Working for one of the most respected brands in the automotive industry, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels, comes with lots of perks. In addition to being immersed in the car culture every day and seeing new products come to market, some lucky employees – and customers from M/T’s traditional and performance aftermarket channels – participate in the company’s annual Dragster Adventure with Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School, where they strap in and blast down the dragstrip in real, competition-ready dragsters.
The event has been an exciting offshoot of the ongoing partnership between the two entities for years, as Mickey Thompson has been the official tire supplier of Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School for more than two decades. For the M/T team, though, racing on the tires they make adds a whole new level of appreciation for the product line.
On July 14, 2026, Mickey Thompson brought a group of racers-to-be to National Trail Raceway in Columbus, Ohio.
“They get to experience, firsthand, why we do what we do, and they make memories that they’ll talk about it for years,” said Jason Moulton, Director of Motorsports at Mickey Thompson, who especially enjoys watching good-natured rivalries develop between internal groups like sales and marketing. “For people who might be a little shy about getting started in racing, too, Frank Hawley’s school gives them an opportunity to do it right, and to be successful at it, but it all starts with the fun of it – which is what the Dragster Adventure is all about!”
This year, although everyone got to appreciate speeding down the quarter-mile, there were two standout attendees: Mason McMillen, 25, and Chris Holt, 35. Both rookies who had never drag raced before, the young men made it through to the final elimination round of the friendly competition, where they faced off in a side-by-side battle to the finish line.
“It’s great to watch younger people who have never been in a drag car, or even been around the industry a lot, understand the passion behind it,” added Moulton, a lifelong racer who is passionate about not just developing better tires but also the next generation of enthusiasts. “Frank [Hawley] has a fantastic sense of humor, but you know he’s also serious when it comes to safety. He and his team can take someone who’s never driven anything more powerful than an SUV and get them going in a dragster running 10-second elapsed times at 126 mph in a matter of hours.”
Ultimately, it was McMillen who captured the win and the bragging rights. Experiencing a drag car for the first time, the rookie racer had a great day at Frank Hawley’s school.
“Frank was extremely knowledgeable, which made me comfortable getting in the car for the first time,” said the Regional Sales Manager who has only been employed at Mickey Thompson for a few months. “I was impressed by the amount of power these cars have!”
McMillen thoroughly enjoyed getting to experience Mickey Thompson’s famed drag tires in action, and also enjoyed getting to put what he learned to the test.
“The competition was a lot of fun, and the entire crew was extremely helpful. I would highly recommend this to anyone,” he shared.
Meanwhile, Holt finished the day as the overall runner-up but had the quickest ET of the day with a 10.48-second pass. The new Brand Manager at Mickey Thompson with an automotive career spanning more than ten years, Holt had never driven a drag car, either.
“The instructors and gear made me very comfortable. By the time I made my first pass, I felt confident in the vehicle and myself driving it,” he affirmed. “I had a reaction time of 0.09 seconds earlier in the day, but I guess I took a nap at the line and had a 0.3-second reaction in the final.”
Holt laughed off his loss and focused on how much fun he had – and what it was like to drive a car without a full suspension.
“It was smooth yet bumpy. When I went back to the staging lanes, I couldn’t wait to do it again,” he stated.
He was also surprised to discover how well the school’s dragsters are set up and dialed in to perform so consistently, especially compared to the go-karts he’s used to driving.
“I wish I knew this school existed at a younger age! I grew up watching and attending races, but never thought I’d be the one making 10-second passes. To experience that thrill, going that fast, and that controlled in a legal environment, it’s definitely the way to go!”
For Frank Hawley, the school’s founder, it’s seeing folks who never imagined themselves behind the wheel of a racecar, and do so well driving, that means the most.
“To see everyone come out, a little nervous in the beginning but having the time of their lives by the end of the day, it’s incredibly rewarding,” he said. “And we’re grateful to have Mickey Thompson help facilitate that, not only by helping introduce new people to the sport, but also by producing the world’s best tires for our cars to run on.”
At the end of yet another unforgettable, successful outing for Mickey Thompson’s special guests, McMillen received his well-deserved trophy, and everyone in attendance went home with memories that gave them a deeper understanding of M/T’s mission, drag racing, and what’s possible when they push their own limits.
The post Rookie Racers Win Big at Mickey Thompson’s Annual Dragster Adventure at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
