Best Drag Racing School for Beginners

[Prange]

Gentlemen,

My wife wants to go to a drag school. No professional aspirations here, just a beginner's school to learn the basics properly.

I'd run it also, as I don't know what I'm doing on a strip. As an old road and autocross racer, I know it's easier,(and much cheaper) to learn it the right way than trying to re-learn it.

Thanks for your input.

 

[fumanchu182]

School? Test and Tunes. Go to those and talk to the track spotters/tree guys and they will be more than helpful. Even people at the track will be helpful. At least thats how I learned. If you feel as af that is not your path then I’d be interested in hearing the communities recommendations. I got lucky, told a guy at the track I was new. Turns out he has a 11.6s all motor 5.7, taught me everything he knew. Also Test and tunes are controlled environments so its not hectic like a race event.

 

[jonx96]

Are there any forum members in your area? I know @vortecd and I have met at the track a few times and it has helped my times.

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

I agree with @fumanchu182

Go to T&Ts. Most likely you will see other Scatpak owners and most people are helpful.
I know we had people in the Pitts come over asking questions. Now my husband would say Lyn help them out. He was getting 3 cars ready.
Many times once he was done he would be helpful too.

You have to remember you are paying the same amount of money as everyone else and blank out what people are thinking.

Today you have google maps Look at the dragstrip you want to go to and check out where you can get off.

You may want to go to the track as a spectator to watch how the racers line up at the light.
And how the light works.
You will also see who has what cars there.
If you good with your settings, have your Dragradials on then you have to teach your a burnout.😎
When we were teaching our daughter to dragrace, we had her go around the water box.
Learning the tree and how to get off was more important.
Just do everything in steps.
She is a really good bracket racer now and loves it!

Linda

 

[Marc W]

The professional drag raging schools like Frank Hawley cover the basics, including starting line etiquette and technique and not only the how’s but the why’s you do things certain ways. That’s part of it. The other part is you can obtain that NHRA license that’s required to run between 7.5 and 10.0 seconds on a NHRA tech track. That includes the necessary runs in a 9 second car to get the license. Prices vary (you can use your own 9 second car but it needs to pass tech). If you do it in one of their cars you’re looking at around $2500 for the experience. If the licensing isn’t something that you need, then maybe the classroom and on track instruction in your own 10 second car might be something they would do if you ask.

 

[Whatknot]

Interesting idea, I didn't know there were school for it. Always thought people just took their car/bike/truck to the track and ran it.
Cool!

 

[Boris]

Still around Chicago?

 

[swatdocsc]

That would be a good idea if doable with all of the experience we have on here, like a drag class meet and greet deal Speedy already has something in place kind of. I know it took me many trips to get the launch down on my first cat from going from a 392 srt car where I would flash the converter. apples and oranges. We do have some serious Cat pilots on this forum.

 

[drag racer]

If you want to learn drag racing the right way in a controlled and focused setting, there is none better than the Frank Hawley school.

 

[Marc W]

This is the car I got my original S/G license in at Hawley back in 1997 at Pomona. I believe they are still using it. My instructor was Jack Beckman.

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

I went to Frank's For my super comp license.
My husband and I both passed. Only female out of 2. And not even half of the class passed.


I learned way more at the track about Dragracing and the OPs wife just want to have fun.

Over time when things might change and you want a license to run fast. I'll say getting it at you local track will still be the better option.


Linda

 

[Prange]

Still around Chicago?

Still am.

 

[Prange]

If you want to learn drag racing the right way in a controlled and focused setting, there is none better than the Frank Hawley school.

That's where we're leaning toward. The dragsters turn her on.

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

View attachment 44181 [/QUOTE]

That's where we're leaning toward. The dragsters turn her on.

Does she want to learn to run a Dragster?

 

[Prange]

She wants to. Gotta' crawl before you can walk, though.

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

She wants to. Gotta' crawl before you can walk, though.

Gotcha.
The one thing I told my husband is that I was glad I had gone down the track before I went to FHs school. My husband gave me this packet at the hotel. I was Holly crapp John dont talk to me for next 2 hours.I was amazed what I had to know for the class.
We did not being our cars and were going for our NHRA License to race 8.xx
A Supergas firebird is what was provided for everyone to use. It looked like the inside of a plane. And you to know how to run it. The test was to get in and close your eyes and answer the questions by putting your hand on what they asked.
When lining up everything had to be right.
Also if you did not run low 9s that was not acceptable. I really made John proud of me I had the fastest pass of the day 9.2.

It was not easy as you could feel the vibes from those that knew they weren't going to make it.
I also had this very nervous guy next to me and even put on my jacket. I separated our chairs because nervous people make me nervous.

The other lady was in a dragster it was a big tire one. She could never get off the line.
More than 10 people failed so think about that.

I think the baby steps should be at your home track.

Linda

 

[Prange]

Thanks your input, everyone.

 

[Boris]

Still am.

If you ever want to hit up Byron Dragway, I am not far from there.

Go on a test and tune Saturday and get some passes in. I can come down and give you some basic pointers. Used to bracket race there ever year from 2007 until 2013.

But if you can swing it, id do the Frank Hawley and run some cars that are really set up to run.

 

[SIXGUN]

I'm with fumanchu182 and Linda. Definitely start with a local track, watching and learning at least for a minute. When she decides she has it all figured out, get out there on T&T and put it into practice. Somewhere along the way learn all the ways there are to lose (quicker than learning them all by losing races, and less confusing/aggravating...I think I've learned them all now!). Then start bracket racing and show us all how it's done. I think it would be fairly overwhelming for someone who doesn't know much to go to FHS, and there you are driving an unfamiliar racecar. Doing it in your own car would help on a lot of levels.

 

[SIXGUN]

If she hurrys she could get in on a Gen III Hemi shootout at an NMCA event this summer, coming to a track near you!