Al Hofmann
Encyclopedia
Al Hofmann was an American dragracer
and drag car owner in the funny car
division from Umatilla, Florida
. He raced in the National Hot Rod Association
. He was the second of only two funny cars to join the 300 MPH club 301.10 (Feb 19 1994) and the thirteenth overall.Hofmann was also the 3rd member of the 4 second funny car club 4.992 (may 19th 1995 )
Hofmann competed in 32 final rounds, winning 15 races. These 15 wins placed him seventh on the all-time Funny Car wins list as of 2002. Hofmann finished in the Top 10 season points standings during seven seasons, including every year from 1991 until 1996.
. He began drag racing in 1968 with a 1955 Chevrolet. After doing some street racing, he realized it was too dangerous and started drag racing at a track. He won the first event that he entered in the C/Gas category. His Chevy was nicknamed "Hang 'Em High" because his wheelstands scraped the car's bumper. His next car was a big block 1957 Chevy nicknamed "Rat Poison". He drove a series of doorslammers and appeared to be a Pro Stock
driver, but then he decided to start racing the faster funny cars.
He sold his construction company in 1978 to buy the Radici & Wise funny car operation. He initially didn't have enough experience with funny cars to start the car. He had to get a friend with alcohol experience to start the car. He went across the United States for three months with Sid Waterman at California
to learn about the car. Hofmann said, "He wanted me to be a hands-on racer, not just a driver. So he had me take the engine apart and put it together about 10 times. He felt it would help my driving if I had a better mechanical understanding of the car."
Hofmann started drag racing on the East Coast of the United States. He went twice to Australia for three months. "Those trips were a good thing for me," said Hofmann. "Not only did I win a couple of championships, but I got the chance to meet the people from Blower Drive Service from Whittier, Calif. They thought I had some potential and backed it up with $100,000 in sponsorship funding." Hofmann added, "That allowed me to hire Tom Anderson as a crew chief, one of the best moves I ever made. It was impossible for me to do both the driving and tuning by myself, and Tom had a lot more experience anyway. We ended up winning a lot of races together."
Hofmann won his first national events in 1991, when he won at the Winston Invitational then Dallas and Ponoma's
second event. He finished in the Top 10 in season points. He followed up with three wins in 1992 when he finished third in the season points. Hofmann's 1993 season ended with a fourth place points finish.
Hofmann acquired major sponsorship backing for the 1994 season from Western Auto
. Along with wife Helen,Tom Anderson and crew Jimbo Ermolovich,Brian MacDermott,Rob Hyson,Larry Liu, Janet Rantala,Jim Leclair.That year the team finished third in the Funny car points. behind Chuck Etchells and John Force and winning only at Houston
His highest season points finish was second in 1995 when he won five races. Houston,Columbus, Sonoma, Seattle, and Pomona,and runner up finishes at Pomona, Memphis, Topeka and Denver, He also chalked up wins at the Budweiser Shootout 1992-94-95. Hofmann developed a fierce rivalry with John Force
. Hofmann described their rivalry, "That was a fun time. We played it up for all it was worth." He followed the season by finishing fourth in the season points for 1996. Anderson left the team in July 1996 and Western Auto's sponsorship of the team ended that year.
Hofmann started out the 1997 season by winning the Gatornationals
, but a fiery crash in the shutdown area after the win led to Hofmann breaking an arm. He missed four races in the middle of the season. His comeback peaked eight months later with a win at the Revell Nationals in Dallas that October. He finished thirteenth in points that season despite missing the four events. He raced in the GM Performance Parts dragster through the rest of the decade.
In 2000 he started driving for Jim Dunn. Hofmann left the team after the 2002 Gainesville race and he never raced again.
Hofmann died March 20, 2008 of a heart attack
at his RV park Eustis, Florida
.
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
and drag car owner in the funny car
Funny Car
Funny Car is a drag racing car class. In the United States, other "professional" classes are Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Funny cars have forward-mounted engines and carbon fiber automotive bodies over the chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers'...
division from Umatilla, Florida
Umatilla, Florida
Umatilla is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. It was named after Umatilla, Oregon. The population was 2,214 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, the city had a population of 2,502. Umatilla is known as the Gateway to the Ocala National Forest,...
. He raced in the National Hot Rod Association
National Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and host events all over the United States and Canada...
. He was the second of only two funny cars to join the 300 MPH club 301.10 (Feb 19 1994) and the thirteenth overall.Hofmann was also the 3rd member of the 4 second funny car club 4.992 (may 19th 1995 )
Hofmann competed in 32 final rounds, winning 15 races. These 15 wins placed him seventh on the all-time Funny Car wins list as of 2002. Hofmann finished in the Top 10 season points standings during seven seasons, including every year from 1991 until 1996.
Racing career
Hofmann grew up on the East Coast of the United StatesEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
. He began drag racing in 1968 with a 1955 Chevrolet. After doing some street racing, he realized it was too dangerous and started drag racing at a track. He won the first event that he entered in the C/Gas category. His Chevy was nicknamed "Hang 'Em High" because his wheelstands scraped the car's bumper. His next car was a big block 1957 Chevy nicknamed "Rat Poison". He drove a series of doorslammers and appeared to be a Pro Stock
Pro Stock
Pro Stock Drag Racing is a class of drag racing featuring 'Factory Hot-Rods'. The class can be known as "all motor," as the cars cannot use artificial induction such as turbocharging, supercharging, or nitrous oxide, and there are very strict rules governing the modifications allowed to the...
driver, but then he decided to start racing the faster funny cars.
He sold his construction company in 1978 to buy the Radici & Wise funny car operation. He initially didn't have enough experience with funny cars to start the car. He had to get a friend with alcohol experience to start the car. He went across the United States for three months with Sid Waterman at California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to learn about the car. Hofmann said, "He wanted me to be a hands-on racer, not just a driver. So he had me take the engine apart and put it together about 10 times. He felt it would help my driving if I had a better mechanical understanding of the car."
Hofmann started drag racing on the East Coast of the United States. He went twice to Australia for three months. "Those trips were a good thing for me," said Hofmann. "Not only did I win a couple of championships, but I got the chance to meet the people from Blower Drive Service from Whittier, Calif. They thought I had some potential and backed it up with $100,000 in sponsorship funding." Hofmann added, "That allowed me to hire Tom Anderson as a crew chief, one of the best moves I ever made. It was impossible for me to do both the driving and tuning by myself, and Tom had a lot more experience anyway. We ended up winning a lot of races together."
Hofmann won his first national events in 1991, when he won at the Winston Invitational then Dallas and Ponoma's
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
second event. He finished in the Top 10 in season points. He followed up with three wins in 1992 when he finished third in the season points. Hofmann's 1993 season ended with a fourth place points finish.
Hofmann acquired major sponsorship backing for the 1994 season from Western Auto
Western Auto
Western Auto Supply Company was a specialty retail chain of stores that supplied automobile parts and accessories. It operated approximately 1200 stores across the United States. It was started in 1909 in Kansas City, Missouri, by George Pepperdine, who later founded Pepperdine University...
. Along with wife Helen,Tom Anderson and crew Jimbo Ermolovich,Brian MacDermott,Rob Hyson,Larry Liu, Janet Rantala,Jim Leclair.That year the team finished third in the Funny car points. behind Chuck Etchells and John Force and winning only at Houston
His highest season points finish was second in 1995 when he won five races. Houston,Columbus, Sonoma, Seattle, and Pomona,and runner up finishes at Pomona, Memphis, Topeka and Denver, He also chalked up wins at the Budweiser Shootout 1992-94-95. Hofmann developed a fierce rivalry with John Force
John Force
John Harold Force is an NHRA drag racer, a 15-time Funny Car champion driver, and a 17-time champion car owner. Force owns and drives for John Force Racing. He is one of the most dominant drag racers in the sport with 133 career victories...
. Hofmann described their rivalry, "That was a fun time. We played it up for all it was worth." He followed the season by finishing fourth in the season points for 1996. Anderson left the team in July 1996 and Western Auto's sponsorship of the team ended that year.
Hofmann started out the 1997 season by winning the Gatornationals
Gatornationals
The Gatornationals is an annual National Hot Rod Association national drag racing event held each March at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida. The event was held for the first time in 1970...
, but a fiery crash in the shutdown area after the win led to Hofmann breaking an arm. He missed four races in the middle of the season. His comeback peaked eight months later with a win at the Revell Nationals in Dallas that October. He finished thirteenth in points that season despite missing the four events. He raced in the GM Performance Parts dragster through the rest of the decade.
Retirement and death
After his retirement, he started an automobile and street rod restoration business. In 2007, Hofmann said, "I sold the business last year and am effectively retired at this point. I bought a motorhome and took a trip all over the country with my wife, Susie, who is Johnny West's sister and a former worker on the NHRA Safety Safari team. We're just two old racers, riding around together and having a good time."Hofmann died March 20, 2008 of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at his RV park Eustis, Florida
Eustis, Florida
Eustis is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 15,106 at the 2000 census. The Census Bureau estimated the population in 2008 to be 19,129. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.