HAWLEY'S RETURN YIELDS IMPRESSIVE END RESULT
Tue, 2008-08-19 09:00
Frank Hawley has been around drag racing long enough to know an
incredible upset when he sees one. He almost had a 
front row seat for
one in Reading when he came close to winning the Toyo Tires Nationals
at Maple Grove Raceway.
His final round against Jack Beckman marked only his fourth race of the season and first race in two months and their first with Rite Aid. It wasn’t a fluke. Hawley qualified second with a 4.128-second time.
A two-time Funny Car series champion (1982-83), Hawley began eliminations by defeating his teammate, Melanie Troxel (4.355 seconds, 247.57 mph to 4.670 at 214.66), reigning Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon (4.211, 289.76 to 4.223 at 288.95) and Mike Neff (4.237 at 284.39 to 4.294 at 276.75) before squaring off against Beckman. Frank Hawley has been around drag racing long enough to know an incredible upset when he sees one. He almost had afront row seat for one in Reading when he came close to winning the Toyo Tires Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
His final round against Jack Beckman marked only his fourth race of the season and first race in two months and their first with Rite Aid. It wasn’t a fluke. Hawley qualified second with a 4.128-second time.
A two-time Funny Car series champion (1982-83), Hawley began eliminations by defeating his teammate, Melanie Troxel (4.355 seconds, 247.57 mph to 4.670 at 214.66), reigning Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon (4.211, 289.76 to 4.223 at 288.95) and Mike Neff (4.237 at 284.39 to 4.294 at 276.75) before squaring off against Beckman.
Hawley had not been to a final Funny Car round since 1984 but he showed no rust against Beckman, who has worked for Hawley’s school for 12 years. Hawley’s car spun the tires and slowed to 6.697 at 95.08 mph and Beckman won with a 4.183 at 291.57.
“Team owner Roger Burgess owns two race car teams and between them they have some of the most-talented people in the sport,” Hawley commented. “We have a lot of them. The idea of us coming out and running really well wasn’t unthinkable. We certainly have the equipment and the people to run really well. The fact they were sitting around for a while and they were able to do that, I think, is impressive.”
front row seat for
one in Reading when he came close to winning the Toyo Tires Nationals
at Maple Grove Raceway. His final round against Jack Beckman marked only his fourth race of the season and first race in two months and their first with Rite Aid. It wasn’t a fluke. Hawley qualified second with a 4.128-second time.
A two-time Funny Car series champion (1982-83), Hawley began eliminations by defeating his teammate, Melanie Troxel (4.355 seconds, 247.57 mph to 4.670 at 214.66), reigning Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon (4.211, 289.76 to 4.223 at 288.95) and Mike Neff (4.237 at 284.39 to 4.294 at 276.75) before squaring off against Beckman. Frank Hawley has been around drag racing long enough to know an incredible upset when he sees one. He almost had a
front row seat for one in Reading when he came close to winning the Toyo Tires Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. His final round against Jack Beckman marked only his fourth race of the season and first race in two months and their first with Rite Aid. It wasn’t a fluke. Hawley qualified second with a 4.128-second time.
A two-time Funny Car series champion (1982-83), Hawley began eliminations by defeating his teammate, Melanie Troxel (4.355 seconds, 247.57 mph to 4.670 at 214.66), reigning Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon (4.211, 289.76 to 4.223 at 288.95) and Mike Neff (4.237 at 284.39 to 4.294 at 276.75) before squaring off against Beckman.
Hawley had not been to a final Funny Car round since 1984 but he showed no rust against Beckman, who has worked for Hawley’s school for 12 years. Hawley’s car spun the tires and slowed to 6.697 at 95.08 mph and Beckman won with a 4.183 at 291.57.
“Team owner Roger Burgess owns two race car teams and between them they have some of the most-talented people in the sport,” Hawley commented. “We have a lot of them. The idea of us coming out and running really well wasn’t unthinkable. We certainly have the equipment and the people to run really well. The fact they were sitting around for a while and they were able to do that, I think, is impressive.”
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