Funny Car veteran Hofmann, championship runner-up in 1995, dies
Former NHRA national-event-winning Funny Car driver Al Hofmann, a longtime fan favorite despite his take-no-prisoners exterior who gave John Force his most serious championship challenges in the mid-1990s, died March 20 of a heart attack at his home in Eustis, Fla. He was 60.
Hofmann, who won 15 times in 32 final-round appearances, was a regular in the NHRA top...
Read full story by Phil Burgess and John Jodauga at NHRA.com
Tags: Force, Funny Car, John Force, NHRAHight Heads to Gainesville with respect and hope
GAINESVILLE, FLA (March 7, 2008) --- Robert “Top Gun” Hight has a high level of respect for the drivers that have won and competed at Gainesville Raceway for the past four decades. He knows it is a special place for a variety of reasons, some happy and some sad.
Gainesville and Gainesville Raceway are home to the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame and the first 300 mph run in drag racing history. This is one of the few tracks on the NHRA tour where Hight is the current track record holder for elapsed time and speed at 4.686 seconds, 331.94 mph. But Gainesville is most special since it was here that Hight shared the race track with his good friend and teammate Eric Medlen for the last time.
“This is honestly a race I want to win really badly. This is where the Hall of Fame is and this is where you get great crowds for the races. It is unbelievable how many people turn out plus all the sponsors and older racers; guys that have won championships and are Hall of Famers. That is one race I really want to win,” said Hight, the current Funny Car points leader.
Read full story at John Force Racing
Tags: drag racing, Force, Funny Car, Gainesville, Hight, John Force, NHRA, points, race, racing, Robert HightTim Wilkerson qualifies first in Phoenix, Worsham and A. Force DNQ
Rain cancelled Friday's NHRA Funny Car qualifying, leaving drivers with only two Saturday sessions to get into the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix.
Tim Wilkerson impressively leads the field into eliminations on Sunday. With only two sessions to qualify, the list of those that didn't make the field is surprising. Del Worsham experienced the disappointment of not qualifying his Checker Schuck's Kragen sponsored Impala at his sponsor's event. Del wasn't the lone DNQ though. Ashley Force, Melanie Troxel, Bob Tasca III and Terry Haddock were also unable to qualify.
Tags: Ashley Force, Bob Tasca III, Del Worsham, Force, Funny Car, Haddock, Melanie Troxel, NHRA, Phoenix, race, Terry Haddock, Tim Wilkerson, Wilkerson, WorshamForce nominated for Justice Brothers-Shav Glick award
John Force, Jimmie Johnson, Robert E. Petersen, and Chris Pook have been nominated for the ninth annual Justice Brothers-Shav Glick Award that recognizes those who have made distinguished contributions to motorsports in California.
The award is named in honor of Glick, who...
Tags: Force, John Force, Johnson, motorsports, NHRAForce, happy to be back to racing, is already counting many victories
Fourteen-time Funny Car champion John Force didn't lose his flair for the dramatic or his passion for NHRA POWERade drag racing in last September's dramatic accident that sidelined him for four months. He thrilled the faithful at the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals by waiting until the last qualifying session to make the field and then racing through to the semifinals in typical Force fashion.
The winner of a record 125 NHRA national events also touted the numerous safety changes in the Funny Car class that his team, along with NHRA, is spearheading and addressed the concerns of the naysayers who are resistant to change. It's obvious Force is more concerned about building a better car than he is with...
Read Rob Geiger's full interview with John Force at NHRA.com
Tags: drag racing, Force, Funny Car, John Force, NHRA, Powerade, racing, safetyJohn Force to be inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame
Perennial drag racing king John Force, open-wheel racing champion Michael Andretti, and NASCAR legend Buddy Baker will lead a class of seven racing greats into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America when the organization stages its annual induction ceremony Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008, at the Fillmore Detroit.
These three, along with sports-car ace Richie Ginther, motorcycle hero Wayne Rainey, versatile competitor Paul Goldsmith, and pioneering aerobatic pilot Betty Skelton will join 167 racers already enshrined...
Tags: drag racing, Force, Hall of Fame, John Force, King, motorsports, NHRA, race, racingNHRA: Winning Funny Car built for safety
John Force proved you don't have to slow down to be safe in the NHRA.
Driving a revolutionary Funny Car designed to help bring the class into the 21st century, Robert Hight defeated Cruz Pedregon by 7 feet in the Funny Car final to give John Force Racing its 18th victory at Auto Club Raceway.
Hight clocked in 4.861 seconds at 284.39 mph in the NHRA season opener, which was slightly quicker than...
Read full story by Damian Dottore in The Orange County Register
Tags: Cruz Pedregon, Force, Funny Car, Hight, John Force, NHRA, Pedregon, race, racing, Robert Hight, safetyNHRA icon leading the push for improved chassis
POMONA - Few would argue John Force is the most popular ever in drag racing and the most dominant driver in the 56-year history of NHRA.
Fourteen time NHRA funny car champion John Force is coming back from the worst year of his racing career...
Read full story in the Pasadena Star News
Tags: drag racing, Force, Funny Car, John Force, NHRA, Pomona, racing