kalitta, along for a visit. Kalitta, a storied NHRA Top Fuel competitor with a list of accolades a mile long including being inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America as well as the first-ever recipient of the NHRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, appreciated seeing the family tradition he started being passed down.

“When I was a kid, I had photos of Connie’s Top Fuel cars on my bedroom wall. I always wanted to become a professional drag racer,” remembered Frank Hawley, the School’s owner. “Having both Connie and Doug there was a treat for everyone.”

Mitchell, Colin, and Luke all enjoyed driving the School’s Super Comp dragsters and did quite well. “They had fun and it was good to get them more seat time,” said Doug, who graduated from Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School many years ago. “Frank [Hawley] is the best at instruction and does a great job. I’d highly recommend his School to anyone that wants to drive any type of drag car.”

Although both Mitchell and Colin had driven Junior Dragsters previously, the young men were astonished by how quickly the full-size cars accelerated in comparison. Luke, too, benefitted from the eye-opening experience from a different perspective and walked away with a better understanding of what goes on behind the wheel.

“I’ve been around Top Fuel cars since I was 12 years old and have always seen Super Comp cars in the lanes, but it was intimidating to get in the car and put it on the transbrake and let go of the button,” Luke shared of how he garnered a whole new respect for Sportsman drivers when he felt the thrill of speed for himself. Plus, having his mentors Doug and Connie standing by watching made it a fairly surreal situation overall. “This really changed the way I view what these guys do. It’s addicting.”

There’s a definite interest for the next generation of Kalitta men to continue their own drag racing careers, so it’s not unlikely they may end up back at it if the right situation becomes available. “It was great to have Mitchell, Colin, and Luke attend our program,” noted Frank. “They all did a great job and I look forward to seeing them get a chance to go racing.”

Everyone in attendance, including Connie, liked their time at the track. “Connie was impressed with what Frank’s got going on and what he did for the three boys,” added Doug.

Written by Ainsley Jacobs.

For more information on all upcoming class dates and locations, visit www.frankhawley.com or call 866-480-7223!

Located just outside of Houston in Baytown, Texas, Houston Raceway Park will host the School’s 2-day licensing classes in Super Comp or Super Gas on April 4-5 as well as its Dragster Adventure program on April 6, and no previous racing experience is needed to participate in any of the programs.

The two-day license course keeps a steady pace with plenty of action. Beginners are taught basic techniques and procedures for drag racing, while experienced racers focus on refining the mental aspect of the sport and honing their skills to bolster their win rates.

Classroom instruction is combined with in-car and on-track instruction in a safe, controlled environment, and drivers make progressively quicker runs down the dragstrip with video review afterward. Frank Hawley’s valuable insights and personalized coaching highlight the experience while encouraging personal improvement.

“I’ve got lots of great memories of Houston Raceway Park, both from our School and my years racing fuel cars,” said School owner Frank Hawley. “Houston has always been one of the fastest tracks in the country, and we’re looking forward to licensing many new NHRA drivers there.”

The famous and fun Dragster Adventure lets drivers compete in a thrilling side-by-side race. Perfect for friends, family, employees, customers, or anyone who’s ever wanted to wheel a full-sized, competition-style dragster that can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds and clock speeds of 130 mph in the quarter-mile, participation in the program can be purchased online at the following link – (Dragster Adventure).

“Frank’s is the only school we have come through the Park and we value that relationship and partnership,” said Seth Angel, Vice President and General Manager of Houston Raceway Park. “As an NHRA-sanctioned quarter-mile facility, we want Frank’s students to get their licenses and start their journeys in the sport of drag racing here with us in Houston.”

Houston Raceway Park is the only Texas stop on Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School’s 2022 season schedule, so don’t miss out on the once-in-a-lifetime chance to drive with Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School on April 4-6, 2022.

Seats are limited and courses sell out quickly. To reserve, please call 866-480-7223! Visit www.FrankHawley.com for all upcoming class dates and locations.

Contact Jeff Arend, 866-480-7223 x103, jarend@frankhawley.com or Paul Shields, 866-480-7223 x102, paul.fhdrs@gmail.com

Come and join us for what many of our clients call a “life changing experience”. Not only will you get the best drag racing instruction available anywhere but Frank’s lectures cover a broad range of topics on how we think, act and behave and how to retrain your mind, allowing you to perform at a highter level in both your professional and private life.

Since so many of our competition license classes have been sold out this year, we wanted to get the word out about our fall and winter class dates! First, we added a NEW class on October 1-2 at Gainesville Raceway! The October 11-12 class at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway only has a few spots available. And there are a few seats left in the class at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, CA on October 17-18 so we added a second class on October 24-25.

We’ll be running classes all winter at our home track in Gainesville, FL and currently have classes on December 4-5 and December 27-28 to finish out 2018. We’ve added a few dates for the competition license class in 2019 too in Gainesville – January 22-23, February 5-6, February 19-20, March 19-20 and March 26-27.

Drive well in this program and you can earn your license to 7.50. The competition license course includes classroom, in car and on track instruction. Drivers will make progressively longer 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 and those currently racing can improve their skills.

Please contact Paul Shields x102 or Jeff Arend x103 at 866-480-7223 for information on any of the classes and to register. Pre-registration is required in all the programs and the seats are limited so don’t wait. Group event dates and the 200 mph classes are scheduled on demand.

866-480-7223

www.frankhawley.com

Photo credit Dragster & Firebird: Rich Samuels

Right now we’re offering a 10% discount on the November 7-8 class for the Super Comp Dragster or Super Gas Door Car! If you’re considering attending class this fall, don’t wait!

You can earn your NHRA competition license, improve your skills and mental approach to driving. Frankly you’ll learn so much more than you imagined. Novice and experienced racers benefit from this program. This program is perfect for drivers transitioning up from Jr. Dragsters, as well as a great foundation for people going on to race in the faster classes!

Don’t wait, give us a call NOW at 866-480-7223! Seats are limited and pre-registration is required.

Paul Shields, pshields@frankhawley.com, 866-480-7223 x102, 904-472-6312 cell

Jeff Arend, jarend@frankhawley.com, 866-480-7223 x103, 909-973-8279 cell

www.frankhawley.com

Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School is proud to be part of National Dragster’s unique Be A Winner, Be A Member program which rewards NHRA racers who win a regular-season bracket race at an NHRA Member track with prizes from lots of sponsors! At the end of the year, one lucky racer will be awarded the grand prize, a two-day Super class at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School!

By submitting proof of victory and NHRA membership and an address, a racer becomes eligible for that month’s drawing and the grand prize later in the season. Oh, did we mention that the GRAND PRIZE is a trip to Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School two-day Super Comp or Super Gas Course and $500 spending money!

More information about the Be a Winner program can be found here at the NHRA website. Racers with questions regarding entries and the program can email etracing@nhra.com or call 626-250-2331.

www.frankhawley.com

866-480-7223

The months of January and February have kept us busy helping people obtain their goal of earning their NHRA Super Comp, Super Gas and Nostalgia Funny Car licenses!

It is always interesting to note the wide range of experience of the people attending the School…some were grads upgrading their licenses, some had been racing 10 and 11 second cars, some were moving up from Jr. Dragster, and some had never been in a race car before!

We are pleased that Sunoco Race Fuels will power all the School’s race cars in 2015! 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. Thank you to Sunoco Race Fuels and Southern Racing Fuels for your support!

Two of our grads raced the Schools dragsters in the NHRA Division 2 event and will be trying to win some rounds at the Gatornationals in the Super Comp field!

In addition to our regular license classes in SC/SG, Top Dragster, Nostalgia FC, and the Alky category, we have a number of Dragster Adventures on the calendar. The Dragster Adventures are great fun for you, your friends, your employees or your customers. It will provide a most memorable day on the race track!

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