Mark Cox Attends Frank Hawley Pro Stock School

Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 12 March 2008

Johnny Vickers Also Attends Top Fuel racer Mark Cox was accepted and attended the Frank Hawley NHRA Drag Racing School, Pro Stock Motorcycle Division, at Gainesville Dragway in Gainesville, Florida on January 31-February 1, 2008. In addition to classroom information, Cox was able to ride a Pro Stock Suzuki race bike down the legendary Gainesville quarter-mile drag strip. ?It was a great opportunity to be accepted into and go to Frank?s Pro Stock School. There is often a waiting list due to only three or four classes a year. The experience of riding a Pro Stock bike was unique. The difference between a Nitro Top Fuel and a Pro Stock bike are night and day,? said Mark Cox, owner of CrossRoads Harley-Davidson. ?The Pro Stock bikes are so lightweight, small, have a hand clutch, air shifter and other things that are non-existent on a fuel bike. You really have to finesse these bikes because the smallest movement makes a huge difference. With the Nitro bikes, you have to move your weight around and you feel like you are wrestling a big bull. It?s such a major difference between the two bikes! I was not disappointed in my ability to adapt, but if I were to compete, I feel the 4-stroke G2 Buell would be a better fit for my size and riding style.? Frank Hawley, who has operated the official National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing school for 16 years and taught over 10,000 students, actually teaches the classroom portion, including the psychology of the sport. ?The psychological effects were really interesting to me,? added Cox. ?He told us how to improve our focus, the importance of eye contact and other areas that were new to me. We were also able to watch our runs on the track on video in the classroom.? George Bryce, who has a reputation for developing champions, served as the personal on-track instructor. He trains riders how to drop the hammer at 9,000 rpm, change five gears and be at 170 miles per hour in seven seconds on a 250-horsepower Pro Stock motorcycle. Johnny Vickers, who owns and operates Hawaya Racing and now Hawaya Racing Products, attended the classroom portion of the class to garner insight into secrets to develop a champion rider and other aspects of the sport. ?This was an education both of us wanted to get and an experience I wanted to add to my resume,? said Cox. ?Because I?m a Harley and Buell dealer, this ties into my business nicely because they are running the G2 Buell motorcycles in NHRA Pro Stock competition. One can actually buy the S&S package G2 Buell and go racing in NHRA Pro Stock and be competitive out of the box. As a crew chief and high-performance motorcycle business owner, Johnny took advantage of the classroom training as well. You never know what opportunities can arise in the future and I like to keep all doors open. I want to look forward and down the road and the school was a good opportunity for that reason.? For more information about the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School, go to www.frankhawley.com. Check out more news about CrossRoads Harley-Davidson at www.crossroads-hd.com or Hawaya Racing, www.hawayaracing.com, now located at 1333 North Minton Road, Millers Creek, NC 28651. Phone 336-973-5078, Fax 336-973-5079.