Frank Hawleys Drag Racing School.
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A couple of friends of mine have taken the Alcohol Dragster and the FunnyCar course with Hawley in Vegas..a very well run and worthwhile program if your looking to get into one of the faster cars. TAD..TA/FC..SUPER COMP. When are going to be in Vegas? I'll be there for the Nationals for the 9th year straight over the Halloween weekend... its a Heck of a party:cheers:
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My buddy with a injected Nitro Dragster run his daughter through the Super Comp course..its well worth the moneyHi Mike.
We are going to Vegas the 5 of October and home on the 11 of October.
I been looking at the Super Comp class.
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wear your seat belt OWE :happy0030::happy0030:Thanks Mike. :tu
I guess i have to sign up for a course.
This is a long lived dream to get into a real dragster and feel the power.
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I took the door slammer class (Super Class) and ran the FireChicken that he had. It was great Class, you learn a lot more than just how to get a license. One thing I was amazed at though it how many people were failing. I think they give you six passes to get your license and you have to make 5 without problems to earn it.
You start off with just a launch, move to a 200' (i think) to an 1/8 mile and then 1/4 mile passes. In the dragster class A lot of people used up four runs just trying to get the launch down.
You start off with just a launch, move to a 200' (i think) to an 1/8 mile and then 1/4 mile passes. In the dragster class A lot of people used up four runs just trying to get the launch down.
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Hi Sledgehammer.
Thanks for your answer, i will do my best to try to get it right.
What is the FireChicken ?
I was told that you can choose between Super Comp ( dragster) and Super Gas ( Firebird body) and they told me it would be better space when you are tall to drive a Super Comp. :confused0006:
Thanks for your answer, i will do my best to try to get it right.
What is the FireChicken ?
I was told that you can choose between Super Comp ( dragster) and Super Gas ( Firebird body) and they told me it would be better space when you are tall to drive a Super Comp. :confused0006:
Never done it myself, but the Hawley school gets good marks from most. The Roy Hill school gets similar marks for a strictly doorslammer deal.
Both of them teach you some basics before getting in the car, then you do some burnouts, progress to some short launches, and then full passes.
I don't know how they structure the time or how many passes, but if there's an extended deal (more full passes) then that would be a thing you might want to consider. Probably an extra day.
I think when sledgehammer says Firechicken, he's referring to the Firebird. It's a common nickname.
I would think that they have all their cars built to accomodate tall people (or short). Just speculating, I'd think they'd be set up so that they could change things quickly by moving pedals, seat, and steering wheel to accomodate pretty much everyone. Seems like I saw just that in a article years ago, though I'm sure they use different cars now. Hawley has been doing this a LONG time.
Both of them teach you some basics before getting in the car, then you do some burnouts, progress to some short launches, and then full passes.
I don't know how they structure the time or how many passes, but if there's an extended deal (more full passes) then that would be a thing you might want to consider. Probably an extra day.
I think when sledgehammer says Firechicken, he's referring to the Firebird. It's a common nickname.
I would think that they have all their cars built to accomodate tall people (or short). Just speculating, I'd think they'd be set up so that they could change things quickly by moving pedals, seat, and steering wheel to accomodate pretty much everyone. Seems like I saw just that in a article years ago, though I'm sure they use different cars now. Hawley has been doing this a LONG time.
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arty0031: Yep. The dragster was tricky from what I watched and overheard, The Firebird was a normal burnout, transbrake launch car that shifted off of rpm. You pumped up the brakes to 800PSI, held the line lock, did your burnout, crept up into the beams, held the transbrake button down, floored it and let go of the button when the last yellow came on.
The Dragsters shifted off of a timer that was hooked to the transbrake, after the burnout you crept up to the beams, but if you touched that transbrake button, you couldn't let go of it until the christmas tree told you it was time. If you let go to creep up or adjust yourself, the timer would start. If you were still at the line, the transmission would shift sitting still, the transbrake would no longer operate and the car would roll out of the beams. Your run would be over........
A lot of Guys and Gals struggled with it.
I don't know if Frank still has them set up that way, it may be necessary with the throttle stop and all.
That's too bad they are set up that way. You'd think since it was a "driving school" they'd let you drive it and shift it at least one pass or two. I suppose it's actually a "how to play the Super Comp game" school rather than a driving school. Complete with throttle stops, timers, everything done for you except staging and operating the button.
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Thanks all for great information. :shakehands:
It sounds like Frank Hawley have a good reputation and thats good. :tu
Sledgehammer it sounds a little tricky to drive the dragster at the start,
but if you get started right its only to floor the pedal and hold on.
Rick you are right, i think its made to fit so many different people with different experiance of driving a car.
That way you could get more students and that means more money.
I just bought one of these to practice with.
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It sounds like Frank Hawley have a good reputation and thats good. :tu
Sledgehammer it sounds a little tricky to drive the dragster at the start,
but if you get started right its only to floor the pedal and hold on.
Rick you are right, i think its made to fit so many different people with different experiance of driving a car.
That way you could get more students and that means more money.
I just bought one of these to practice with.
The problem with the transbrake switch is the shift timer. If that was not there you'd have a second chance.
Just seems like it would be a useful thing to not have it there, especially if you're going to do a squirt instead of a full pass.
It also seems that to learn to drive you ought to "drive" the car through a full launch and shift.
The way they run these Super Comp cars is that they let off the throttle before you even go a car length. You can't shift the transmission using rpm because it shifts when you are off the throttle.
Super Comp is just SO wrong. It's a game using a race car, it's not racing.
Owe, the more I think about it, the more you might want to consider the alcohol dragster school rather than the super comp school. Especially if your main aim is to feel the speed.
Just seems like it would be a useful thing to not have it there, especially if you're going to do a squirt instead of a full pass.
It also seems that to learn to drive you ought to "drive" the car through a full launch and shift.
The way they run these Super Comp cars is that they let off the throttle before you even go a car length. You can't shift the transmission using rpm because it shifts when you are off the throttle.
Super Comp is just SO wrong. It's a game using a race car, it's not racing.
Owe, the more I think about it, the more you might want to consider the alcohol dragster school rather than the super comp school. Especially if your main aim is to feel the speed.
For those of you that might be unfamiliar with Super Comp racing, they run off an 8.90 second index, and run heads up. The first car to the finish line that DOESN'T run quicker than 8.90 wins.
The way they set up these cars currently is they have an engine that's probably capable of running 7.50 to 8.00. Typical engine is a 565 cubic inch big block Chevy, 750-800 hp. (It only takes about 500 hp to go 8.90 if you run the car all the way down the track.) The car launches fairly hard but not as hard as it can by limiting the starting line rpm. Then the electronic throttle stop closes and the transmission is shifted by a timer. The car putt-putts (relatively speaking) down the track, and then past half track the throttle stop timer allows full throttle and the car accelerates hard to the finish line. You set the timer at both ends of the track to get your 8.90 elapsed time.
The idea is that if you have more power than the other guy you are overtaking him and can judge whether to let off depending on how you're closing on him, and where the finish line is.
Personally I have a lot of problems with this. It's just not racing, more like a game.
The way they set up these cars currently is they have an engine that's probably capable of running 7.50 to 8.00. Typical engine is a 565 cubic inch big block Chevy, 750-800 hp. (It only takes about 500 hp to go 8.90 if you run the car all the way down the track.) The car launches fairly hard but not as hard as it can by limiting the starting line rpm. Then the electronic throttle stop closes and the transmission is shifted by a timer. The car putt-putts (relatively speaking) down the track, and then past half track the throttle stop timer allows full throttle and the car accelerates hard to the finish line. You set the timer at both ends of the track to get your 8.90 elapsed time.
The idea is that if you have more power than the other guy you are overtaking him and can judge whether to let off depending on how you're closing on him, and where the finish line is.
Personally I have a lot of problems with this. It's just not racing, more like a game.
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Thanks Rick for explaining this, i dident know that you were in the hand of computers all the time.
I agree with you that a real race is when you are in charge and can adjust the throttle if you feel that something is not right.
Thats the feeling of having control of the car.
I looked at the Alcohol dragster but i think you need to get the license for Super Class first before you are allowed to drive the alcohol dragster.
Here is a cool video from inside a Alcohol dragster.
[VIDEO]0cFb5KQzWaI&feature=related[/VIDEO]
I agree with you that a real race is when you are in charge and can adjust the throttle if you feel that something is not right.
Thats the feeling of having control of the car.
I looked at the Alcohol dragster but i think you need to get the license for Super Class first before you are allowed to drive the alcohol dragster.
Here is a cool video from inside a Alcohol dragster.
[VIDEO]0cFb5KQzWaI&feature=related[/VIDEO]
"i think you need to get the license for Super Class first before you are allowed to drive the alcohol dragster.
Maybe so, if that's the case I hope they have the cars set up to run hard through the first half of the track. Otherwise the value of the school is limited.
Maybe so, if that's the case I hope they have the cars set up to run hard through the first half of the track. Otherwise the value of the school is limited.
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