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"2004 Racing News "

Kroger/Tide Hoffman Team to run MOPAR in Sprint and Silver Crown Cars in 2005

Loveland Ohio (December 20, 2004) – Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR) is very proud to announce the addition of MOPAR to their 2005 sponsor line up. " We celebrated our 75^th anniversary with our 8^th USAC National Sprint Car Championship in 2004, and we look for a repeat with great MOPAR power and reliability in 2005", said Richard Hoffman, President of Hoffman Auto Racing". "The addition of MOPAR to our returning sponsors (Kroger, Tide, Bounty, and Pringles) will add more value to all our marketing partners. We now have the opportunity to cross market with our sponsors to the benefit of all. The Team is excited to partner with MOPAR technology and horsepower to win races and Championships in 2005. "

" Our past experience with MOPAR has taught us that the motors deliver great horsepower. I am excited to learn more about the motors now that we have the opportunity to run MOPAR for an entire season . It was tough to compete last year with Tony Stewart Racing , it will be nice to go into 2005 on an even footing", said Rob Hoffman VP Engineering HAR.

Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR) was founded by August "Gus" (Old Timer) Hoffman when he purchased a Model T Speedster in 1929 and converted it into the Team’s first Sprint Car. Little did Gus know that 75 years later his sons Richard and Tom, and his grandsons Rob and Chris would be carrying on the Family tradition of excellence in motorsports.

Highlights of the Team’s history include:

1929-1960 Gus campaigned Sprint Cars and Midgets, his drivers included Eddie Sachs, and Don Branson

1964 Gus’s son Richard became co-owner of the Team

1973-1984 HAR fielded Indy Cars, including 7 Indy 500 starts

1989 HAR won the first of 8 USAC National Sprint Car Championships with Rob Hoffman as the crew chief(’92,’93,’96,’97,’99,’02,’04)

HAR is the winningest Team in USAC Sprint Car history

2003 recognized for excellence by the Ohio State Senate and House of Representatives

Drivers of note:

Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Tracy Hines, JJ Yeley, Kasey Kahne, Kenny Irwin Jr, Rich Vogler, Dave Darland, Johnny Parsons Jr., Tim Richmond, Jay Drake, Brian Tyler, Robbie Stanley, Eric Gordon, and Steve Butler.

Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR) competes in the Sprint Car and Silver Crown Divisions of the United States Auto Club (USAC). HAR is the all time leader in USAC National Sprint Car Team victories with 59, and National Championships with 8. HAR also has 7 Silver Crown victories, for a total of 66 National wins.

Eric Gordon will return to drive the Silver Crown Car in 2005 beginning at the Cooper World 1/29-1/30 in Phoenix. The Sprint Car driver line up will be announced shortly.

Primary sponsorship of HAR continues from Kroger , Tide and now MOPAR with associate sponsorship from Pringles, and Bounty .

Kroger is the nation’s largest grocer, with over 2500 stores and annual sales exceeding 53 Billion dollars.

Procter & Gamble has annual sales of over 50 Billion Dollars, and markets 16 brands with sales over 1 Billion Dollars. P&G brands include Tide, Pringles, and Bounty.

Tim Waechter

VP Marketing Hoffman Auto Racing

HIGHLIGHTS OF PRI SHOW AND THE USAC BANQUET

The weekend was very intersting and productive for the Hoffman Team. The best news coming out of the PRI (Performance Racing Industry) Trade Show was the finalization of an agreement with MOPAR to become a sponsor for the 2005 season. We are very excited to run MOPAR engines next year and I am thrilled to be able to work with another sponsor on the Marketing end of the business. This agreement will be good for all our sponsors, bringing more visibility and marketing opportunities for Kroger, Tide, Pringles, Bounty, and our new marketing partner, MOPAR. Look for a press release later this week.

The show was also very interesting given the fact that we have not finalized our Sprint Car Driver line up for 2005. Richard, Rob, and Tim had a number of meetings with potential drivers at the show . More to follow on driver line up soon.

The Team was honored for a record setting 8th National Sprint Car Championship at the USAC banquet Friday night. Richard recognized all of our sponsors, Kroger, Tide, Pringles, and Bounty, the crew, and our drivers from 2004 for a unprecented season. The difficulity of winning a Championship using 8 drivers should not be underestimated, especially considering the competition from Teams like Tony Stewart Racing.

Thanks for your continued support of Hoffman Racing and our sponsors. Look for a press release on MOPAR this week , and a driver line up soon.

Tim Waechter

HOFFMAN AUTO RACING WINS AN UNPRECEDENTED 8^TH USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

Kroger/Tide Hoffman Team wins its 8^th Championship in the last 16 years

Loveland, OH (November 7, 2004) – "This has been a very special year, my father founded this Team 75 years ago. To win the Championship in this anniversary year is a tribute to the dedication of this entire Race Team.", said Richard Hoffman, President of Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR). " I want to thank every member of our Team and the eight drivers who drove us to this Championship. I especially want to thank Tracy Hines. He has made himself available to us all year when he did not have a conflict with the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series. We could not have won this record setting 8^th Championship without him. I also want to recognize and thank our sponsors Kroger and Procter& Gamble. Without their support this Championship would not have been possible."

Highlights of the Team’s history include:

1929-1960 Gus campaigned Sprint Cars and Midgets, his drivers included Eddie Sachs, and Don Branson

1964 Gus’s son Richard became co-owner of the Team

1973-1984 HAR fielded Indy Cars, including 7 Indy 500 starts

1989 HAR won the first of 8 USAC National Sprint Car Championships with Rob Hoffman as the crew chief(’92,’93,’96,’97,’99,’02,’04)

HAR is the winningest Team in USAC Sprint Car history

2003 recognized for excellence by the Ohio State Senate and House of Representatives

Drivers of note:

Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Tracy Hines, JJ Yeley, Kasey Kahne, Kenny Irwin, Rich Vogler, Dave Darland, Johnny Parsons Jr., Tim Richmond, Jay Drake, Brian Tyler, Robbie Stanley, Eric Gordon

"Working with so many drivers has been a real challenge for me this year", said Rob Hoffman, VP Engineering Hoffman Racing. "That fact makes this Championship very satisfying. I want to recognize the contributions of Dan Launderville (VP of Operations Hoffman Racing). Without him, we would not even make it to the track."

Jac Haudenschild, Aaron Fike, Michael Lewis, Dickie Gaines, Jon Stanbrough, Jerry Coons Jr, JJ Yeley, and Tracy Hines all contributed to the Championship by driving the famous Hoffman Family Car in 2004.

HAR was in a year long battle with Tony Stewart Racing, #20 , for the coveted title of USAC National Sprint Car Champion. Our congratulations to them for a great year.

Primary sponsorship of HAR continues from Kroger and Tide, with associate sponsorship from Pringles, Bounty and Allegheny Trail. This marks the 3^rd National Championship won by HAR with Kroger and the Procter & Gamble brands.

Kroger is the nation’s largest grocer, with over 2400 stores and annual sales exceeding 53 Billion dollars.

Procter & Gamble has annual sales of over 50 Billion Dollars, and markets 16 brands with sales over 1 Billion Dollars. P&G brands include Tide, Pringles, and Bounty.

Tim Waechter

VP Marketing Hoffman Auto Racing

SIXTH PLACE FINISH AT MANZY-LEADS TO UNPRECEDENTED 8TH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

An unbelievable 75th anniversary year came to an end last night in Phoenix with a 6th place finish at Manzy and an 8th National Championship. We had a good car for the A Main, but a poor starting spot hurt our chances to get to the front on a difficult track to make a pass. The Team actually increased the points lead over the weekend by 5 points, to an approximate total of 73 points. We want to thank Tracy for closing out the year in the Kroger/Tide car. We also want to thank the other 7 drivers that have been in the Sprint Car this year. Look for a press release tomorrow on this incredible accomplishment. What a Team!!!!!! Thanks to everyone who helped us this year , and to all of our fans for your great support and well wishes.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

PRELIMINARY NIGHT AT MANZY- FAST TIME

The program at Manzanita is three nights. There are two preliminary nights, splitting the field up with about 24 cars competing in each of the two prelim nights. Tracy has his truck race today, so the Team asked to compete in night one. Rob , Dan and crew gave Tracy a good car, and he delivered with the fast time of 18.571, a good 0.2 quicker than 2nd fast Levi Jones. There were 3 heat races, lining up straight up on qualifying time. Tracy had the pole in heat one, Jon Stanbrough jumped the start by a good 3 car lengths, the officials let it stand, and Tracy tried to track him down in the 15 laps. Tracy closed to his bumper at the finish . The top three transfer to the A Main on Saturday night. We think we will start 7th. The crew will cheer Tracy on today in his truck race at PIR, relax, and get ready to clinch the National Championship Saturday night.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

FEATURE NIGHT AT THE BUDWEISER OVAL NATIONALS-ANOTHER DESTROYED F5

Starting 8th in the A Main, we had a good car. Tracy worked his way up to 4th, by being patient. The A Main was a 50 lap race. The race was red flagged with 12 laps to go to allow Teams to refuel the cars. Tracy had the agreement of a lapped car to give us the bottom to pass. At the restart one car passed that car low, Tracy went with him, and was run over by the lapped car. A series of flips resulted. The most important thing is that Tracy was not hurt, the F5 is destroyed. That resulted in a 20th place finish , and a tough blow to the Team. Jay Drake in the Stewart #20 didn't have a good night either, with a 15th place finish. The net result is a loss of 10 points on our lead. So we go into the last race of the year with a 68 point lead. A total of 74 points, maximum, are available for the last race at Manzy.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing


Photos Courtesy of Ed Hollowell

2ND NIGHT OF BUDWEISER OVAL NATIONALS-NOT A GREAT NIGHT

The second night of the Budweiser Oval Nationals saw Tracy qualify 11th. The car was tight all night. Tracy finished 4th in the heat race, by making a last lap pass, for the transfer spot. The feature saw Tracy get hit hard in the side by a car which sent him up the track , and we lost 5 positions, from 11th to 16th. Tracy went to work and got all the cars passed except one, when the car in front of him came to a halt and we were passed by a car for a 13th place finish. The Team went into the night with a 97 point lead over the Stewart Racing #20, by our calculations, we lost 19 points last night, and now lead by 78 points. The three night format of the Budweiser Oval Nationals should see us locked into the A Main (tonight) , starting from 6-8th place. The $30,000 to win , and the race for the National Championship will make for an exciting night.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

GOOD NIGHT TO START THE "BUDWEISER OVAL NATIONALS"- 96 POINT LEAD

Very heavy rains in Southern California resulted in a heavy track at Perris Ca. 58 cars showed for night 1 of the 3 night Budweiser Oval Nationals. Tracy was the 4th quick qualifier with a time of 17.072, .4 off the fast time of Cory Kruseman. Starting 8th in the 4th heat Tracy drove hard and just missed a transfer spot, finishing 5th in the heat. We started on the pole in the B Main and won the race going away. This being a USAC/SCRA event, the rules are different, so we did not get our 4th place qualifying spot back, and started 7th in the A Main. The racing was interesting, especially when we were following Cory, he was about to lap Teammate Jay Drake, and we both passed him. Jay was in the #20 Stewart points car. Tracy was close to 4th & 3rd when the A Main checkered, and finished 5th. Jay finished 19th, giving us + 35 points for the night, and a points lead of 96 going into night 2 of the Budweiser Oval Nationals. Check in tomorrow for tonight's results.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

THE TEAM IS PREPARING TO LEAVE FOR THE WEST COAST

A third car will make the trip to the West Coast. The pictures show the engineering of Rob and Dan to fit the third car in the hauler. Two complete cars will make the trip on the floor, and as you can see, one above. Also two young drivers were being fitted in Tracy's car, for a potential ride in the second or third car. Look out Tracy, they are looking for your ride. Also the clock is a gift from a special friend of the Team, thanks Stush. What a great way to celebrate the 75th anniversary.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

2ND PLACE FINISH IN GA. NETS A 61 POINT LEAD HEADING "OUT WEST"

The night was vintage JJ Yeley. He gave the fans their monies worth by driving the snot out of the car for a 2nd place finish Saturday night at Woodstock Ga. A number of cars qualified in the 16.8 range, and we qualified 7th in that group. The time was about .3 off the fast time. Starting 7th in the 3rd heat race JJ worked his way to a win by spectacular driving. Unfortunately all cars transferred to the A Main, so we started the feature 7th. JJ started moving forward immediately. Passing Briscoe and Ray in a two lap segment moving to 3rd. JJ passed Kruseman late in the race , but could not catch Stanbrough. Jay Drake finished 9th in the A Main, which allowed us to increase the points lead which began the night at 38 points , to 61. Four races remain on the schedule, 3 in Perris Ca. and one at Manzy. Tracy will be in the car for the remainder of the year. The Team is pumped, the sole focus is to win the remaining 4 races, and therefore the Championship.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

DRIVER CHANGE FOR WOODSTOCK GA. - JJ IS BACK

Due to an injury suffered by Tyler Walker at Charlotte, he will be unable to drive the car at Woodstock Ga. JJ Yeley has ben kind enough to offer his extensive talents to drive the car for us. With a 37 point lead over Stewart Racing #20, we are thrilled to have a talent like JJ in the car.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

RESULTS FROM THE DIRT TRACK AT LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY-INCREASING THE POINTS LEAD

The Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway is a beautiful facility, and the stands were packed to see the Sprint Cars run in the capital of NASCAR. It is a great facility, but it has been an extremely rough and hazardous track for two years now. Evidence of that is the 7 flips that occurred Wednesday evening, resulting in serious injuries for two drivers and some torn up race cars. Our prayers are with the injured drivers and their families. USAC employed a unique format. The large turn out of cars(40) was split up into 4 groups. Each group got 3 hot laps of practice, and then 3 hot laps to qualify, with the transponders. We were in group 1, and we were slow in practice due to traffic and the track getting better with later practice groups. Tracy being the veteran (yet young) driver he is positioned himself perfectly before the qualifying laps and had a relatively clear track for his three laps. His time of 14.563 was good for 3rd quick, 0.12 behind Jay Drake. The third heat race proved a big problem as we started 8th, got hit from behind, turned sideways, turned over, and then hit by a few cars. Rob made a very wise decision to take the car to the pits to repair it in time for the B Main, rather than a quick fix for the remainder of the heat. It was a classic trash, the crew did a great job replacing bird cages, drive link,a header,nerf bar,a broken wheel, and other bolt on parts in about 15 minutes. The car was good in the B main, but not good enough to catch Jay. The A Main saw us strating third and dropping to 7th in just a few laps. Rob had the car set up to get faster on longer runs, and early on there were many yellows. Tracy got in the groove and the car "came in" and he advanced up to 4th. When Tracy saw Jay flip and retire from the race, he wisely decided not to take many chances on! a rough track and with the Owners Championship on the line. &nb sp;We really appreciates Tracy thinking of the Team first, since he is not running for the drivers title, he easily could had taken chances to advance or even win. But we know what many people do not about Tracy, that he is a Team player , one hell of a competitor, and a good guy. We finished just a few car lengths behind Levy and Troy. The night proved productive in the hunt for the title. We belive that we are now 37 points in the lead going into Woodstock Ga.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

TEAM ENTERS CHARLOTTE WITH A 4 POINT LEAD-TYLER WALKER TO DRIVE AT WOODSTOCK GA.

The Kroger/Tide Team enters the race at the Dirt Track At Charlotte Motor Speedway with a 4 point lead in the hunt for our 8th National Championship. Tracy will be at the wheel of the Hoffman Car this Wednesday at Charlotte. It is also being announced today that Tyler Walker will drive the Sprint Car at the Dixie Speedway in Woodstock Ga on 10/16. Tyler finished 4th this year in the Silver Crown Series. His year in the Silver Crown Cars included wins at Springfield, Nazareth, Duquoin, and Tulsa. Tyler was the 2002 World of Outlaws Gumout Series Sprint Car Champ. He competed in 3 Nascar Craftsman Truck series races in 2003. Tyler has driven in the Nascar Bush Series this year, and has a regular ride in the series for 2005. We are excited to have Tyler in the car, and we look forward to a win at Woodstock.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

HOW DOES 2ND BECOME 1ST? 4 CROWNS - ELDORA

Thanks to Paul for the great pictures and updates from the Big E. Thanks to Jac for an unbelievable effort, one more lap. The entire Team really enjoyed working with Jac. He is a true pro and a real gentleman. I personally enjoyed the one on one conversations I had with "The Wild Child". How does 2nd become 1st? The Kroger/Tide Hoffman Team took the entrant's point lead by 4 points (according to our calculations). What a run we have had to catch the Stewart #20. There is a question on how many points races are left. But the only focus for now is Charlotte on 10/13 with Tracy in the car. The single focus of the Team is to win all remaining races and win the 8th National Championship.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

2nd Place for the "Wild Child"

It was a pretty dull race until a couple of late race cautions. Starting 6th in the inversion Jac had worked his way up to third and then second with 8 laps to go. Jac was relentless trying to run down Dickie Gaines, catching him and almost completing the pass on the last two laps. It was really something to watch, a real master of Eldora at work. Would have loved to add another win, but 2nd is not bad, and with fast time we should pick up a few points toward the championship.

Fast Time at Eldora 4 Crown

Just a quick update from Eldora: Jac Haudenschild set fast time (15.386) in the 69. Transferred to tomorrows "A" main with I believe a third place finish in his heat. He was 2nd quick in his Silver Crown ride. A fun night with the "Wild Child" we all look forward to tomorrows race !

RESULTS FROM TULSA OKLAHOMA, 9/17- A 2nd Place Finish

22 Cars made the journey to Tulsa for the Sprint Car portion of the double header. The 7/8 mile track was in rough shape as blown tires were the order of the night. The night started out tough as we were only able to post the 8th quick time in qualifying, and ran 4th in the heat race. Lack of side bite again seemed to be an issue for Jerry, as the Team in only the 2nd race together is learning what Jerry wants in a car. A sandy surface, and rough track made attrition high in the A Main. Rob and Dan made a good choice on right rear as the tire lasted the entire race. Many cars dropped out or had to change flat right rears. Jerry worked his way up to second place and was poised to win if Jay Drake faltered. Jay did blow his right rear, but it was on the 4th turn of the last lap, and the tire didn't fail until he had crossed the start-finish line. So close to a win, but a good night with a ! 2nd place finish. We lost a few points to the Stewart #20 tonight, and remain about 55 points back. Next up the 4 Crowns at Eldora with Jac at the wheel. See you there!!!

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

LEBANON MO. POSTED 30 LAP A MAIN(ON ENTRY FORM), BECOMES A 100 LAP A MAIN, BECOMES A 50 LAP A MAIN(YELLOWS COUNT), GETS RED FLAGGED AND BECOMES A 30 LAP A MAIN ,YELLOWS DO NOT COUNT-CONFUSED????????

To say that the night in Lebanon Mo was bizarre could be the understatement of the month. The entry blank read 30 lap A main, last week , unknown to few people, it became a 100 lap A Main, then upon arrival last night became a 50 lap , yellows count A Main. Jerry Coons Jr did a great job in hot laps and qualified 3rd quick. He was in the toughest of the 3 heats by far, started last, and almost caught Dave Darland for the win. Great job Jerry. Then the fiasco started. The field pushed off with the assumption that the race would be 50 laps , yellows count. Of course with only 3 push trucks on hand it took 10 minutes to push off the field. There were then 3 aborted starts, a total of 19 yellow flags, which were supposed to count, and then a red flag. It was then decided that the race would go 30 green flag laps , with one in the books. There was a debate whether to allow refueling, and then a 10 minute push off followed by 101/2 minutes of further yellow . On the restart Jerry was 2nd and passed for the lead, only to see another yellow fly, and we had to go back to 2nd place. The car was good early in the race, but faded to a 4th place finish. A good night for the first time Jerry was in the car. The race started at 9:30pm and concluded at 10;45PM. Thanks to the fans for hanging in there. It was another good points night, as we gained 17 points , and now only trail the Stewart #20 by 39 points. Oh by the way, on top of everything else going on, the track was cutting tires. We lost a tire the hot laps, qualifying, and the heat race. About $1,000 in tires. Onward to Tulsa, hoping for better officiating and results.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

NASHVILLE TWIN 77'S RESULTS-CLOSING THE POINTS GAP

Storm clouds were prevalent in the Nashville area early in the day and into the early evening. Mother Nature did cooperate, even though the evening was condensed. The transponders were used during practice to determine qualifying times. Two 5 lap sessions were run after practice, 8 cars in each group. Traffic was definitely a problem, the closing speed between the slower cars and the fast cars was significant. Bobby East ripped off a fast lap of 17.218 which seemed difficult to beat. That is unless you have The Hoffman Team and Tracy Hines. Tracy drove a brilliant lap of 17.192 to win the pole. The first of the two 77 lap features was the point race. Bobby beat Tracy from the high side and took the lead. Tracy was racy and pushed Bobby during the early and middle stages of the race. However the car faded a bit and got lose in the late part of the race and we finished a competitive second. The second 77 lap race was non-points and featured an inverted start. Tracy started 17th and did a brilliant job of passing slower cars in this race and all night. On a least 2 occasions slower cars were a road block to going to the front. Tracy did a great job of getting by eventually, but it was too late to advance any farther with a loose race car, and we finished 6th. Another good points night . We are about 56 points out of first in the points. This is a very doable.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

GOOD POINTS NIGHT AT JOLIET

As usual sleep is at a premium for the Hoffman Team this weekend. The trip to Joliet is about 5 hours from home, and getting around Chicago always puts you at risk of big traffic problems. The car was good off the truck. We drew #23 , which put us in the 2nd practice and qualifying group. Tracy ran a 17.837 which was good for 4th quick. Five cars were in the 8's. Starting last in the 4th heat Tracy worked his way through traffic by trying out various parts of a changing race track. A red flag allowed the crew to check the car , and make a few adjustments. Tracy ran out of laps and could not catch Dickie Gaines and finished 2nd, transferring to the A main. The choice of right rear for the A main was , as usual, a difficult one. The cushion was going away and the bottom of the track seemed to be the fast way around. Rob, Dan, and Tracy chose a hard compound. The result was that we needed a few hot laps to get the tire up to temperature. This played out in the beginning of the A Main as Tracy dropped to 7th from the 3rd starting position. Tracy was working the middle to high line in 1&2, and low in 3&4. He worked his way back up to 3rd, and the car was getting faster in the mid laps of the 30 lap feature. Late and yellows caused the heat to dissipate from the tire, and we finished a good 3rd. Jay Drake finished 9th, so for the night we picked up about 22 points, to cut the lead to around 60 points in the fight for the Championship. Of yes, the crew got home as the sun was rising at 0730 hours.

JERRY COONS JR TO DRIVE THE HOFFMAN CAR

Jerry Coons Jr will drive the Kroger/Tide/Pringles/Bounty Allegheny Trails Gaerte F5 at Lebanon Missouri and Tulsa Oklahoma next week. Welcome Jerry!!!

RESULTS FROM TERRE HAUTE 9/4/2004- DIFFICULT NIGHT

Past success at the Action Track has spoiled us . I believe the worst we have finished with Tracy in the past has been 2nd. The track was fickle Saturday. We qualified a poor 11th for the Kroger/Tide car. .03 off the fast time of Levi Jones in the Lucas Oil car. Tracy dominated in heat race number 3. A few changes were made for the feature . The car was way too tight for the A Main , and Tracy brought the car home in 7th position. Jay finished 5th, so we lost a few points in the chase for the Championship. Tracy will drive again this Friday in Joliet Ill.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

RESULTS FROM NAZARETH WEEKEND 8/27-8/29 2004

Very hot and humid weather greeted the Hoffman Team as we pulled into Nazareth Pa. The challenge of fielding two competitive cars with a crew of 5 is a demanding task, made even more so with the weather. There literally isn't time to eat lunch at the track or take any break with either the Sprint Car or Silver Crown Car on the track or being prepared for the next on track session. To compound things the crew needed to make a motor change in the Champ Car after qualifying and the race on Sunday. Needless to say the crew slept well at night. We had a great time with Sprint Car win number 60 on Saturday, and a hard fought Silver Crown battle on Sunday.

(Photos)

ALL TIME WIN #60 COMES IN A RECORD SETTING WEEKEND FOR THE HOFFMAN TEAM-A NEW TRACK QUALIFYING RECORD THAT WILL NEVER BE BROKEN

It would be difficult to script a better story than what actually occurred for the Sprint Car Team. Tracy was back in the seat and the Team was pumped to repeat our victory of 2 years ago that set the all time USAC Sprint Car victory mark. Tracy was fast all weekend topping the speed charts in practice session 1 with a time of 25.779(139.649mph) , Rob and Dan made spring changes and Tracy ran 25.436 in session 2. Qualifications marked Tracy setting a new track record of 25.289(142.354), what a rocket ship. Mr. Steele was lurking at 25.366. Tracy led every lap of the feature , but it wasn't easy. Dave Steele was pushing the whole race. The final yellow at lap 27 gave us all a scare as Steele tried a pass under Tracy going into 1 ,2 and 3 , but Tracy prevailed with a great move and won the race. See the great victory lane photo. It must be noted that all this was accomplished with a Gaerte Chevy Motor that is 6 years old and has not had a significant upgrade. Great job to all.

SILVER CROWN -A HARD FOUGHT 9TH PLACE FINISH

Eric was fast from the first practice session. We were fastest in session 1 at 26.767(134.494), but possible motor problems with the MOPAR started to show already. We were 4th in the second session , and 2nd in the 3rd practice session. Unfortunately we drew pill number 6 for qualifying. The Silver Crown qualifying session was right after an IRL practice session. The Firestone rubber from the IRL cars is not happy with the Hoosier rubber and we lost three tenths and ended up 12th. The MOPAR was acting like a head gasket was going again so the boys changed motors and put the Chevy in the car for the race. Eric got off to a good start and was up to position 10 on lap 9. At that point he was running the same speed as the leader Dave Steele. Eric moved to 9th on lap 16, and on a restart on lap 23 made a great pass for 8th. Late in the race Eric got into a heated race with Bud Kaeding ! and Russ Gamester. Gamester got by on lap 97 and we finished 9th. Great effort by Eric. We know we were under powered with the Chevy, but a good result none the less.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

"THE WILD CHILD TO DRIVE THE HOFFMAN CAR FOR THE FOUR CROWNS"

Hoffman Auto Racing is announcing today that Jac Haudenschild will drive the Kroger/Tide/Pringles/Bounty Allegheny Trail Hoffman Gaerte F5 at the Big E for the USAC 4 Crowns. The event is held 9/24-9/25. Jac "Wild Child" Haudenschild is a veteran open wheel superstar. He has won 39 "A" features in the World of Outlaws, the inaugural 'Historic Big One", 3 Kings Royals, and numerous non-winged races to include the 2003 Mopar Million at Eldora. "Jac knows how to run Eldora, up next to the wall, he drove our Silver Crown Dirt Car a few years ago in the 4 Crowns. It was a thrill to see him put that Kroger/Tide car next to the wall and rocket down the backstretch. We look forward to great success with Jac for the 4 Crowns", said Richard Hoffman, President of Hoffman Auto Racing.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

JON STANBROUGH QUITS HOFFMAN RIDE

When Richard Hoffman and Jon Stanbrough agreed on terms for Jon to drive the Kroger /Tide Dirt Sprint Car, it was for USAC races only. Jon has always run and wanted to continue to run local tracks in addition to the National USAC races. Jon felt that he could obtain quality cars to run local races. He has decided that finding quality rides for local tracks is very difficult and has decided to run for a Team that will supply cars for USAC and local tracks beginning immediately. We enjoyed our time together with Jon, and we certainly had some success together. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

Of course having a driver leave this late in a season puts the Team in a precarious position. Thankfully Tracy will be in the car for Nazareth, Terre Haute, probably Joliet, and Nashville. That leaves us looking for a driver/s for Tulsa, Lebanon Missouri, Eldora, Charlotte, Woodstock Ga, and the West Coast swing. More news on drivers as deals are finalized.

We are second in National points, and we are determined to be in the hunt for our 8th National Championship to the end.

MOPAR MOTOR BACK IN CHAMP CAR FOR NAZARETH

HAR has been working with Gaerte Engines to combine reliability with the extra horses in the MOPAR Champ Car motor. Both parties feel this combination has been achieved and the MOPAR will be back in the Champ Car for Nazareth.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

SALEM RESULTS 8/14/2004

First of all everyone on the Team was totally impressed with Michael Lewis . Very impressive was his professionalism, skill as a driver, knowledge of the cars, feedback to Rob and the crew, and guts. Also Michael is an impressive young man , he has the total package. Thanks for a great effort. The car was fast in hot laps and Michael cut the second qualifying lap at 15.522, fast time for the night. At Salem that is good news and bad news. The bad news is that is hard to pass at Salem ,unless you have a far superior car. Michael won the first heat race going away, even though he started in 6th position. Track temperatures cooled substantially for the feature, especially so for Mid-August. The car was very good in turns 3&4, and not as good in turns 1&2. Michael got up to 5th, then slipped to 6th, and passed our friend Eric Gordon with 2 laps to go for a 5th place finish !. Not a terrible night , but not what the Team is looking for either. Hey Michael, let's do this again.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

MICHAEL LEWIS TO DRIVE AT LAKE ERIE AND SALEM

Hoffman Racing welcomes Michael Lewis Jr to the Team. Michael will drive the Kroger/Tide/Pringles/Bounty Allegheny Trail Hoffman Car at Lake Erie Pa, and Salem Indiana this weekend, August 13 &14. Michael is the 2003 USAC Western States Sprint Car Champion, and 2003 National and Western States "Rookie of the Year". Michael won in Sprint Cars at Winchester , Salem and Cedar Rapids last year, in addition to 6 feature wins out West. We look forward to 2 wins this week with Michael.

RESULTS FROM MOPAR THUNDER AUGUST 7 2004

The challenge of fielding two cars was formidable for the Hoffman Team. The full Team was on hand to help prepare and make adjustments during the night of racing at the Big E. The format was similar to last year's MOPAR Million. Three hot laps were given to each car, followed by two 1 lap sessions of qualifying. Jon was in the top 10 of qualifying while Tracy and Rob were sorting out a new car on the track for the first time. Late in the 2nd session the track started to take rubber and times picked up substantially. We were finished with both sessions by the time the track took rubber and that hurt us the rest of the night. Jon ended up 10th, and Tracy 19th in qualifying, 68 cars took qualifying laps. Tracy started in heat race 1, with 3 cars transferring to the A main, with a $50,000 first place pay off. Tracy held on to 3rd until JJ passed him on the last lap of the 12 lap h! eat. That put Tracy in the B main. Jon had to start deeper in the 4th heat race because of his better qualifying time. Jon also finished 1 spot out of a transfer spot. This put both cars in the B main. Tracy dominated that race and turned some of the fastest laps of the night. Tracy had a straight away lead until a late yellow came out. Jon finished 2nd in the B main , so both cars were in the big show. To say that the Hoffman pit was busy all night, but especially after the B main would be the understatement of the year. Spring changes, tire changes, bar changes, fueling , all had to be accomplished in a short period of time. To complicate matters the bird cage on Jon's car had broken in the heat, and had to be changed. 21st and 22nd starting spots are not what the Team had in mind. Jon got a great start and passed what seemed like half the field in two laps when the yellow flew, causing Jon to ! go back. A questionable scoring decision put us back further than we should have been. When the race settled in Jon was running 13th and Tracy 16th for a large portion of the 40 lap feature. Jon's right rear began to smoke with about 15 laps to go, and finally blew with 2 laps to go. Tracy motored on for a 13th place finish, and Jon 18th. Certainly a disappointing night , which began with high expectations. A race like this requires good cars and a lot of luck with the draw ,and heat race line ups. (Photos)

See you at Lake Erie.

NEVER GIVE UP ATTITUDE PAYS OFF WITH GREAT FINISH-IRP SILVER CROWN RACE 8/5/2004

The frustration of the test we had a week ago at IRP continued early on in practice for the JD Byrider 100. During the test we could not get the car to push. Well early on in pracice that was solved, but then the car alternated between loose and tight. The crew made many spring and tire changes trying to hit the "sweet spot" of the car. The fastest we could go was 21.54. We picked up a little during qualifying, going 21.517, with the fast time by Jay Drake of 21.148. This put us barely in the field, and starting 21st on the grid. The never give up attitude and more spring changes and tire pressure adjustments payed off big time. Eric put on quite a show before the huge IRP crowd. The Kroger/Tide/Pringles/Bounty Hoffman car began to move forward on lap 6, going to 17th. Position 15 on lap 8, when the first caution flew on lap 12. Eric communicated to the crew t! hat the car pushed when he tried the high side, but was good down low on the track. Eric continued his march forward going to 14th on lap 15, 12th on lap 23, 11th on lap 25, and cracked the top 10 on lap 29. Eric then engaged in a good fight with car #6, Bobby East for a number of laps. We got by him on lap 35. The remarkable move forward continued with Eric passing low, with clean beautiful passes. Position 6 on lap 41, 5th on lap 45, 4th on lap 47. A yellow flew again on lap 54, Rob asked Eric to lower the car. Eric got in heavy traffic on lap 71 , which broke our momentum . Before the traffic congestion, we were running laps of 22.09 with the leader running at 22.16. The car started getting loose on lap 94, and Eric motored home to a strong 4th place finish. The huge crowd was appreciative of Eric's effort. The entire Team is pumped for Nazareth, the end of this month. GREAT JOB ERIC AND THE! TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TWO CARS BEING PREPARED FOR THE MOPAR THUNDER RACE AT THE BIG "E"

The crew has been putting in late nights, like 3 and 4 am to prepare a new car for Tracy Hines for the big purse($50,000) to win.(See attached picture) Jon Stanbrough will drive the three race old F5. The motors were both refreshed, the cars are beautiful and prepared for a 1-2 finish.
Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

HOFFMAN RACING HIDDEN HEROES

The amount of work that is involved in keeping a Team like Hoffman Racing going is incredible. The core Team can't do it alone. There are others who consistently help ,staying in the background. One in particular has always been there to help. We want to recognize and thank Pete Noll for everything he does for the Team. Pete has taken many trips to Gaerte to drop off and pick up motors, he has taken the long trips to pick up new cars. This allows Dan and Brian to stay at the shop and concentrate on making the cars faster. Without help from real fans like Pete, HAR would certainly not be as successful as we have been. THANKS PETE WE APPRECIATE YOU!!!!!!!!!

TEST DAY AT IRP

The Silver Crown Team will be at IRP on 7/29 to test for the 8/5 race.

SILVER CROWN CAR-SHOW CAR APPEARANCE 8/4 INDIANAPOLIS

The Silver Crown Car will be part of a big NASCAR show car party at the Rockville Rd Kroger store in Indianapolis on 8/4 from 12:00pm-8:00pm. Drop by and say hi to Dan and Brian.

SILVER CROWN CAR APPEARANCE KROGER TYLERSVILLE ROAD CINCINNATI- 8/1 FROM 10:00AM-4:30PM

The Silver Crown Car will be at the Tylersville Kroger store in Cincinnati on 8/1 from 10:00am-4:30pm. Bill Segman Dennison will have a live radio remote from 10:00 am-12:00pm. There will be numerous NASCAR show cars on display, and then a real race car-ours.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

SILVER CROWN RACE -MILWAUKEE MILE

The split crew of Richard, Tim W and Brian Gainey , with Rob flying back and forth on the IRL plane worked hard and well together in Milwaukee. A personal opinion is that Milwaukee is a beautiful race track and facility. The down town area of Milwaukee is very impressive, this would be a great race and city to visit next year. We were 12th in the first practice session at a fast lap of 28.4, with fast time of 28.2. Qualifying was a unique format and probably the format of the future. The cars were split up into groups(of similar practice times), and given 2 sessions of 4 hot laps with the fastest being your qualifying time. We got faster with a first session lap of 28.26. Rob and Brian made a fast gear change between sessions, and got Eric out just in time to take the green. The gear change didn't help and we ended up with 10th quick time. Rob and Eric continued to tune on the car ! and we were 5th fast in the morning warm up session. This was with a full fuel load. Eric got a great start going to 8th on lap 2. He then moved to 7th on lap 21. We knew we had trouble when Eric relayed to us that the motor was running 240 during a yellow. Eric was keeping the car under him and stalking the leaders, waiting to make his move with a competitive car. Unfortunately the motpr was not up to the task, letting go on lap 37(probably a head gasket). The Team now has a decision to make on engines, whether to stay with the Mopar or go back to the Chevy for IRP. We feel like we are very comprtitive, we are just not cathing a break.

WAY TO GO ROB

I am sure Rob does not want to replicate this week again next year. Rob hitched a ride in the Tyler's Motor home from the Burg to the Milwaukee Mile. Then flew from Milwaukee to Bloomington, Bloomington to Milwaukee, Milwaukee to Terre Haute , and drove home from Terre Haute. He was one tired Crew Chief . Rob did an unbelievable job, get some rest.

NEW F5'S ON ORDER

Richard stepped again and showed the Team's desire to win by ordering 2 new F5's from Wayne. First car to be delivered this Tuesday and ready for the MOPAR Thunder at the Big E

INDIANA SPRINT WEEK- TERRE HAUTE

The new Twister got to hit the track for the 2nd time at Terre Haute. Jon was sore after the Bloomington flip, but he was tough and drove hard all night. A late draw saw a very competitive 8th quick time with a track that was deteriorating quickly . The entire modified program was run before the sprint cars hit the track. This was done to wait for the drivers and crews flying in from Milwaukee. A 2nd place finish in heat 4 put us in the A main. Starting 8th Jon did a masterful job working his way to 2nd and giving JJ all he wanted. Unfortunately the left front tire was going down late in the race . Another case of it would have been interesting. Great 2nd place finish after a rough Bloomington.

INDIANA SPRINT WEEK-BLOOMINGTON

The car was competitive , with a late draw, and an 8th place qualifying effort. Jon won the 4th heat with a very impressive effort after starting in the back of the pack. Jon worked his way up to 2nd in the A Main with 7 laps to go and was going for the lead battling with Kevin Briscoe. In one of those" racing deals" Jon was pushed up and off the track. Working his way back on the track, he was hit in the left rear by another car, run up the track and flipped after hitting the berm. The car was done for the night . Great effort by Jon, going for the win. Thankfully Jon was okay. The Sprint Car split crew did a remarkable job changing engines and getting the new Twister ready for Terre Haute. Way to go Rob, Dan, Big Al, Cowboy, and Tommy

RECORD SETTING WIN # 59 COMES AT OUR HOME TRACK-THE BURG.

It was a terrific night for the Team. Jon qualified 9th, only a tenth off the fast time. A rough track was hard to pass on , and rain delayed the race and actually helped the track. Jon got caught behind slower cars and finished 7th in heat number one. Jon battled his way to 3rd in the B Main. Showing the qualities of a Championship Team, the crew worked hard to prepare the car for the A main. Starting in the front row , Jon kicked butt, dominating the race for record setting National win #59 for the Kroger/Tide/Bounty/Pringles Hoffman Team. There was a huge celebration in two places. Obviously a big one in Lawrenceburg, but 400 miles to the North , the other part of the Team had a celebration at the Days Inn in Milwaukee. There is nothing like winning. We are looking for win # 60 very soon.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

RUNNER-UP AT TERRE HAUTE 7-24 (STORY)

Jon Stanbrough wins Robbie Stanley Classic (7-22) (story )

INDIANA SPRINT WEEK- GAS CITY RAINED OUT AGAIN AFTER SETTING FAST TIME

Things were looking very positive Wednesday night at the Gas City rescheduled race. Jon set fast time after qualifying first of the 64 cars on hand . The track stayed good all night so this was a legit fast time, smoking Levi by 0.2. The first heat was a tough one with Gaines, Hessert, Wise, and Darland transferring, we finished 5th. Jon had a tough time getting past Darland on the high side. The semi brought a dominating performance by Jon and the Team, winning by a straight away. We were set to start 6th in the A main when the rains hit, heavy rains, which washed out the event. We picked up some points on Tony Stewart #21 in the battle for 2nd in points and in the chase for first place. The Team splits today for Indiana Sprint Week and Milwaukee. Rob's excellent adventure starts today. See you at The "BURG" or the Mile.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

THIS WEEK IS A CHALLENGE

USAC's schedule this week has resulted in a real strain on the Team. Indiana Sprint Week continues, now Wednesday through Saturday, and a Silver Crown race in Milwaukee at the same time. We need to be in Milwaukee Thursday to unload the Silver Crown car and we have practice starting early Friday morning. Of course this is at the same time the Sprint Car continues to race in Indiana. Richard , Tim W and Brian will take the Champ car Thursday to Milwaukee in our old trailer . Dan, Al, and Cowboy will handle the Sprint car with Rob flying back and forth between Indiana and Milwaukee. To say that this is a challenge is the understatement of the year. The resource and financial impact of this scheduling is a real hardship to all the participants involved in both Sprint and Silver Crown racing in USAC. We all hope there are good business reasons for this crazy schedule. We will meet the challenge. You can be assured the Team will be thinking about each other and wishing each other the best .

INDIANA SPRINT WEEK RACE # 4 TRI-STATE SPEEDWAY

We wish we had better news to report, but the long trip to Haubstadt resulted in another disappointing night. Another poor qualifying effort put the Team behind the 8 ball again. This night a 32nd fast time made the show by one slot. Changes made to the car resulted in better side bite and drive off the corners and a win in heat number 4. Starting in the back usually results in a long night and this was no exception. Twice Jon got cught up in other people'e problems and had to start at the back once again. The result was a 20th place finish. Everyone is looking forward to a new week, and a fresh start at Gas City Wednesday.

Tim Waechter

INDIANA SPRINT WEEK RACE #3 PUTNAMVILLE

Not much can be said about Putnamville . A very poor qualifying effort of 31st put the Team in a big hole for the remainder of the night. We drew pill #16, which usually is good news on a dirt track. But it didn't work out tonight. Starting on the first row in heat number 3, Jon was able to transfer to the A Main by finishing 2 nd. Starting in the rear of the A Main, Jon got up to 18th at one point. A vibration developed as a result of a "packed wheel", and Jon parked the car rather than take a chance of being in the way for the remainder of the race. I am sure that we dropped to third place in car owner points after last night. No excuses, just a bad night all around. The Team will recover with a strong effort tonight at Haubstadt.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

INDIANA SPRINT WEEK RACE #2- GAS CITY RAINED OUT , RESCHEULED FOR 7/21

INDIANA SPRINT WEEK- RACE 1 NORTH VERNON

The first night of Indiana Sprint week brought a new Hoffman car to the track. It also brought the new car blues to the Team. The new Twister is beautiful (see photo) , Richard did a great job on the paint job. Early on in hot laps the track was heavy. We drew pill #23 and were in the 2nd group of 5, as 65 cars showed for night one. Adjustments after hot laps got the car better. Jon hit the cushion hard on lap one in turn 4, the car washed up the track, effecting lap 1 and lap 2. Our time of 14.653 was good for 17th fast time. More adjustments, chasing the new car, were made for heat race 3. Jon did a great job transferring or we would have had a tough go the rest of the night. A number of good cars did not transfer to the A Main as we started 11th in stead of 17th. Jon got a great start getting to 6th by lap 2. Jon stayed low on the track in all four turns ! . The car was much better in the feature, but still had little side bite. Jon had a classic race with Bud Kaeding for about 8 laps . A 7th place finish was an okay start to Sprint week. We want and will do better. The Team may go back to the older Twister which won the last race to Gas City, to give us time to sort out the new car. Thanks for your support of Hoffman Racing.

Tim Waechter

NEW TWISTER BEING PREPARED FOR INDIANA SPRINT WEEK

A new Twister arrived last week and is being prepared for Indiana Sprint Week. Things being very hectic around the shop, the new car was sent to Jon Stanbrough to do some fabricating and is now back at the shop. Richard has the body painted, and Dan, Rob, and Brian should have it ready in plenty of time for Thursday's opening race at North Vernon Indiana.

RESULTS FROM IRP

After very little sleep, as a result of Friday nights crash in Toledo, the crew arrived late at IRP. The car was unloaded just in time to heat the motor, set tire pressures, and push off for the 2nd hot lap group. The car was good enough for 6th quick time. The car was loose during hot laps and qualifying. Rob tightened up the car for heat race number 2 , as Aaron finished 3rd behind Marc Jessup, and Travis Miniea, and transferred for the feature and the pole position. Another adjustment was made for a tight car for the feature. Aaron fought hard for positions 2 @ 3 for the first half of the race. The car got loose and he held on for a 6th place finish, being passed for 5th by Jay Drake on turn 4 lap 30. Thanks to the crew for a great effort in putting the car back together after a bad wreck at Toledo. Racing luck will be on our side soon.

RESULTS FROM TOLEDO

Toldeo started out well as the car was 6th fastest in practice, using USAC transponders. The crew put stickers on for qualifying,resulting in a 10th quick time. Heat 2 resulted in a 4th place finish, Aaron passed Aaron Pierce on turn 4 of the last lap, on a track where passing is at a premium. The feature resulted in a scary wreck at the start of the race. Bobby East and Levi Jones decided to get together going into turn one of lap one. This resulted in a chain reaction incident causing Aaron to have no place to go except over one of the Stewart cars. The Kroger/Tide car vaulted high in the air, climbing up over the wall and into the fence, landing up against the wall. Thankfully Aaron was unhurt but the car was a mess. The crew did a tremendous job getting the car back together to make one more lap resulting in a finish ahead of two of the Stewart cars, gaing a few valuable car owner! points. The result was a late night and an early wake up to get ready for IRP.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY RESULTS

Congratulations and many thanks are due USAC and PPIR personnel for doing an unbelievable job to assure that the racing happened on the 4th . A heavy rain to include hail hit the track as the midgets were ready to push off for their feature. USAC made good decisions to shorten all races, Midgets and Sprint cars to 20 laps, and Silver Crown to 60 laps. It was getting dark as the checkered fell on the Champ car event. The track worked hard to dry the track, in an efficient manner and they did. The fans were great in staying through the storm and were rewarded with great racing in all Divisions. Mark this race on your calendar for next year. It is a beautiful well run track, the racing is great and the fireworks are incredible. All for a very reasonable price.

SPRINT CAR
The weekend started out with a bang as JJ set an unofficial new world record for a Sprint car on a mile track clocking in at 24.75, as timed by the USAC transponder. The car stayed good as the second practice session ran. We could not back up our time in qualifying in the heat of the day as JJ ran a 25.017, putting us 2nd to Dave Steele who picked up 0.6 of a second from his best practice time and clocked in at 24.831 setting the new official world record. We were 4th in the warmup session with full tanks and old tires. Starting 2nd in the shortened 20 lap feature , the start was not a good one as the car did not tke off and we fell to 4th immediately. JJ worked his way up to 3rd before being passed by Michael Lewis with a few laps left in the race and we finished 4th. We could never find the balance in the car during the feature. Thanks to JJ for a great effort, the entire crew enjoyed workin! g with you and hope we can hook up again in the future.

SILVER CROWN CAR
In contrast to the Sprint Car, we starting out struggling a bit in the practice sessions. We were 15th and 11th in the practice sessions. We put stickers on for the qualifying session and had a substantial improvement in speed finishing 4th . The feature was shortened to 60 laps, so we removed some fuel for the feature. The car started great as Eric stayed 4th and was pushing Dave Steele for 3rd on lap 7. We had a very competitive car , no one had anything for Dane Carter early. JJ passed us on lap 11, so we were running 5th. Then a problem that has been haunting us with this new MOPAR engine since we installed it before Richmond reared its ugly head again. An oil leak caused us to be black flagged during a yellow on lap 32. It was determined ahead of time that yellows after lap 30 would not count, so we did not loose a lap. Rob,and Dan did a great job fixing the leak and ge! tting us back out before the green dropped. Eric was on the back stretch as the field took the green. Eric did a fantastic job catching the field, passing a number of cars , running fast laps , and finishing 17th. If we cannot find and fix the oiling problems with the MOPAR , look for the Chevy back in the car for Milwaukee.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

RICHMOND RESULTS SILVER CROWN AND SPRINT CAR

The Team put out an incredible effort with two cars going in the heat and humidity of Richmond Virginia. The weekend saw okay results, but not the results that we want. Congratulations to Rob, Dan, Brian, Richard and Tim W on working as a Team to get a great deal of work done in a compacted period of time.

Sprint Car results- Rain was a factor all weekend but especially Friday. USAC now has their own transponders, and with the rain made a good decision to count the fastest practice lap as the qualifying lap. JJ did not like the way the car turned, saying that he felt it was hard to turn. We ended up 8th in practice time, a good .5 of a second off the pace set by Jay Drake. The 60 lap feature was broken up into two 30 lap segments. At half time we were allowed to make changes to the car, except change tires(a penalty if you did, loose a lap and go to the rear). JJ got to 4th at one point before being passed on lap 20 by Dave Steele. We had a huge lead on the 6th place car , and were competitive with the first 4 cars. We made a change to try and make the steering easier, refueled, made a spring, and air pressure change at the break. Car #98 passed us on lap 38 to move us to 6th! place. JJ did a good job getting by Michael Lewis on lap 48 for a 5th place finish. Jason McCord was the class of the field, the best car definitely won. The entire crew really enjoyed working with JJ, and we look forward to this weekend in Colorado with much better results. The Team is in second place in points, within striking distance of the 20 car.

Silver Crown results- The same scenario played out with the Silver Crown car in terms of qualifying. We finished the combined 2 practice sessions with the 4th fastest time. However the car was not comfortable to drive all weekend. The car basically was not consistent from lap to lap and even from turn to turn on the same lap. After the warm-up period Rob found an oil leak in the new MOPAR, needless to say the 30 minutes in between that session and the feature was hectic. Rob and Dan fixed the oil leak, Brian changed the gear, Richard and Tim bled the brakes and fueled the car. The race featured numerous yellow flags, probaly only 60 laps were run under the green. The car was a hand full for Eric all race. Loose in one turn, tight in another. Our tires took awhile to "come in" and the yellows hurt us. The fact that we finished 8th is a tribute to the driving skills ! of Eric Gordon. A less experienced driver certainly would have put the old girl in the wall. After the race we found that the right rear tire did not grow in pressure, and the left front shock had no rebound. That could explain alot. We look forward to a winning run in Colorado with Eric.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

BUCKEYE NATIONALS WRAP-UP

The Buckeye Nationals were a mixture of optimism and frustration . The optimism comes from the fact that the Team believes that we have the right driver in Jon Stanbrough. Jon drove hard every race and was very impressive. The frustration comes from the fact that we had the chance to win two races and our best finish was 2nd. We were also in the entrants car point lead going into Lima, and now we find ourselves in the catch-up mode. We still do not know what happened in Lima, why the car came around while in the lead. We also had 5 lapped cars in between Jon and 2nd place with 5 laps to go. The crew did a fantastic job getting the car back together, there was substantial damage from hitting the wall and being hit by several cars. We just were not good at Eldora Saturday night. Qualifying 14th is not what we are used to at the Big E. Jon transferred through the heat by making a slick last lap pass for 4th place. Starting 11th in the feature Jon got up to 8th a one point, but we then slid back to 13th by the end of the 30 lap A main. Jon tried several lines during the caution free race, none of which worked. Better days are ahead beginning with Richmond this weekend. We look forward to JJ Yeley driving the pavement Sprint Car , and Eric Gordon driving the Silver Crown Car. See you at the races!!!

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing ( Photos )

LIMALAND, LIMA OHIO

Well, it was quite a night, while it lasted. 3rd Quick, 4th in the Heat. Jon was running away from the pack in the feature when he tagged the wall on lap 24 and ended up 20th for the night. More details later.

FREMONT- FREMONT, OHIO

BUCKEYE NATIONALS-1ST RACE ATTICA - WHAT A GREAT START!!!!!!!

The first race for Jon in the car is a great indication of what is to come. What an awesome start considering it was the first time Jon worked with the Team and drove the Twister. Jon set fast time with a lap of 14.345, besting Shane Cottle by a big margin of .2 sec. Starting 8th in heat race one, Jon looked good for a transfer spot until the motor developed a "stumble" , we finished 7th and did not transfer to the A main. Rob, Dan, and Brian worked on the motor and Jon won the B main by a wide margin. This was impressive given the fact that there were some great cars that did not transfer in their heat races as well: like Yeley, Wise, Kruseman, Elloitt, Drake, Reid, Jones . The A main saw Jon starting 6th. Dropping to 9th initially he drove toward the front, by the red flag on lap 19 he was 4th. Jon drove the car deep in the turns , moving to 3rd by the yellow &nbs! p;a few laps later. YY passed us late in the race, but he ended up in the fence, unhurt thankfully, when something broke on the car (his new car). The motor started to "stumble" again very late in the race or we all believe that we would have passed Bud for the win. Second place the first time out is fantastic. Great job by Jon and the Team. Thanks for your support of the Kroger/Tide/Pringles/Bounty Hoffman car. See you in Freemont !!!!

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

JON STANBROUGH VISITS SHOP

Jon Stanbrough visited the shop Saturday to be fitted in the car. Jon got the tour and we had a great bonding session. Jon's first race with us is this Wednesday 6/16 , the first race of the Buckeye Nationals.

MOPAR IN CHAMP CAR FOR RICHMOND

Thanks to Gaerte we will have a MOPAR in the Silver Crown Car for the Richmond race . The motor arrived last week and took quite a bit of work to fit the new motor plate, and re-plumb for the new motor. It sounded awesome and is ready to go.(see photo).

All 4 cars were in the shop , getting ready for the hectic next three weeks.(see photo) Following the Buckeye Nationals, Dan and Brian leave for Richmond Tuesday night, and then head for Pikes Peak.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

JON STANBROUGH TO DRIVE PRIMARY DIRT CAR

Loveland Ohio (June 8, 2004)- Hoffman Racing today is announcing that USAC veteran Jon Stanbrough will drive the primary dirt Sprint Car beginning with the first race of the Buckeye Nationals on 6/16 at Attica Ohio Raceway.

" We are thrilled to have a proven veteran in our car . Jon has established that he is a winner in USAC competition as well as local tracks. The experience he brings us will be a tremendous help to us as we prepare for the hectic part of our schedule. The Kroger/Tide/Bounty/Pringles Twister will be in good hands and we look forward to winning with Jon beginning with the Buckeye Nationals", said Richard Hoffman, President of Hoffman Racing.

"I am excited for this great opportunity. Although I am not competing for the USAC Championship, I look forward to helping the Kroger/Tide Hoffman Team win their 8^th National Championship . We have both proven that we are capable of winning, together we will be a force capable of winning every race", said Jon Stanbrough.

Jon won USAC races at Lawrenceburg and Eldora in 2003, finishing 9^th in points adding two seconds and eight other top 10 finishes, running a limited schedule. Jon is a 14 year USAC veteran, with 112 starts through 2003 and a total of 7 wins.

Tracy Hines will continue to race the Kroger/Tide second car when he is available. As previously announced JJ Yeley will drive the car at Richmond and Pikes Peak. Aaron Fike drove the car to a 6^th place finish at Hawkeye Downs on June 4 . Eric Gordon continues as the driver of the Silver Crown Car.

Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR) competes in the Silver Crown and Sprint Car Divisions of the United States Auto Club (USAC). HAR was founded in 1929 by August (Gus) Hoffman. Three generations of Hoffman’s are involved with the Team. HAR is the all time leader in USAC National Sprint Car Team victories with 58 . HAR also has 7 Silver Crown victories, for a total of 65 National wins. HAR has a record 7 USAC National Championships to its credit, and celebrates 75 years of competition this year.

Primary sponsorship will continue from Kroger and Tide, with associate sponsorship from Pringles, Bounty, and Allegheny Trail.

Rob Hoffman continues as VP of Engineering and crew chief for HAR. Dan Landerville, VP of Operations continues in his vital role for the Team.

Tim Waechter

VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

HAWKEYE DOWNS RESULTS

Aaron Fike made his debut in the pavement sprint car at this tight 1/2 mile paved track(the only one in the State of Iowa). The car was good in practice. The Team changed to new tires before the end of practice and would have been a top 6 qualifier with our time. The car was tight in the middle of the turns, and the changes made for qualifying made the car too loose and Aaron hung on for a 13th qualifying effort. Changes made the car tight again in the heat, but Aaron did a good job and transferred with a 3rd place finish in heat one. The car was good in the feature, and Aaron did a great job passing on a very tight track and finished 6th. Aaron passed some very good cars on the way to 6th, the car was as good as any in the feature.

Great job Aaron.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

HOFFMAN TEAM AND DICKIE GAINES AGREE TO HEAD IN A NEW DIRECTION

Hoffman Auto Racing and Dickie Gaines today agreed to move in a new direction. Unfortunately our results this year with Dickie have not been what either one of us want. Sometimes no matter how hard people work and try to succeed together, things do not work out. The Hoffman Team wants to express our sincere thanks to Dickie for his hard work in trying to make our relationship a winning proposition. We as a Team have all the respect in the world for Dickie both as a driver, and as a person. We wish Dickie and his family nothing but the best in the future.

Hoffman Racing is currently exploring our options as to driver choice for the sprint car. Tracy Hines will continue to drive for us as his schedule allows, to include this Sunday at Eldora. Thank you for your support of our Team.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing
513-284-1519

RESULTS FROM ANDERSON 5/26

The Team put in hours of practice between the time in the "little 500" , and USAC practice. Progress was being made in the morning session, and in the USAC practice we got down to a fast lap of 11.32. The only other car we clocked that fast was our friend Eric Gordon, in the 11.30's. We were in the last qualifying group. Tracy took the green and the car skated up the track in 1 & 2, loosing front grip and we qualified at a disappointing 11.591, good for 9th quickest. many other competitors had the same problem, Eric Gordon, Dave Steele, Brian Tyler. Qualifying 9th puts you in a bad position at Anderson since passing is at a minimum. Tracy did a good job in the heat, transferring to the A main with a 3rd place finish. The feature was 50 laps of follow the leader with the exception of Eric Gordon who went from 10th to 4th. We finished 8th and we were pushing Dave Steele ! hard all race with a competitive car. The Team stays in 3rd place in the Team points only 15 from the lead. See you at Eldora.

RESULTS FROM TERRE HAUTE 5/22

A hot Indiana night, and a two car effort was a challenge for the Hoffman Team at Terre Haute. A field of 53 sprint cars challenged the Action Track. Hot laps were brief and showed Rob and the boys that the track was going to be hard slick and rough. A few changes were made before qualifying attempts were made.

It ended up being a night of contrasts between the two cars. JJ ended up 5th in qualifying running high on the track. Dickie qualified 37th, drawing a late pill and having a rough go in the two laps. Dickie recovered nicely and won the first non-qualifiers race. Of course this put both Hoffman cars in heat race number one, both in the back one row apart. JJ drove hard and finished 2nd, transferring to the A main. Dickie made a good run but came up short and had to transfer through the B main. Dickie again drove hard in the B main, but had a long way to go, and finished 8th and car #69ot was finished for the night.

JJ started 3rd in the A main. He ran hard from the drop of the green flag and eventually took the lead on lap 12. He kept the point until lap 18 . The track started to take rubber, which the crew had not anticipated, and JJ lost the lead on lap 19. He dropped back as far as 4th and eventually finished 3rd. The crew really enjoyed the first time working with JJ and look forward to pavement runs with him at Richmond and Pikes Peak.

Two more races finish out the week, Wednesday at Anderson with Tracy in the car, and a two car effort again Sunday at Eldora.

JJ YELEY TO DRIVE SECOND CAR AT TERRE HAUTE

Tracy is not available to drive at Terre Haute this Saturday 5/22 due to his NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Charlotte. JJ Yeley and Richard talked and Richard made the second car available to JJ. The driver line-up will be Dickie Gaines and JJ in the two Kroger/Tide/Bounty/Pringles/Allegheny Trail Gaerte Twisters at the Action Track. See you at the races!!!

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

HOFFMAN RACING TEAMS UP WITH USAC 2003 TRIPLE CROWN WINNER

J.J. YELEY TO DRIVE PAVEMENT SPRINT CAR AT RICHMOND AND PIKES PEAK

Loveland Ohio( May 10, 2004)- The winningest Team in USAC Sprint Car History, and the 2003 USAC Triple Crown winner will team up for two races in the upcoming months. The Kroger/Tide/Pringles/Bounty/Allegheny Trail Hoffman car will be driven by Nascar rookie J.J. Yeley at Richmond on 6/25, and at Pikes Peak on 7/3-7/4.

"Tracy (Hines) was unavailable to drive for us these dates, so we feel fortunate to be able to fill our car with such a capable Champion. The entire Team is looking forward to working with JJ instead of competing against him. He is a tough competitor, and we have a championship Team, so the combination should produce great results", said Richard Hoffman , President of Hoffman Racing.

J.J. Yeley is currently driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in his first year in NASCAR following an impressive open wheel career. J.J.’s career highlights include the USAC 2001-2002 "Super License" Champ, 2001 National Sprint Car Champion, 2002 Silver Crown Champion, and 2003 Triple Crown Winner.

Primary sponsorship will continue from Kroger and Tide, with associate sponsorship from Pringles, Bounty, and Allegheny Trail.

Rob Hoffman continues as VP of Engineering and crew chief for HAR. Dan Landerville, VP of Operations continues in his vital role for the Team.

Tim Waechter

VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

AN INTERESTING AND BUSY WEEKEND IN MEMPHIS

SILVER CROWN RACE 5/8 AT MEMPHIS MOTOR SPORTS PARK- MEMPHIS SPEEDWAY

Race number two with Eric Gordon was very encouraging and bodes well for the future. Rob, Eric , and the Team are communicating well, the car is good, and we look for a win in Richmond. During the 1 1/2 hour practice session the Team got the car on the track for 9 sessions, including changing tires twice. We had a good car all practice and improved as we went along. The Team functioned like a fine tuned watch, as Richard says "it is a beautiful thing to see". We qualified late in the session and were 10th quick with a time of 21.466, Dave Steele was quick at 21.219. How competitive is the Silver Crown series, positions 6-10 were separated by .066.

Eric had a great start moving to 5th place by lap 6. We were running laps at 22.4, the leader was running laps of 22.1 by lap 12. Eric worked his way to 4th by lap 25, and 3rd by lap 28. Bobby East used car #77 as a pick and passed us on lap 40. Eric worked hard and got back by East on lap 54 for 3rd only to have a yellow come out and put us back to 4th. This turned out to be critical as Eric could not get by Bobby the rest of the race, and he really held us up. Eric worked with Rob on adjustments, especially lowering the car all during the race. PJ Jones got by us at lap 69. The car got loose the last 20 laps and Eric held on for a 5th place finish. Dave Steele and Jason McCord were the class of the field, we were right there with the next 3 cars all race. Good run , great work by Eric and the Team. Look out competition, we are coming.

SPRINT CAR RACE MEMPHIS MOTORSPORTS PARK - DIRT TRACK 5/7

This was the most bizarre night we have spent at the race track in memory. It was a busy night with two cars to hot lap, qualify, and race. The Bandit-USAC challenge brought a stellar field of 47 cars to include Sammy Swindell, Travis Rilat, and Shane Stewart , along with the USAC regulars. Both cars qualified late in the session with Dickie clocked in at 23rd quick, and Tracy qualified 2nd, being edged out by Travis Rilat. Dickie did a good job finishing 2nd in his heat and transferred. Tracy was a victim of starting last in an 8 car heat, on a "small" 1/4 mile tight track, and a blocked track, and failed to transfer in his heat. He led most of the semi until he was passed late by Shane Stewart .

Now comes the feature, Tracy starting 5th, and Dickie 15th. The feature included :1) 1 1/2 hours to run the 30 lap feature 2) 3 flips, three red flags, numerous yellows 3) The leading and 2nd running car running out of fuel during a late yellow (which then became a red), one on the track passed by the field, the other pulling in the infield, and both given their positions back when the race resumed. 4) Lapped cars being scored in the final 5 finishers. 5) long delays due to scoring confusions.

Bottom line is that the packed house saw good racing, but questionable scoring and officiating. Tracy finished 8th, and Dickie 13th , USAC said. Enough said!!!

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

RECORD SETTING USAC NATIONAL SPRINT WIN #58 COMES AT GAS CITY

Tracy Hines drove the Kroger/Tide/Pringles/Bounty/Allegheny Trail Hoffman car to a record setting USAC National Sprint Car win #58 at Gas City on 5/1. It was a dominating performance by the Hoffman Team and Tracy in the #69 car. Every win is a New National record for the winningest Team in USAC Sprint Car history . The night was a challenge to the Team as we fielded two cars for the first race of the Border Wars. Tracy is defending Champion, and a two time winner of Border Wars.

A stellar field of 49 cars were split into 4 hot lap sessions of 4 green flag laps each. Tracy and Dickie gave their input to Rob, Dan, Richard, and Brian for adjustments before qualifying. We had pulled pills that were late in the session for both cars. The track was loosing moisture by the time Tracy set 5th quick time with a fast lap of 13.355, .2 off the pace set by John Wolfe. Dickie didn't fair as well with a time of 13.746 good for 23rd quick time. The heat races were packed with cars and Tracy got stuck behind a pack of 4 cars blocking the track in heat race 1, and was unable to transfer. Dickie did a good job and showed good judgment by staying low on the track and finishing 4th in heat race 3. Tracy dominated the semi but a disturbing "miss" developed in the engine late in the semi. Rain was moving in so our feature was moved up in the program and there was in! sufficient time for Rob,Dan Richard and Brian to diagnose the problem. Needless to say we were all nervous about the motor problem, and bringing two cars home with a 1-2 finish. Tracy rocketed off at the first start and had a nice lead when the yellow flew on lap 3. Again Tracy led Shane Hollingsworth to turn one and started to pull away . Tracy began to pass backmarkers at lap 15 on the tight 1/4 mile track. Tracy did a masterful job of driving through traffic and had lapped 10 cars when the checkered flew and a dominating win for the Team. It was awesome to see Tracy drive low, high, wherever, to pass in traffic. The engine sounded worse as laps went on, and finished with a temp of 270 degrees. Dickie struggled in mid pack and heavy traffic and finished 15th. Congratulations to the entire Team , especially Rob, Dan, and Brian for fielding two quality cars. The second race in Border Wars w! as rained out at the Big E, and will be held 5/30.

NEXT RACE: The Big M Motorfest in Memphis 5/7-5/8. We will again field two Sprint Cars for the Friday night National Race with the Bandit series. The Silver Crown Car will compete with Eric Gordon at the wheel on Saturday at the big track. See you at the races. (Photos)

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

KROGER TIDE HOFFMAN TEAM TO FIELD TWO CARS FOR THE "BORDER WARS"

The Kroger/Tide/Bounty/Pringles/ Hoffman Team will field two Twisters for this weekends "Border Wars". Dickie Gaines and Tracy Hines will drive the cars in search of our first victories this year. Tracy is planning on defending his "Border Wars" title , while the Team is set on two 1-2 finishes. See you at the races!!!!

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

TOUGH NIGHT IN WISCONSIN

The second race in the Sprint Car season was one to forget for the Team. The race held Saturday at Beaver Dam Wisconsin was a tough night start to finish. The car was loose in hot laps . We went out 31st and qualified 11th,on a race track that had become dry-slick from the midgets qualifying and 30 Sprint Cars. In the heat race Dickie got to fourth(a transfer position) at one point before tangling with Daron Clayton, both cars flipped. The Crew worked extremely hard to put the car back together for the semi. Dickie got to 6th at one point, before developing a push and spinning coming out of turn 2. The Team took a provisional for the feature, but the hard luck night continued with the shock cap coming off and Dickie parking the car in the infield.

GOOD START TO THE SPRINT CAR SEASON-ANDERSON 4/18/2004

Mother Nature finally cooperated and the Sprint Car season got underway Sunday at Anderson. It was a beautiful day and it was great to see old friends again after a long cold winter. You don't get better without trying new set ups, and the Team tried some new twists Sunday in practice. Limited practice time hurt us when the changes we made didn't work the way we would have preferred. The result was a 15th place qualifying effort, with a lap of 11.95, Jason McCord set fast time at 11.59, so we were off by quite a bit. Rob, Dan and Tracy made the car better for the heat race, where we finished 4th and transferred to the feature. More changes were made for the 50 lap feature. The car was as, good as any in the A main. We ran laps of 11.5 and 11.6 which were as good as any turned all day. Tracy drove a masterful race weaving through heavy traffic on the 1/4 mile which is famous for ! being hard to pass anyone. Tracy was in 10th by the time caution number one came out on lap 20. We got stuck behind the #26 for too many laps, although we were faster. We were in turn four when the first four cars took the checkered flag, placing the Kroger/Tide car 5th. Great job by Tracy and the Team. Please see pictures from Anderson. (Photos)

Also the crew from "This is real racing" documented the day and interviewed Richard, Rob, Tracy and Tim several times during the day. Next race 4/24 at Beaver Dam Wisconsin. Dickie Gaines will be in the car. Thanks for your support of Hoffman Racing.

HOFFMAN TEAM TO BE FEATURED ON "REAL RACING"

The crew from the TV show "Real Racing" spent last night at the shop. Scott Millsop and son Quinn took videos and interviewed Richard in preparation for several features that will be done on the Team in the upcoming months. The show airs on channel 23 in Indianapolis on Saturday and Sunday morning, and throughout Indiana. They took videos of Rob starting up the pavement Sprint Car in preparation for Nashville. You will find a picture of Rob in the car attached. Yes it took 10 minutes or so for Rob to squeeze in the car. Thank God for the South Beach diet. Tracy, sorry about your seat, it may need adjusting tomorrow. Also you will find pictures of two of Rob's children, Lauren and AJ in the famous #7 midget owned by Old Timer, and now owned by Richard. This car has a storied history which will be featured in the show. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we will race at Nashville tomorrow. Thanks for your support of Hoffman Racing. (story with photos)

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

TEAM PREPARES FOR SPRINT CAR OPENER-NOW IN NASHVILLE

Last weekend's "weather" outs were a disappointment to the Team. Now our focus shifts to the opener at a new track, in a new State, and a new City. I dropped by the Music City Motorplex Park , located at the Fairgrounds several weeks ago. I was impressed by the facility, and one could feel the history of the track as you walked around. The new Management led by Joe Mattioli has worked hard to promote the Track and they had a very successful opening night last week. The track is banked and very wide, it looks like a wide Toledo. We are helping promote the event with Kroger. You can buy on $15 ticket at Kroger, and with your Kroger Plus Card get a second ticket free. The car will be displayed at the Hermitage Tenn Kroger located at 5544 Old Hickory on Friday 4/9 from 3-7pm. Tracy will be in the car for the unique format of two 77 lap races on the half mile. See you there.

SPRINT CAR SEASON OPENS THIS WEEKEND - GOOD LUCK TRACY IN YOUR BUSCH RIDE [Postponed by weather to May 30th]

The Team is raring to go as the Sprint Car schedule opens this weekend at Eldora and Anderson. Dickie Gaines will drive the dirt car at the Big "E" Saturday and Tracy Hines will be in the pavement car Sunday at Anderson. Photos are of the cars as they are ready to load. decals need to be applied to the pavement car. We want to wish Tracy good luck in his first Nascar Busch Series ride at Texas. Tracy is then catching a plane to join us at Anderson Sunday. See you at the races!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PHOENIX COPPER WORLD 3/18-3/21 2004

Thanks to our webmaster Paul for posting notes on Phoenix earlier. We were fast all weekend, as far as we could tell we had a top 10 car on Thursday and Friday. Transponders were placed on the cars Saturday, and we were 4th quick on the final practice before qualifying. We had tremendous bad luck by picking pill number 1 for qualifying. The track was not swept between the final IRL practice and our qualifying. The two different tire compounds are not friendly to each other, and the result was we qualified 23rd, loosing .3 seconds from our last practice time. It took about 15 cars to qualify before the track started to "come in" for the Silver Crown Cars. We were moving up at the start of the race , Eric had passed 4 cars in just a few laps when the engine "let go".

The bottom line is that we had a competitive car, well balanced, and fast all weekend. Bad luck followed the Team to Phoenix again with a bad draw and an engine problem. We also have the start of something big with Eric Gordon and the Team. Our first time with Eric was a great experience. Eric is a a savvy veteran driver, he is a competitor, and gives great feedback to Rob, Richard, and Dan. The Team was well organized, worked well together, and worked extremely hard all weekend. We have everything it takes to win, and we will win with Eric. See you in Memphis with the Silver Crown Car May 7 & 8.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

Phoenix Silver Crown 3-19

Just received a report from the speedway, wrapping Friday's practice. The team was very happy with the practice times today, hoping it will put us up front for the race. Eric communicated very well with the crew which helps tremendously with getting the proper set up. We have a early number for qualifying, so we will be dealing more with the rubber on the track from the IRL's early practice. I will get another report up as soon as I hear from the team on Saturday.

HOFFMAN RACING CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF COMPETITION

Loveland, Ohio (March 12,2004)-- When the Kroger/Tide Hoffman Racing Silver Crown Car takes the track next week at Phoenix International Raceway, it will mark the beginning of year 75 of competition for the Team.

Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR) was founded by August "Gus"(Old Timer) Hoffman when he purchased a Model T Speedster in 1929 and converted it into the Team’s first Sprint Car. Little did Gus know that 75 years later his sons Richard and Tom, and his grandsons Rob and Chris would be carrying on the Family tradition of excellence in Motorsports.

Highlights of the Team’s history include:

1929-1960 Gus campaigned Sprint Cars and Midgets, his drivers included Eddie Sachs, and Don Branson

1964 Gus’s son Richard became co-owner of the Team

1973-1984 HAR fielded Indy Cars, including 7 Indy 500 starts

1989 HAR won the first of 7 USAC National Sprint Car Championships with Rob Hoffman as the crew chief(’92,’93,’96,’97,’99,’02)

HAR is the winningest Team in USAC Sprint Car history

2003 recognized for excellence by the Ohio State Senate and House of Representatives

Drivers of note:

Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Tracy Hines, Kasey Kahne, Kenny Irwin, Rich Vogler, Dave Darland, Johnny Parsons Jr., Tim Richmond, Jay Drake, Brian Tyler, Robbie Stanley, Eric Gordon

" We know Old Timer is with us every time we take the track, I like to think that we continue to make him proud. We are proud of our legacy and look forward to year 75 knowing that this entire Race Team is dedicated to win, win, win" said Richard Hoffman, President of Hoffman Auto Racing.

Primary sponsorship will continue from Kroger and Tide, with associate sponsorship from Pringles, Bounty and Allegheny Trail.

This marks the sixth consecutive year that Kroger in conjunction with Procter & Gamble brands has sponsored Hoffman Auto Racing.

Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR) competes in the Silver Crown and Sprint Car Divisions of the United States Auto Club (USAC). HAR is the all time leader in USAC National Sprint Car Team victories with 57 . HAR also has 7 Silver Crown victories, for a total of 64 National wins. HAR has a record 7 USAC National Championships to its credit.

Drivers this year include Dickie Gaines and Tracy Hines in the Sprint Cars, and Eric Gordon in the Silver Crown Car.

Rob Hoffman continues as VP of Engineering and crew chief for HAR. Dan Landerville, VP of Operations continues in his vital role for the Team.

Tim Waechter

VP Marketing Hoffman Auto Racing

UPDATE FROM THE SHOP 3/12/2004

The crew was busy last night, except for a birthday party. Happy birthday to AJ Hoffman(Rob and Laura's youngest). After the crew ate cake it was back to work. The trailer is back from the paint shop and being decaled. See the pictures attached. The new paint scheme for the Twisters came out fantastic thanks to the hard work by Richard and the paint shop crew. See the pictures attached. Final prep was underway for Phoenix. The trailer was being loaded. The crew including Dan, Brian aka Dog, Big Al, and Cowboy will be on the way soon. Look out if you are traveling West, the Hoffman crew is back on the road. See you in Phoenix. Thanks for supporting Hoffman Racing.

(photos)

UPDATE FROM THE SHOP 3/4/2004

Progress continues at the race shop. Activity was hot and heavy in both shops last night. Rob and Dan were setting up the Silver Crown Car for Phoenix. The car was scaled, checked for cross weight etc. Cowboy was in the middle of the work, it is good to see him back at the shop. Larry Miller, President and CEO of Ham Signs graced us with his presence. Richard and his body shop staff, laid out the Twisters for painting of the body panels. The new design for 2004 is a stunner. Richard, Dog, and Larry worked late into the night painting Twister body number one, now there are three more bodies to go. The pictures are of the Twisters coming together, and Dan contemplating the first win at Eldora on 3 April.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

UPDATE FROM SHOP 2/25

Progress continues at the shop as the season creeps up on all of us. The Champ car is ready to go, all we need is decals. The pavement sprint car is painted pictures of hood and nose are posted), the engine is in the car see picture) , the main work remaining is checking out the fuel system. The Twisters are coming together (see pictures). Bottom line, the pavement cars will be ready before we leave for Phoenix, and the dirt cars will be 80% ready. Also, the trailer has been painted and re-decaled and looks great. Thanks to all the hard work from the entire Team. (photos)

2004 T SHIRT DESIGN

The 2004 t shirt design is complete, and the shirts are in production. We will have them at the track this year, while supplies last. Thanks for all the great work of Scott Campbell of Great Lakes Custom Graphics.


Front	Back

CONGRATULATIONS BRIAN GAINEY- ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Brian Gainey aka Big Dog recently celebrated his one year anniversary with Hoffman Racing. Big Dog has become an important part of the Team this past year. He is a big help to our main man Dan. Congrats Brian, let's win a championship this year.

UPDATE FROM THE GARAGE- 2/11/2004

The body and paint shop was busy last night. Larry , the master painter, Richard, Brian, Tim, Tommy, and Nick were all hard at work either painting or preparing Sprint Car body parts for painting(Cowboy also stopped by, but he was supervising only). In the main shop Dan and Rob were busy fitting the new hoods to the Twisters(see picture). Big Al was - well his was working in his corner. The Champ Car is ready to hit the track. Thanks for your support of Hoffman Racing.

DICKIE GAINES ON DIRT, TRACY HINES FOR 10 RACES

Loveland , Ohio( February 4, 2004)—Hoffman Auto Racing(HAR) announced today that Dickie Gaines will drive the famous #69 Sprint Car in all dirt races in the USAC schedule for 2004. HAR also plans on Tracy Hines competing in 10 USAC races this season, both pavement and dirt. HAR will run a second dirt car for Tracy Hines in select races , to include Gas City(4/30), Eldora(5/1,8/7), Charlotte(10/13), Perris(10/28-10/30), and Manzanita(11/4-11/6). Tracy will drive the pavement Sprint Car at Anderson( 4/4, 5/26), Nashville(4/10) , and Nazareth(8/27-8/28). The driver line up for the remainder of the pavement schedule is still being worked by the Team. As previously announced, Tracy Hines will run the entire Nascar Craftsman Truck Series.

Dickie Gaines is the son of legendary Indiana Sprint Car Driver and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member, Dick Gaines. Dickie has 40 USAC Sprint Car races to his credit, and had 5 top 10 finishes in 10 starts in 2003.

Tracy Hines is one of USAC’s all time great drivers. He is a past Silver Crown and Sprint Car Champion(in the HAR car). Tracy was a top three points finisher in all 3 USAC Divisions in 2003, and has won 51 USAC National races. He is a holder of the USAC "Super License".

"Dickie Gaines is a gem in the rough, we plan on polishing his skills this year and winning races" said Richard Hoffman, President HAR. "Dickie has done a good job for us each time he has been in our car. We welcome Dickie to the HAR Family. We are also thrilled to be able to continue our relationship with Tracy Hines. Tracy has been a great driver for us, we are happy for his success, and look forward to winning more races this year with Tracy."

" We look forward to building on previous success,( including a third place in the Mopar Million), and I look forward to a full season with Dickie", said Rob Hoffman, VP Engineering HAR. " I am also personally very happy to continue to work with Tracy Hines in 2004".

" I am glad to have been chosen for this great opportunity" said Dickie Gaines. " We work well together, and did from the very first race. It is amazing to me how Rob, Richard, and Dan can look at the car on the track and immediately know what adjustments to make. I am looking forward to a great year with the Team".

Primary sponsorship will continue from Kroger and Tide, with associate sponsorship from Pringles, Bounty, and Alltrail.com.

This marks the sixth consecutive year that Kroger in conjunction with Procter & Gamble brands has sponsored Hoffman Auto Racing.

Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR) competes in the Silver Crown and Sprint Car Divisions of the United States Auto Club (USAC). HAR was founded in 1929 by August (Gus) Hoffman. Three generations of Hoffman’s are involved with the Team. HAR is the all time leader in USAC National Sprint Car Team victories with 57 . HAR also has 7 Silver Crown victories, for a total of 64 National wins. HAR has a record 7 USAC National Championships to its credit, and celebrates 75 years of competition this year.

Rob Hoffman continues as VP of Engineering and crew chief for HAR. Dan Landerville, VP of Operations continues in his vital role for the Team.

Tim Waechter

VP Marketing Hoffman Auto Racing

More News from the shop 1/30/2004

The crew has had a great week of preparation for the upcoming season. Here is a summary of progress. The Silver Crown Car is nearing completion. The picture shows that the motor is in the car, with front end ,rear end, air jacks etc. Notice the beautiful fuel tank in the background. The body as of last night is completely painted, and ready to be fitted to the car, and decaled. Eric will be down soon to be fitted to the car. The picture of the paint booth shows Richard, Brian, and Master Painter Larry working on the Silver Crown hood .

The Sprint cars left this morning for frame painting. Meanwhile the newly designed hood scoops are being turned out. The pictures show Rob, Brian, and the Marketing guy (Tim) producing another hood scoop out of the beautifully crafted mold. As you can see Dan was supervising the work, taking a well deserved break, and sipping on a hot cocoa.

The remaining pictures are of BIG AL and his masterful work with the front ends. As you can see Al has been very busy turning out the front ends. Regardless of what Richard says, BIG AL works hard. BIG AL has also spent time working on his favorite car- The Champ Car. Just last night Tim helped Al bleed the brakes. Rumor has it Al is heading to Phoenix this year.

Look for a Sprint Car driver announcement within a week. Again thanks for you support of Hoffman Auto Racing. The wicked weather continues here in Cincinnati, we all are looking forward to Phoenix.
(photos)
Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

UPDATE FROM THE SHOP- 1/25/2004

Things are in high gear in preparation for the upcoming season. If you have seen the USAC schedule, you know what a challenge this year will be for the Team. For the first time in recent history we should have two dirt sprint cars ready from day one (instead of waiting for Sprint Week). Richard is painting the Champ Car body currently, and it should be ready in a week. The pictures are of the number 1 Twister with the new body panels and the new hood scoop. A mold has been made of the hood, and it should be fitted on the car in the next few days. The car with the painted frame is the Champ Car, coming together nicely. There is no new news on the Sprint Car driver front. When a decision is made, you will read it here first. Thanks for your support of Hoffman Racing. (photos)

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

CONGRATULATIONS TRACY - WE WILL MISS YOU

The entire Hoffman Racing Family would like to congratulate Tracy Hines on the occasion of his signing a contract to run the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. As many of you already know, Tracy signed a contract with Thorsport to drive the #88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado for the entire 2004 schedule. Tracy is already in Daytona participating in the three days of Truck testing.
Tracy helped us reach some significant milestones in the history of Hoffman Racing. He drove for us when we set the all time win record in USAC Sprint Car Racing, and when we won our 7th National Championship in 2002. We were a great combination, winning 7 races and a National Championship in just two years. No one is more deserving of this opportunity, and no one is happier for Tracy and Christa than the entire Hoffman Crew. We wish Tracy the best , and we are confident that he will excel in his NASCAR career. We will be following you in every race, and we are hopeful that we helped contribute to your success. Tracy was certainly good for Hoffman Racing, and we are grateful for the time we had together.
There is a possibility that Tracy can drive for us on a limited basis in 2004, especially in the pavement Sprint Car, and some big dirt Sprint races, where a conflict does not exist.
Richard, Rob, Dan, and the entire crew are discussing our options for a driver or drivers for the Sprint Car in 2004. The Team is ready to win another National Championship in 2004. An announcement on a driver/s will be made in the next several weeks.

OFF SEASON PROGRESS AT THE SHOP

Now that the Holiday vacation period is over, the raceshop is busy again in preparation for the 2004 season. The Champ Car frame has been painted, and is back to the shop. Richard will be ready to put the base coats of paint on the body this week. A decision has been made on the dirt Sprint Car hood and body panels, so the fabricating has begun. It will be a different look, a very interesting look on the Twisters for 2004. More information , and pictures to follow soon.

Tim Waechter
VP Marketing Hoffman Racing

HOFFMAN AUTO RACING ANNOUNCES SILVER CROWN DRIVER FOR 2004

Loveland , OH(November 24, 2003)- Hoffman Auto Racing announced today that USAC stand out Eric Gordon will drive the #69 Kroger/Tide/Pringles/Bounty/
Alltrail.com Gaerte Beast , in all 2004 USAC Silver Crown races on pavement .

"I am excited to drive for one of the most respected names in auto racing, the Hoffman Family" said Eric Gordon. Eric began his career at the young age of 6 under the guidance of long time racer and father Fay Gordon. Eric progressed from quarter midgets to become a full time regular with USAC in the late 1980's. Since then Eric has compiled a dozen victories in nearly 250 National Sprint starts. He was the National Sprint points runner up in 1989,1990, and 1991. Eric also has one Silver Crown victory to his resume, winning the 1990 race in Milwaukee. Eric was the "Rookie of the Year " for the USAC National Sprints in 1989, and won the same honor in the Silver Crown Division in 1990. Eric is best probably best known for his recent dominance of the "Little 500" in Anderson Indiana. Eric has won that prestigious race 5 times including the last three years. &n! bsp;Eric had 7 starts in 2003 in the Silver Crown Division , and had two top ten finishes to his credit, including a second at Pikes Peak.

"We want to welcome Eric to the Hoffman Racing Family. It will be a pleasure to finally get a chance to win with a long time, much respected competitor of ours' , said Richard Hoffman , President of HAR. " We always had a stop watch on Eric in the past, because we knew he would consistently be one of the fastest competitors at every race. We also want to thank Ed Carpenter for his efforts in 2003 in our Champ Car, and we wish him well as his career progresses in the IRL. "

Rob Hoffman, VP of Engineering, and Crew Chief of Har said" I am thrilled to be working with a long time respected competitor of ours. I am also anxious to compare notes with Eric and receive his valuable input on set ups".