Frank Hawley |
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PHOTOS: FRANK HAWLEY’ S DRAG RACING SCHOOL |
day after day, week after week, and appreciates the confidence that only good, dependable equipment can provide.
When it comes to maintenance, Hawley’ s program is simple. Logbooks are kept on each car and its components, and when it comes time to do maintenance, they hit the shop, get looked over, and are back in rotation with hardly any down time. The engines themselves are rebuilt by the team at Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center, and Hawley has been impressed with that growing relationship, too.
Frank Hawley’ s Drag Racing School first began purchasing parts from Scoggin-Dickey for its Chevrolet engines nearly twenty years ago, and, as the school’ s program grew, so did their need for a larger engine shop with more capabilities. At first, Hawley was hesitant when Scoggin-Dickey promised to deliver on a deadline, even halfway across the country.“ I was skeptical, sure, but you have to try things to find out, so we did, and
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All Types
From celebrities and pro-level race teams to automotive enthusisasts and thrill seekers, Frank Hawley’ s Drag Racing School has something for everyone. While Hawley admittedly enjoys introducing newcomers to drag racing and providing famous folks like Jay Leno with their first experiences on the drag strip, his school isn’ t only for first-timers. When not running schools or his popular Dragster Adventure experience programs, Hawley routinely consults with championship-level, professional drag racers- offering valuable insight as to how they can improve.
we’ ve been working with them for about a year now and they have done everything they said they could do,” said Hawley, pleased at how the partnership panned out.“ We have rebuilt SDPC engines in our cars now, and the work we’ ve seen come back is always excellent.”
The relationships that Hawley and his school have developed over the years aren’ t limited to manufacturers, though. He’ s had the honor of teaching many of today’ s great drivers, and there are many talented up-and-comers who have graduated from Hawley’ s courses as well.“ When we turn on the TV and watch NHRA or go to a drag race and see every car in the semifinals in Pro Stock, Top Fuel, and Funny Car, is one of our graduates, that’ s pretty cool,” Hawley said gratefully.“ Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta, the Force girls, Steve Torrence – everyone we’ ve taught to drive or worked with at some point, it’ s really great.”
Hawley jokes that his wife, Lana, constantly
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asks him why he continues to run the school’ s alcohol Funny Car program since it isn’ t profitable, but he does it because knowing he’ s had a small part in the careers of so many well-known drivers is truly rewarding for him.“ If you go to a national NHRA race and walk down the pro pits and ask any driver where to go to learn to drive, they’ ll all tell you to call us. We don’ t pay for endorsements, but they say it because we’ ve developed invaluable relationships,” he proudly explained.
Sometimes, though, it’ s seeing a student pop up several years after attending a school that really makes Hawley smile. Drivers often come to him, having saved their pennies and finally gotten their bracket cars ready, attend the classes, and then seemingly disappear.“ Suddenly,” continued Hawley,“ we’ ll get an email and it’ s a picture of them in the winner’ s circle saying,‘ Thanks so much, I got started with you!’ We get that over and over, and it’ s so much fun to be a part of their success.”
For those looking to first get started in drag racing, it can be a little overwhelming. The idea of diving in to a sport that’ s so fiercely competitive might intimidate some, but Hawley doesn’ t believe it has to be a stressful decision.“ Take whatever car you drive to work, go to your local dragstrip, and just start making runs. Get used to the staging lanes, staging the car, driving down, and going back the return road. You don’ t need a purpose-built car,” he shared of his advice for those wanting to start their own racecar careers. Hawley asserts that knowing the“ little things” is important, because most of what his student struggle with when they first come to him are procedures and other things that happen in slow or no-speed situations.
Ironically, it’ s the NHRA Jr. Dragster program that Hawley feels has prepared a whole new generation of drag racers in ways that he never expected.“ When they first started, I thought it would be cute to give the kids something to do in a tiny car with a lawnmower engine,” laughed Hawley, who soon realized he was underestimating the program. He realized that teenagers were attending his program and seemed more comfortable and familiar in the cockpit than older folks with more street driving experience, and couldn’ t figure out why.“ I realized it’ s because half of what new people are trying to get used to is being strapped into a skinny car with a helmet, and they’ ve already got the experience. If you’ ve got a kid, get‘ em in a Jr. Dragster!”
Although Frank Hawley’ s Drag Racing School is just that, a drag racing school, the lessons its students learn in the classroom and on the drag strip can also be used in daily life, too. Students enjoy classroom sessions that incorporate racing theory, driving techniques, decision-making skills, philosophical debate, and so much more.“ We talk about life lessons, and it surpasses just the pure driving experience,” added Hawley, whose lectures are inspiring and could perhaps be mistaken for life coaching if taken out of context.“ Yeah, you’ ll learn to drive here, but you’ ll learn a lot about life, too.” DI
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August 2017 |
DragIllustrated. com | Drag Illustrated | 89 |