Drag Racing Action Online   Images Phil Hutchison and Courtesy of Jackie Fricke

Frank Aragona Jr., one of the winningest Sportsman racers in NHRA history, passed away Feb. 10 surrounded by family after a long and brave battle with cancer. Aragona was 53.

I was lucky enough to meet Frank Jr just when he started his rise in NHRA Competition Eliminator following his dad Frank Sr., into drag racing. I started covering NHRA Division One series racing in 1999 and Aragona was a shoe in to be in the late rounds in our divisional events. I interviewed the champ many times over the years and he was a gracious and proud winner.

During his long career, Aragona won 40 division races leading to seven NED titles, three NHRA Comp world championships and 16 national event victories. One of his greatest wins was at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in 2019. Aragona also raced in the Super Comp class winning the eliminator in Charlotte in the fall of 2015

Aragona won his last Lucas Oil race in August at Atco Dragway in a year that he did his best to keep racing while battling cancer. Aragona’s last NHRA event was a runner up at the US Nationals at Indianapolis over the Labor Day weekend.

After his win at Atco Frankie said, “Today we were able to pull off a win at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Event at Atco Dragway! After fighting a tough battle with Cancer early this year this one feels really amazing! I had a lot of emotion creep up on me after the win light came on and even more when I got to all my family and friends that were there. My phone was already blowing up before I even got out of the racecar.”

Aragona, along with his pop and tuner, Frankie Sr., were famous for running powerplants in their cars that could be described as “Not your Normal Engine” for the always tough Competition Eliminator. Subaru, Mopar, and other manufacturers powerplants made their way into the frame rails of Aragona’s open wheeled dragsters and altereds.

NHRA Division One 2022 Competition Eliminator champ Steve Szupka, who partnered with Aragona during some of his best years said, “I’m going to miss Frankie tremendously. I’ve known Frankie for about 40 years, since we were kids at the track. We raced as a team for 11 years, some of the best times in my life. We didn’t always see eye to eye all those 40 years but he made me a better racer and person. I’ll always cherish the great times we shared. Both at the track and away from the track.”

When Aragona’s cancer was first diagnosed, the turnout of care and love appeared immediately with Win Lights for Frankie shirts, decals, and wrist bands. And for a while it appeared that Aragona’s cancer was in remission, and he ran an aggressive 2022 schedule until the disease returned.

Current East Region Alcohol Dragster champ Jackie Fricke said, “Frank and I have been friends since I moved to Long Island when I was 17, he was the kind of friend you could count on for ANYTHING; Frank was loyal, kind, stubborn, hard working, a loving Father, Husband, Champion, and the kind of human that made you want to be a better person. My husband Shawn & Frank became good friends about 18 years ago and we feel SO blessed to have had him in our lives as our true friend.”

Another long time competitor, friend and fellow Comp racer Don Eckel III had this to say about Aragona, “Frankie was incredibly driven to be successful in any endeavor he set out on, and anyone who was fortunate enough to have him as a friend knew this. Racing, family, friendship, or business, he put that same effort into all of it. You knew it when you raced him as much as when you got together for dinner away from the track. He was an amazing asset to our sport and Comp Eliminator as well. I’m blessed to have had him in my life and I’ll miss him terribly.”

As recently as last week Aragona was still a champ as the Freehold New Jersey racer was inducted into the Northeast Division Hall of Fame at the NHRA NED banquet. Going into the Hall with Aragona was long time NHRA Northeast Division director Dave Mohn who had this to say, “To be in the same class as Frankie is something I’ll cherish forever. I just wish we had the chance to celebrate together. Truly an honor that can’t and won’t be replaced.”

As proud as Frankie’s dad was when his son started winning races, Aragona and his wife Beatrice were just as proud as their kids, Frankie III and Emma turned on the win lights in Jr Dragster.

Aragona is survived by his father, mother Louise, wife, Beatrice, and children, Frankie III and Emma.

Aragona was a frequent JEGS Allstars competitor and helped D1 win the title in 2010 at Chicago