Al Hofman passes away

[Josh42]

From TORCO's Competitionplus.com:

 

Torco's CompetitionPlus.com has learned that former NHRA POWERade Funny Car driver and multi-time national event winner Al Hofmann died today from a massive heart attack while at his Eustis, Florida home. He was 60.

 

Hofmann, who won 15 times in 32 final-round appearances, was a regular in the NHRA top 10 from 1991, when he finished seventh, through 1996, highlighted by a five-win 1995 campaign in which he finished second in the standings to Force. He finished third in 1992 and 1994 and fourth in 1993 and 1996.

 

Hofmann suffered a major crash at the 1997 Gatornationals that sidelined him for much of the season, but he returned near season's end and won in Dallas and ultimately finished 13th in the standings. He returned to the top 10 in 1998 with a ninth-place finish and scored his last tour victory in Memphis that year. He finished 13th in 1999 and 2000. His last final-round appearance was at the 2001 event in Bristol, and he finished the year 16th. He competed in just three races in 2002.

 

In addition to his national event victories, Hofmann won the Winston Invitational in 1991 and 1993 and the Budweiser Shootout in 1992, 1994, and 1995.

 

Hofmann was the second Funny Car driver to exceed 300 mph. He recorded a run of 301.10 mph Feb, 19, 1994, in Phoenix to become the 13th member – and only one of two Funny Car drivers – of the Slick 50 300-mph Club.