Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School

Thanks for the nice piece Dragway Park! You were considered my home track and where I got my TF license and Alcohol FC license!

Frank Hawley

Before becoming a two-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion and one of the most respected instructors in drag racing history, Frank Hawley was a regular competitor at Dragway Park in Kohler, Ontario—a track he still proudly considers his home track.

Raised on a farm in Ontario, Hawley developed a passion for driving at an early age. At just four years old, he was behind the wheel of a small go-kart, learning not only how to drive but also how machines worked. At age nine, a visit to Thompson Dragway changed his life forever. Watching two Top Fuel dragsters thunder down the strip, surrounded by flames, nitromethane, and earth-shaking horsepower, he knew he wanted to become a professional drag racer.

At just 16 years old, Hawley became co-owner and driver of a former Don Garlits Top Fuel dragster. During the 1970s, he became a familiar face at Dragway Park, competing regularly while earning a reputation as one of Canada's most promising young drag racers. Racing throughout Canada and the United States, the Hawley family campaigned three front-engine Top Fuel dragsters before transitioning to Alcohol Funny Cars. It was at Dragway Park that Hawley earned both his NHRA Top Fuel and Alcohol Funny Car competition licenses—milestones that launched his professional career. In 1979, he drove a blown Hemi-powered 1923 T Roadster to the final round of the IHRA U.S. Nationals in St. Louis.

Determined to compete at the highest level, Hawley moved to California in 1980, where legendary crew chief Austin Coil selected him to drive the famed Chi-Town Hustler Funny Car. Hawley quickly established himself among the sport's elite, capturing back-to-back NHRA Funny Car World Championships in 1982 and 1983.

Following the 1984 season, Hawley founded Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School in Gainesville, Florida. Since opening in 1985, the school has trained more than 25,000 students and has become the world's premier drag racing instruction program, producing numerous future professional racers and champions.

Although his focus shifted to driver education, Hawley continued to compete professionally in both Funny Car and Top Fuel before retiring from full-time competition. His final Nitro Funny Car event ended with the No. 1 qualifying position and what was then the fastest Funny Car speed ever recorded over the modern 1,000-foot racing distance.

Today, Frank Hawley is recognized as a two-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion, founder of the world's premier drag racing school, and one of drag racing's greatest ambassadors. Yet he has never forgotten where his journey truly began. Hawley continues to regard Dragway Park as his home track—the place where he honed his skills, earned his NHRA licenses, and laid the foundation for a Hall of Fame career.

Join us in wishing Frank a very Happy Birthday today!

Feel free to post about your time at the School and your memories of racing with Frank!