By SEMA News Editors
IHRA Acquires Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School
The IHRA has acquired Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School, the organization announced.
For more than four decades, Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School has delivered instruction to drag racers around the world. Its alumni include national event-winning drivers in both Professional and Sportsman categories, with more than 25,000 graduates having completed the school's renowned programs.
The school will continue to operate with the same staff, curriculum, equipment and instructors, including Frank Hawley, under IHRA ownership.
"When I met [IHRA Owner] Darryl Cuttell, I was very impressed with his ambitious vision to grow the popularity of motorsports around the world," said Hawley. "Darryl is working to coalesce motorsports entertainment with other traditional forms of entertainment at IHRA facilities. Our industry has been looking for leadership like this, and we are ready to join in the mission. My entire life has been devoted to the sport of drag racing, and I can't think of a better way to continue the legacy of our school than under the ownership of the IHRA."
"Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School is one of the most important institutions our sport has ever known," said Cuttell. "This is not about changing what works—it's about protecting a legacy, investing in education and safety, and ensuring that racers at every level have access to the very best training in the world. IHRA is honored to carry this responsibility forward."
"Education is the foundation of safe, competitive, and sustainable racing," said IHRA President Leah Martin. "Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School represents the gold standard in driver development. By bringing the school into the IHRA family, we are reinforcing our commitment to racers --giving them the tools, training, and pathways they need to grow from grassroots competition to the highest levels of the sport."
Additional details regarding future programs and expanded offerings will be announced in the coming months.
National Hot Rod Reunion Name Returns to Beech Bend Event
NHRA's historic event at Beech Bend Raceway will head back to its roots, returning to the National Hot Rod Reunion name for its race on June 18-20, and further, celebrating the rich history and heritage of the event during NHRA's 75th Anniversary season.
Along with the name change, NHRA also announced that Broc Porter will spearhead running the event for the first time, expanding the relationship between the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and Porter's Beech Bend Raceway. Porter and his wife, Rebecca, operate the track that has been in the family since 1984.
"This is an opportunity to build this race back to what it was when it first arrived in the early 2000s," Porter said. "This race helped put Beech Bend on the national map and has been a great event for us for many years. We want to see it continue and grow back into a prominent event that honors the legacy of both Beech Bend and NHRA Drag Racing."
The National Hot Rod Reunion marks the sixth event of the season in the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, which celebrates the thrilling action of nostalgia drag racing in a variety of classes. Proceeds from the event will benefit the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona.
Porter is receiving guidance from Blake Bowser, who has spearheaded a resurgence at the NHRA's California Hot Rod Reunion featuring Nitro Revival while continuing to grow the legendary Good Vibrations March Meet.
The annual trip to Beech Bend Raceway has long been a popular stop for fans and race teams, and this year will be especially memorable, returning to the National Hot Rod Reunion name during NHRA's milestone year.
The National Hot Rod Reunion features three days of nostalgia racing, hot rods, show cars and a swap meet at a historic facility steeped in drag racing history.
The event also includes a show and shine car show and popular Cacklefests throughout the weekend, plus much more. On the track, fans will be thrilled by some of the best nostalgia racing in the country, with nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters offering a memorable dose of nitro-burning action at more than 240 mph.
Drivers will be competing for event wins, with eliminations on Sunday culminating a weekend that will feature a full lineup of nostalgia competitions, exhibitions, fan experiences, tributes and a festival-like atmosphere that pays tribute to the legends and pioneers of NHRA Drag Racing.
"This is great for the long-term outlook of this event," said Jason Galvin, NHRA Sportsman Manager. "Broc and Rebecca operate a world-class facility. It's located in the hot-rodding hotbed of America and, obviously, the 75th anniversary tie-in sets this up to be a booming resurgence for the Hot Rod Reunion brand and a great weekend for the NHRA Museum as well."
Graphic courtesy of NHRA
Formula DRIFT Signs Exclusive Broadcast Deal With RACER Network
Formula DRIFT and motorsports media platform RACER have expanded their relationship with a new media distribution agreement that includes new live programming on RACER Network, exclusive behind-the-scenes content, channelization of FD coverage across the RACER digital suite, the addition of PROSPEC livestreaming and a robust athlete incentive program.
The multi-year agreement will see all Formula DRIFT live competitions, including PRO and PROSPEC Championship classes, available worldwide exclusively on RACER and FD platforms. Seeding, Qualifying and early round competition will be available for free on the RACER+ app and on RACER's FAST channel, which reaches 400 million devices in North America, including Samsung, Roku, Amazon and more.
As an added value to the fans, FD and RACER have collaborated on a new pre-race show tentatively called RACER GridWalk. It will feature intimate driver interviews live from the Hot Pit during final practice before Top 32 Competition. This programming will kick off the cable TV broadcasts on RACER Network and be live on the RACER+ app, as well as via the RACER+ player on the FD website. The highlight of each FD weekend, the PRO Championship Top 16 Competition heats, will be available free exclusively on RACER Network--which reaches more than 25 million households--on the RACER+ App, and via the RACER+ player on the FD website.
"This is the first time the popular live stream from FD has done a deal of this kind," said Ryan Sage, president of Formula DRIFT. "We've constructed a unique and monumental deal with RACER; Not only can we leverage our existing audience to show the value of our product, but RACER is adding a massive layer of distribution and support on top of our efforts. So, it's only fitting that we harness our collective power and efforts to bring the Top 16 to RACER Network properties, exclusively, for the first time."
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