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Founded in 1929 by |
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August "Gus" Hoffman (Old Timer) |
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Founded in 1929 by |
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August "Gus" Hoffman (Old Timer) |
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"2005 Racing News " |
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| 2ND PLACE FINISH AT ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD FINISHES OFF A GREAT SEASON | ||||||
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Tracy had a great run in the midget
and finished 2nd, after being quick time for the event. The top 6 were
inverted. The feature event of the night was our Sprint Car race. The
stands were full and the promoters did a heck of a job entertaining the
fans. Tracy moved up a row and started 3rd because Josh Wise won the
midget race and took the $50,000 challenge for winning both races. Tracy
immediately moved into 2nd place and stayed there the entire event. We
definitely had the 2nd best car in the field tonight. On lap 25 of 40
Dave Steele the winner was running laps of 13.223 and we were running
13.379. On lap 34 Steele 13.189 and Tracy 13.388. On the white flag lap
Dave ran a 13.217 and Tracy a 13.495. The car was a little loose, so
Tracy could not really push Dave, but also wasn't pushed by 3rd place Marc
Jessup. It definitely was a good trip to Florida as everyone knew the
Hoffman Team was there!. Great job by the crew, and Tracy. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| RESULTS FROM NIGHT 1 IN ORLANDO | ||||||
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The first day and night in Orlando
consisted of practice and qualifying. The top 14 cars are locked into the
A Main Friday night. The car was fast right off the truck, running 2nd
quick . Sticker tires were tried with a spring change for the 3rd
session, and the car slowed up to 12th quick. A few changes with the
scuffed tires proved to be the right combination, as Tracy ran 2nd quick
after going out late in the qualifying session. Tracy ran a 13.414, just
.05 off quick time set by Bryan Clauson. So we are locked in the show,
and will be starting inside row 3 for the A Main (first 6 inverted). Tracy
had quick time in his midget. The crew will spend time at the PRI show
before heading out to the track in the early afternoon. Our race will
probably not run until after 10:30pm in Orlando. Hoping the next report
is for a victory. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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WARNING WARNING
WARNING IF YOU ARE ATTENDING THE ORLANDO RACE OR THE PRI SHOW YOU HAVE
BEEN WARNED-HE BROKE HIS ANKLE YOU KNOW
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 Our
fearless leader is driving a Hoffmanized Super Scooter at the Orlando
track and the PRI show. Top speed has been increased to 7-8 miles per
hour due to a super tune from Dan and Rob. (See pictures) Also notice
shoulder harness and seat belt, sponsor recognition, custom document
holder, custom wheels, the wheels light up when in motion, flag etc.etc.etc.
Time ran out or the Team would have built a roll cage, Big Al is sure he
will turn it over. Other pictures feature the trailer loaded for the trip
to Florida, to include El Presidente's scooter, and the Wilke Pak midget
Tracy will drive in Orlando. The serious business starts tomorrow with
practice and qualifying. Check back for updates.
Tim Waechter |
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| THE TEAM HEADS FOR ORLANDO, OUR FEARLESS LEADER IS ON THE INJURED RESERVE LIST, BIG DECISIONS AHEAD | ||||||
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The "boys" will be heading South for
the Oralndo pavement sprint race on this Thursday and Friday. Tracy will
be driving in the non-points race which is being run in conjunction with
the PRI show this year. In a dramatic development this weekend our leader
had an accident on a "job site" and cracked his ankle in two places.
There is a rumor that son Chris pushed him into a ditch, but this can not
be verified. Richard will tough it out and make the trip to Florida.
There is a motorized vehicle in the family, so Dan and Jake are doing a
super tune job. If you are attending the PRI show, be on the alert for
Richard speeding up and down the aisles. There are some big decisions to be made in the next weeks. Driver line up for 2006! How will we participate in the Silver Crown series in 2006!! Will the winningest Team in the history of USAC Sprint Car Racing run for another National Championship? As decisions are made , you will hear it here first. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| LAST NIGHT OF "THE WESTERN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS"-LAST POINTS RACE OF THE YEAR | ||||||
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Saturday night approached with much
promise and anticipation by the Team. Both cars were locked into the A
Main, big money race. By virtue of a win and a second place finish Jerry
was number 1 in points with 292 total. Tracy was 5th with a total of 234.
The top 6 were inverted and Tracy started outside pole, with Jerry
starting 6th. It was a long night with the Team sitting around waiting
for the prelims to finish. The drop of the green saw Tracy drop through
the field, with the car being tight. On the other hand Jerry has another
rocket ship and was progressing forward. On lap 24 and 25 Jerry was in a
battle with lapped cars and Bud and Levi. Jerry worked his way into 2nd
place when the left rear tire went flat. Jerry held his hand out to
indicate that he had a problem to no avail as 2 of the back markers ran
into the back of Jerry causing a yellow. The crew was able to change the
tire. Jerry was back on a tear passing a number of cars for a 12th place
finish. Tracy finished 8th. The end of a frustrating trip out West. We
definitely had the best car all 3 nights at Manzy. We got a win, but a
poor finish in the big money race. A post race inspection showed that the
bleeder valve connection in the wheel had cracked , causing air to escape
the tire. No clue how it cracked or why. The one race left this year is
in Orlando around the PRI show. A pavement Sprint Car race with Tracy at
the wheel. See you there. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| RESULTS FROM 2ND NIGHT AT THE" WESTERN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP" | ||||||
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The challenge of fielding 2 cars
continued on Friday in Phoenix. It takes approximately 6 labor hours to
turn around a car (without any problems) , the way the Team prepares cars.
Do the math for 2 cars. Tim and Tommy had to return home after Perris
Ca., so the crew consists of Dan, Rob, Jake, and Richard, oh and the
Princess. So sleep is at a minimum and the hours long. The hard work
paid off in another successful night at the track Friday. The track was
much different the 2nd night, not as wet. Jerry qualified 3rd with a time
of 18.922, 0.36 off fast time. Tracy ended qualifying 6th with a time of
19.074. The 2 cars were not in the same heat for once. Tracy went out in
heat number 1. Tracy got onto a heated battle with Danny Sheridan for the
transfer spot. Tracy felt that Mr Sheridan chopped and cut him off
several times, and let him know it after the heat. A dis! cussion follwed
in the pits. Tracy finished 5th and failed to transfer. Jerry won the
3rd heat, doing a great job and transferring to the A Main. Tracy started
on the pole for the B Main and won easily, qualifying for the A Main.
Both cars started up front, with Jerry 4th and Tracy 7th. Jerry engaged
in a heated battle with Dave Darland, Hagen, Levi, and Gardner early in
the race. Tracy joined the battle on lap 13. On lap 18 Jerry and Dave
broke away from that pack. Dave made a mistake on lap 21, Jerry took
advantage and passed for 2nd. Jerry closed to within 6 car lengths at the
checkered for a strong 2nd place finish. Tracy continued the fight and
crossed the line at 5th. For the "Western World Championship". both cars
should be locked in the top 10, and only have to run the A Main. As far
as the National Championship, we picked up minimal points and are
somewhere around 40 points back from ! 2nd with the last points race
tonight. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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RECORD SETTING WIN #63
COMES AT THE 38TH CHECKER AUTO PARTS/BUDWEISER "WESTERN WORLD OPEN" NIGHT
1 It was a great home coming for Jerry as he took his first win in the Hoffman Family Car at his home track in Phoenix Arizona. We ran 2 cars as Tracy was relieved of his duties in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series after announcing his contract for the next 2 years to drive a Busch Car for Glynn Motorsports. It took some scrambling around, but the Team was able to get the 2nd car ready. It was a record setting night as several cars , including Jerry broke the old track record and was 2nd fast qualifier. Of course Tracy and Jerry were in the same heat race, with Jerry transferring and Tracy unable to make the top 4. Tracy ran a strong B Main and was able to make the Big Show by finishing 3rd . The A Main saw Jerry starting 5th and Tracy 7th. It was a convincing win with Jerry passing every car that started ahead of him. Jerry could run any where on the track, making passes low, and passing Damion Gardner and Mike Spencer high on the track. Jerry got the lead on lap 17 and never looked back. It only took Jerry 8 minutes and 10 seconds for the win. Meanwhile Tracy was having problems back in the field and finished 10th. It was a good points night both for the National Series and for the 3 night "Western World Open". We are now about 43 points back from 2nd in the National Championship Race. Both cars had a good night in an effort to qualify for Saturday nights big race. WAY TO GO JERRY AND THE TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| RESULTS FROM THE BUDWEISER OVAL NATIONALS- PERRIS CALIFORNIA, 11/3-11/5 | ||||||
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Thursday 11/3 A poor qualifying result made it very difficult the entire night. Nearly 70 cars showed up for the 3 night National event. We were quite a bit off the pace, with a qualifying time of 16.7, fast time was 16.04. Jerry did a fine job and won the 4th heat going away. Starting deep in the pack in the feature Jerry drove hard for a 12th place finish. Friday 11/4 This was a very important night because you want to leave the track being "in" the big race Saturday night. Qualifying was much better as Jerry ran a 16.8, with Mat Neely being fast at 16.6. There were 9 cars in the 16.7 range, so a slight pick up would have moved us up substantially. Jerry ran 2nd in the heat , transferring to the A Main that night. In a seemingly never ending A Main, the Team hung in there and finished 3rd. There were over 30 mnutes of idle time on the track during the A Main. We started 7th , missing sitting on the pole by 1 point. The pin came out of the left rear shock, Dan was able to replace it during a red flag stop of the race. It was a good feeling to know that when we left the track we were "in" the big race, having placed in the top 10 in points in the first 2 nights. That meant we didn't have to race until the A Main on Saturday. Saturday 11/5 As it turned out we were 7th in points after the first 2 nights of racing. We didn't hit the track until our hot lap session which was after the C Main had run. We were way off the pace, with a car that was pushing. A huge crowd anticipated the A Main running. We ended up starting 5th, but at the drop of the green dropped through the field quickly. We were 8th , and then 9th quickly. The #29 car chopped down on Jerry early in the 50 lapper, the cars made front end contact . After numerous yellows , a red flag on lap 31 allowed for some adjustments and fueling. Jerry was storming toward the front , when in turn 2 he had a run on a group of 4 cars and positioned to move into the top 5 when the #5 car came down on Jerry and spun him. It was a clear case of Jerry having a 1/4 of the car ahead of the other car, low in turn 2, and the car drove down on us. It is a shame since we were moving forward quickly and looked to have a top 5 finish in hand. Starting last of the running cars, Jerry drove hard the rest of the way and was able to earn a 12th place finish. We did pick up some National points, especially on the 20 and 21 car. We are now in 3rd place, 56 points out of 2nd and 96 points out of 1st. It is unclear at this point how many cars we will run at Manzy, but look for 2 Kroger/Tide cars to hit the track at some point . We look for a strong finish to end up the year. Dan and Jake left for Phoenix Sunday morning. Check back for results.
Tim Waechter |
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| TRACY HINES TO DRIVE NO. 92 DODGE CHARGER FOR GLYNN MOTORSPORTS AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY | ||||||
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Driver to make first NASCAR Busch Series start for Glynn Motorsports in
the O'Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday. Mooresville, NC (November 1, 2005) Tracy Hines will drive a second Glynn Motorsports NASCAR Busch Series entry this Saturday in the O'Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. Hines, a veteran of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will be making his first start for Glynn Motorsports behind the wheel of the No. 92 Glynn Motorsports Dodge Charger. I'm looking forward to running the O'Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway," said Hines, who recently signed a two year agreement to drive for Glynn Motorsports. "I qualified fourth here in the truck race back in 2003, and since then this has become my favorite track." Hines will be making his fourth NASCAR Busch Series appearance of the 2005 season. The Newcastle, IN driver qualified a season best 5th at Indianapolis Raceway Park back in August. Hines is known as one of NASCAR's most versatile drivers. In addition to his NASCAR Busch Series appearances, Hines has been driving the No. 13 ThorSport Chevy Silverado full time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and on occasion, the 2000 USAC Silver Crown Champion has driven for Hoffman Auto Racing in the USAC Sprint Car Series. |
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| THE BOYS HEAD WEST | ||||||
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Dan and Jake pointed the hauler West
this morning. As you can see by the pictures the hauler was fully loaded
with 2 complete cars, and a spare third frame with body, hanging from the
ceiling. The plan at this point is to run 1 car for the Perris Budweiser
Oval Nationals. Jerry will run the primary car both in Perris and
Manzanita. Richard and the crew worked hard and hung a new body on Jerry's
car, paint job and all. The car looks great. There is a possibility
that a 2nd car will be run at Manzy, with Tracy driving the 2nd car. It
all depends on Tracy's schedule at PIR in the truck. Both races out West
feature 3 complete nights of racing. Three features will be run at each
track, with the final night paying the big money. All will be points
races, so the Team has a finish of 2nd in the National points as a
realistic goal. There will be reports filed for each race, so check back
.! Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| WINCHESTER RESULTS 10/16 2005- ANOTHER FAST CAR WITH DISAPPOINTING RESULTS | ||||||
The car was very fast right off the
truck. The testing we did a month ago seemed to pay off as we were the
fastest car in both practice sessions. Tracy ran a 14.3 in session 1 and
a 14.2 in session 2. We went out with sticker tires for qualifying and
Tracy was about as close to a track record as you can get. Lap 1 was
14.065 and lap 2 was quicker at 14.045, a good 0.2 quicker than the 2nd
fastest qualifier Dave Steele. A gear change was made for the heat race,
and we put the practice tires back on the car. Starting in the back of
the heat race Tracy was in 2nd by lap 2 of the 8 laps. Eric Gordon got
away and Tracy was unable to catch him and finished 2nd in the heat. The
qualifying tires went back on the car f or
the A Main, a gear change was made, and tire pressure changes were made to
achieve the desired stagger for the A Main. Starting 6th Tracy was never
able to pass Josh Wise and catch! the lead pack. It was frustrating to
have the fastest car all day and be stuck in 6th place the entire A Main.
After the race we discovered that the stagger didn't come in as it should
have given the parameters. This made the car very tight when Tracy tried
to pass. The crew did a great job, Tracy drove his heart out, and the
result was not there again. Next is the trip to the West coast in
November. Jerry will be in the car for the swing to Perris and Phoenix.
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| RESULTS FROM THE DIRT TRACK AT LOWE'S MOTOR SPEEDWAY 10/12/2005- NEW TRACK RECORD FOR JERRY | ||||||
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During any racing year you have
races where things go as planned, and those where they do not. The last
2 weeks a black cloud has hovered over the Team. The format at
Charlotte was 3 practice sessions, and then 3 qualifying sessions of 7-8
cars using the transponders. Jerry was fastest of all cars in practice,
Tracy was also very quick but did not get a clean lap. Both cars came
off the hauler FAST, great job Rob, Dan, and Jake. Jerry proceeded to
break the track record with a time of 14.323 and won the pole. Tracy
again had a tough time getting a clean lap, but ran a 14.652, good for
3rd quick. Competing in the first heat, Jerry started 6th and made a
shambles of the heat. He blew them all away for an easy win. Tracy was
in heat 3 , running up front with a fast car, ready to go for the lead,
when a bolt broke on a front shock. Did I mention that the track once
again was rough, ver! y rough. There was no B Main run with only 22
cars, so Jerry started 6th, and Tracy 4th, nose to tail. Both cars were
"hooked up" again and moving forward. Jerry passed Tracy around lap 8 ,
and a rock or big chunk of mud hit Tracy's arm guard, broke it and hit
Tracy. Unbelievable that this could happen 2 weeks in a row. Tracy
gutted out the remainder of the race finishing 6th. Tracy's shoulder
was swollen and cut from the debris. Tracy showed great grit in
finishing the race. Jerry was running 3rd and closing the gap to the top
2 cars, when a flag on the front axle broke, sending the car into a
spin, and out of the race. The part that failed is a purchased part,
the best available . We thank Jerry and Tracy for great efforts, we all
deserved better results. They knew we were there. As far as the points
race is concerned, we picked up a few on the 2 car, and the 11 car, and
lost some to the 20 and 21! cars. Next up, Winchester this Sunday with
Tracy in the car. We look forward to a big win.
Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| RESULTS FROM TERRE HAUTE 9/30 & 10/1 | ||||||
| The format was for two points paying features. Friday night had a 20 lap feature, with the first six finishers automatically transferring to the A Main on Saturday. We ran 2 cars with Jerry and Tracy at the wheels. Tracy was in the points car both nights | ||||||
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FRIDAY NIGHT RESULTS Friday night featured a very heavy track. The cars were okay in hot laps. Tracy ended up 7th quick, while Jerry qualified 15th. Of course both cars ended up in the 3rd heat. Tracy started in the back. Jerry was able to transfer finishing 3rd, while Tracy just missed out finishing 5th. The B Main was stacked with talent with Levi, Hessert, Rose, Shuman, Huntley, and Drake in addition to Tracy. Tracy hustled the car and was able to make the A Main by finishing 3rd . We had nothing for Levi who won his 2nd race in a row. Jerry and Tracy both hussled the cars, but could do no better than 5th for Jerry and 8th for Tracy. |
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SATURDAY NIGHT RESULTS
Jerry was automatically in the A Main due to his 5th place finish on Friday. Points were not awarded in qualifying. Tracy could only manage 11th quick in time trials, which was really 17th quick for the night , with 6 cars in the show already. Tracy reported the motor was "laying down". The crew went to work to find a problem, to no avail. Only 3 cars transferred from the heats to the A Main. Tracy drove hard with a motor not running, and could only manage a 4th place finish. The B Main would take 4 to the A Main . Tracy was in the battle late in the race when a large clump of mud, or a rock hit the car, tearing the arm guard in half and hitting Tracy in the shoulder. Whatever it was it was large. We had to take a provisional to start the A Main. The crew worked at a fever pitch to repair the car and try to improve the motor for the A Main. Meanwhile Jer! ry ran a dash heat race to determine the starting line up for the first 6 spots in the A Main. He finished 2nd, which meant an outside pole starting spot. Jerry led lap 1 before being passed by Stanbrough on lap 2. Tracy was fighting his way through traffic , but with a sick motor could only finish 17th. Jerry dropped to 7th by the finish of the race. Bottom line is that it was one of those tough weekends that happen during the year. We never got a handle on the track, we had motor problems with the same problematic motor that has been back 4 times for a tune up. We also dropped 117 points out of the battle for the Championship. The other bottom line is that this Team doesn't quit. We will be back strong as ever in Charlotte with a 2 car effort. See you in Charlotte. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| RESULTS OF 4 CROWN NATIONALS ELDORA SPEEDWAY 9/23-9/24 | ||||||
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FRIDAY 9/23
The Friday night schedule called for hot laps, qualifying, and the heat races. It is always a challenge to run 2 cars, to complicate the situation, we were without our VP of Engineering, Rob Hoffman. Needless to say Friday was crazy. Both Jerry and Tyler were relatively happy with their cars in hot laps. The only changes made were a gear change on both cars, and tire changes for qualifying. It is remarkable how close the cars were in qualifying, with Jerry being the faster of the two at 15.263, good for 7th quick. Tyler was right behind at 15.268, 8th quick. Again , only minor changes were made on the cars for the heat races. Starting in the back of the heat, Jerry was a rocket ship, taking the lead on lap 3, and never looking back. Jerry was especially fast in turns 1 & 2, running the low line. Tyler was in the heat race after Jerry and saw his line . It took a few laps ! for Tyler to get a handle on the track, but on lap 4 he started to the front. Tyler finished 3rd, and was getting quicker with every lap. It was a good feeling to know that both cars were in the the A Main. |
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SATURDAY 9/24
 The
crew watched all the preliminary semi's and the midget feature to
determine the condition of the track for our feature. There was much
discussion on the stagger needed , and the compound of the tire to use.
Richard and Dan came to an agreement. Due to the misfortune of John
Stanbrough in this heat race, we were able to start on the pole with
Jerry. Tyler started 7th . Jerry was passed going into turn 2 of the
opening lap and fell to 3rd in the first few laps. Jerry's car "came in",
he drove hard, and
regained the lead on lap 5. Jerry had a nice lead when a caution fell on
lap 16, a red flag then flew for a flip on the back stretch. The car was
slowing up before the yellow flew. It was only a matter of time before
Levi passed Jerry for the lead on lap 23 of the 30 lap feature. As the
car faded in the closing laps, Jerry held on for a 4th place finish.
Tyler fell! to 8th at one point in the race. He fought hard for a 7th
place finish. Overall not what we wanted. The good news is that we did
finish ahead of 2 of the cars we are battling for the Championship.
Congratulations to the crew on working well together. A big shout out to
Dan and Jake for great work. We will be back with the full Team this
weekend at Terre Haute. We will run 2 cars again, with Jerry and Tracy in
the cars.See you at The Action Track. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| TYLER WALKER TO FILL IN FOR INJURED JAC HAUDENSCHILD | ||||||
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Tyler Walker will drive the second
Kroger/Tide sprint car for the 4 Crowns at Eldora Speedway. Jac was
injured last week and will be unable to drive at Eldora. We wish Jac a
speedy recovery as we welcome Tyler.
Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| Jac “The Wild Child” Haudenschild to drive 2nd Car at 4 Crown | ||||||
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Loveland Ohio( Sept 9, 2005) -- Hoffman
Auto Racing is announcing today that will drive a 2nd
Kroger/Tide/Bounty/Pringles/MOPAR F5 at the USAC 4 Crown Nationals , Sept
23-24 , Eldora Speedway. “Jac Haudenschild is one of the all time great open wheel drivers. We have enjoyed working with Jac in the past and look forward to this year’s 4 Crowns. It is exciting to see Jac drive the Kroger/Tide car at Eldora. The combination of Jac and Jerry(Coons Jr) should give us a great chance to win this great traditional race”, said Richard Hoffman, President of Hoffman Auto Racing. Jac’s record at Eldora is remarkable. He has won ( to the best of the records available to us) , 5 USAC Sprint Car features to include the MOPAR Million in 2003, 5 All Star wins, 4 WOO wins to include 3 Kings Royal races, and 1 Historical Big One win. Hoffman Auto Racing recently announced the renewal of the sponsorship package which includes primary sponsorship from Kroger and Tide, and associate sponsorship from Bounty, Pringles, and MOPAR. Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR) competes in the Sprint Car and Silver Crown 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 62, and National Championships with 8. Hoffman Auto Racing is the defending USAC National Sprint Car Champion, and currently in contention for the 2005 Championship. HAR also has 7 Silver Crown victories, for a total of 69 National wins. HAR celebrates 76 years of competition this year. 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 57 Billion Dollars, and markets 17 brands with sales over 1 Billion Dollars. P&G brands include Tide, Pringles, and Bounty. MOPAR is the exclusive original equipment manufacturer for DaimlerChrysler’s American brands: Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| RESULTS FROM THE MILWAUKEE MILE 8/27/2005 | ||||||
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The format for the race was two
practice sessions, after the 2nd practice session, qualifying, and then
the race at 12:30pm. We were 2nd quick in the first practice session,
Dave Steele was quick, we were only 0.1 off his pace. Unfortunately we
slowed up and we were 5th in the second session. Stagger and spring
changes were made before qualifying. We ended up 6th quick with a
disappointing 27.911, 0.2 off our quickest practice lap, and a huge 0.7
off Bobby East. East was 0.4 quicker than the 2nd fast time of Michael
Lewis. Tracy worked his way to 5th by lap 5. It was obvious we had a
3-4th place car. A restart on lap 14 caused a problem as we got stuck
behind a slow car and Tracy lost 3 spots. Tracy also felt a tire going
down, and we pitted on a lap 15 yellow to change a right rear. The
bleeder valve had malfunctioned and caused the tire to go down. Tracy
drove ! hard and worked his way back to 10th by the checkered flag. A
golden opportunity went by to make the owners points even closer, as we
were ahead of all "points" cars when the tire problem occurred.
A tough day at the track. We will bounce back at the 4 Crowns. |
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| RESULTS FROM GRANITE CITY 8/24/2005 | ||||||
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25 USAC Sprint cars showed for the
mid-week race at Granite City. The car was good in practice, pushing a
little, so Jerry felt comfortable running the low side of the track. Jay
Drake was very fast at 20.105, we qualified 8th with a 20.790. Starting
6th in the 2nd heat, Jerry did an excellent job of moving forward , and
won the heat , beating both Bud Kaeding and Levi Jones. The car got a
poor start in the feature due to a traffic jam ahead of us. Once the cars
got single file, Jerry did a great job moving forward and got all the way
to 3rd position. A power steering leak in the last laps made it tough for
Jerry, driving with 1 hand and going through tear offs. He finally ran
out of tear offs and Bill Rose passed us on the last lap for a 4th
finishing spot. It was pretty much of a neutral points night, as we
remain 30 points back, although in 3rd spot behind the 21 and 2B cars.
We! all are looking forward to the Saturday race at The Milwaukee Mile.
Tracy will be back from NASCAR Land, we have been a good combination on
mile tracks the past years. See you at the races!!!! Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
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| HOFFMAN AUTO RACING ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP RENEWAL | ||||||
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Loveland, OH (August 19, 2005) -- Hoffman
Auto Racing announced today that Kroger and Procter & Gamble have renewed
their sponsorship of HAR through June of 2006. “We’re pleased that Kroger and Procter & Gamble have renewed their sponsorship with Hoffman Auto Racing, this will be the seventh year of our partnership,” said Richard Hoffman, President of HAR. “This sponsorship enables HAR to carry on our winning tradition in USAC, and to continue our program of returning value back to Kroger and P & G through motorsports. We have been able to build sales of Procter & Gamble brands like Tide, Bounty and Pringles at Kroger through our racing marketing program.” Primary sponsorship will continue from Kroger and Tide, with associate sponsorship from Bounty, Pringles and MOPAR. Hoffman Auto Racing (HAR) competes in the Sprint Car and Silver Crown 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 62, and National Championships with 8. Hoffman Auto Racing is the defending USAC National Sprint Car Champion, and currently in contention for the 2005 Championship. HAR also has 7 Silver Crown victories, for a total of 69 National wins. HAR celebrates 76 years of competition this year. 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 winingest 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. Kroger is the nation’s largest grocer, with over 2400 stores and annual sales exceeding 53Billion dollars. Procter & Gamble has annual sales of over 57 Billion Dollars, and markets 17 brands with sales over 1 Billion Dollars. P&G brands include Tide, Pringles, and Bounty. MOPAR is the exclusive original equipment manufacturer for DaimlerChrysler’s American brands: Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles. 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 |
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| THE KROGER/TIDE/BOUNTY/PRINGLES/MOPAR HOFFMAN TEAM RECORD SETTING NATIONAL WIN #62 COMES AT THE HISTORICAL HIGH BANKS OF SALEM INDIANA | ||||||
 In
the super competitive world of the United States Auto Club National Sprint
Car Tour , a win is a great accomplishment, a dominating win is a rarity .
That it exactly what happened Saturday night at the historical Salem
Superspeedway in Salem Indiana. The car was in the top 10 in practice ,
running consistent laps of 16.6 seconds. Rob made some changes on the car
for qualifying, and our time improved to 16.105 seconds, good for 6th
quick time, 0.4 seconds off fast time of Tony Stewart's #21 car. There
was a healthy debate over shock brand choice for the heat race, Carrera or
Penske . The Penske's won out . The car was a handful for driver Brian
Tyler in the heat race. Only a veteran like Brian could have held on to
the car for a 2nd place finish and transfer to the A Main race. Spring
changes and other set up changes were made for the feature. Rob,
Richard's and Dan's choices hit the sweet spot on the car. Brian led all
50 laps,
dominating the race. Marc Jessup pushed Brian on several restarts
following yellow flags and one red flag. Marc got along side the
Kroger/Tide car, but could not pass as the MOPAR motor horsepower was
applied and Brian built a 15 car length lead when the checkered flag flew.
The win was popular with the large crowd. Every win is a new all time
record, now standing at 62 National wins. The win also brings the Hoffman
Team within 30 points of first place in pursuit of a record setting 9th
National Championship. A number of our friends from Kroger were in
attendance, which makes a win even more special. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| RESULTS FROM THE MOPAR THUNDER-ELDORA SPEEDWAY 8/6/05 | ||||||
|
The night started out with a
promising qualifying result from both of the sessions. Our draw for
both sessions was not good, 40 something for the first session, and 60
something for the second session. The fast of the 2 times was your
qualifying time. Jerry ran a 15.474 in round one, good for 4th quick,
and a
16.333 in round 2, good for 5th quick. There were 6 heats scheduled for
the night, we were in heat race number 4. A bar change, and shock
change were made for the heat. On the 2nd restart Jerry ran over a car
that had almost come to a stop in turn 2. Jerry was able to restart on
the tail, and was in a transfer spot(3rd) by lap 2. Unfortunately
Kevin Huntley passed Jerry on lap 5 . Being one of the 2 fastest cars
that did not transfer from the heat, we were guaranteed the 19th
starting spot in the Thunder. Of course there is a huge difference
between starting 4th and 19th. There isn't much to say about the
feature, except we finished 21st. Enough said!!! Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| THE END OF AN ERA- THE LAST RACE FOR "THE OLD GIRL" ENDS WITH A GOOD RUN-IRP RESULTS | ||||||
|
No one knows for sure what the future of
Silver Crown racing will bring, but it appears that we have run the last
race with our current Silver Crown pavement car. USAC has plans for the
next generation cars for next year. The Hofffman Team plans are unsure for
next year, and will be announced in the next several months. One thing is
for sure, we were all sad that this era Silver Crown racing is over. It is
a shame to see 46 beautiful race cars become obsolete all in one night.
A star studded field showed for the final race at IRP , including 5 NASCAR drivers. Jason Leffler, Kasey Kahne,Tyler Walker, Carl Edwards, and Mike Bliss all competed. In the end we finished higher than all the NASCAR boys except for Jason Leffler. Transponders didn't work for practice, so we thought we were in the top 15 or so in practice. We were chasing the car all night up to the A Main. A qualification time of 21.727 placed us 23rd and forced Eric to run the first of 2 qualifying races. Changes were made to the car, springs, air pressure, sticker tires for the qualifying race. Eric got a great start and ran away with the race. The car was the best it had been all night, and we were optimistic for the feature 100 lap event. Starting 21st, Eric stayed in the 18-20th position for the first 18 laps. Rob, Richard, and Eric discussed changes to the car on the lap 21 yellow. Eric had some great battles with Michael Lewis, Jimmy Kite, and Jason McCord. We were running 13th at lap 80. Eric continued to run the car hard and smoothly getting in the top 10 when a series of yellows flew with 10 laps to go. Eric made some good passes in the last 10 laps finishing 7th. This was another top 10 finish. Since Eric has driven the car the last 2 years, we believe in the races that we finished, we have been in the top 10. No one knows what the future will bring. One thing is for sure, the entire Team has relished these 2 years with Eric. He is a true professional, and a pleasure to work with all the time. We have also enjoyed getting to know his lovely wife Jamie. The end of an era- very sad. Great job ! by all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| SILVER CROWN CAR ON DISPLAY IN INDIANAPOLIS THIS WEEK/ BIG SHOW AT KROGER TYLERSVILLE ON 7/31 | ||||||
The Silver Crown car was on display
yesterday at the Tylersville Rd Kroger store as a part of the big annual
NASCAR show car day(pictures). The car was prominently displayed at the
front of the store and attracted a ton of attention. Radio talk show host
Bill "Seg Man" Dennison did a live remote from 10:00am
until noon. He was kind enough to mention the presence of the car on his
show last night , and plugged our race at IRP this Thursday. Parked next
to us was up and coming USAC driver Shannon McIntosh (picture). Shannon
just turned 16 and is now eligible to drive in the USAC Ford Focus series.
Her first race is this week at the Speedrome in Indy Wednesday night.
Good luck to Shannon and her family.  The
Silver Crown car will be on display this Wednesday 8/3 at the Rockville Rd
Kroger store in Indianapolis. Stop by and see Dan and Jake. Two big
races this week for the Team. Thursday the Silver Crown car runs at IRP.
Saturday the sprint car runs the big money Mopar Thunder race at Eldora. |
||||||
| SILVER CROWN RESULTS FROM THE MILWAUKEE MILE | ||||||
| The split crew at Milwaukee had a couple days of hard work, but nothing like Rob. Rob drove all night from Lawrenceburg with Jerry Coons in their motor home to arrive in Milwaukee for an early morning practice. Rob then flew to Terre Haute for the Sprint Car race, and back to Milwaukee after Terre Haute, arriving about 1:30 am . Sleep obviously isn't a requirement in USAC racing. Richard, Jake, and Tim made up the crew in Milwaukee, with Rob back and forth. The car was loose during the practice period. The first time the car tightened up was in the European style qualifying. We got 6 hot laps in groups of 6 cars, and the fastest was the qualifying time. We picked up 0.3, good for 8th quick. The disparity between the top cars is growing each race. We were 8th, and 0.7 off the fast time of who else, Dave Steele. The total time difference in the field was almost 2 seconds. The r! ace began Saturday earlier than scheduled, because of threatening weather. The car was loose from the drop of the green flag. Eric began to adjust his driving line ,and picked up speed. Lightning and a tornado warning stopped the race at lap 18. The crew got themselves and the car under cover as the storm hit the track. The track personnel did a great job drying the track, and the race resumed some 4 hours later. It was getting dark. The car was better. Eric had quite a battle with Brian Tyler for some laps. We were able to pull Brian off the corners for some laps, but he eventually got by Eric on lap 39. Eric passed Jerry Coons for P7 on lap 43. Eric then had quite a battle with Jason McCord , being passed by Jason, and then passing him back on lap 83. The 00 car got by us on lap 99 for our 8th place finish. We had a good car, but not a great car. Sadly our next Silver Crown race, will be t! he last for this car. See you at IRP on 8/4. | ||||||
| NIGHT 7- INDIANA SPRINT WEEK-TERRA HAUTE | ||||||
|
Quite a different Terre Haute track
faced the split Team. Heavy rains caused track officials to scrape the
top of the track, leaving a dry top and very wet bottom of the track.
Jerry qualified a middle of the pack 22nd. The heat race was
interesting. Jerry got together with another car and flipped in turn 2 in
the 2nd heat. The car had a bent front axle, but other wise was okay.
The crew changed a flat tire, and Jerry resumed the heat race. Jerry was
determined and transferred for the A Main by finishing 4th . GREAT JOB
JERRY AND CREW!!!!!!!!!! Starting in the back, Jerry drove hard for a
12th place finish. All in all not a bad Sprint Week. We should be 2nd in
the owner's points for the National Championship. Next Sprint Car race,
Eldora for the Mopar Thunder, August 6. Maybe 2 cars will run. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| RACE 6 INDIANA SPRINT WEEK - Lawrenceburg Speedway | ||||||
| In a field of 45 cars Jerry got the job done in qualifying 5th. This put him in the first heat and was it loaded ! A 6th place finish relegated him in the "B" for a 2nd and transfer to the "A". The "A" main as always was a tough crowd, some of the top other top drivers had problems as we did. We broke a right front shock during the race but Jerry did a fine job of hanging on for a 3rd place finish, ahead of the other points cars, making it a decent night. On to Terre Haute for the finale. | ||||||
| MILWAUKEE silver crown NEWS | ||||||
|
Half the crew is now at Milwaukee for the
Silver Crown race. Eric put the car in 8th position for the 100 Lapper to
be held on the 23rd. Its a lot of laps and Eric's a good shoe, let hope
things go our way ! Webmaster |
||||||
| RESULTS FROM RACE 5 INDIANA SPRINT WEEK - GAS CITY INDIANA | ||||||
|
There isn't much positive to say about
Gas City. It was one of those bad nights that are inevitable during a
long racing year. Neither car qualified well, Tracy had a problem and was
30th out of the 54 cars. Tracy was among the fastest cars in practice.
Jerry picked up quite a bit from practice , but was only 28th quick. Both
cars started up front in the heat races, and were able to transfer easily.
Tracy won heat race 2 pulling away from the field. Jerry was 2nd in heat
race 4, looking at the win several times. Of course both cars started
together in positions 18 and 20 in the A Main. On restart number 2 ,
there was a chain reaction accident in turn 1 involving a number of cars,
and of course both Kroger/Tide cars. Tracy was out for the night with a
broken front end. Jerry had a flat left front, which the crew changed,
and Jerry did not lose a lap. Jerry ended up 10th. Tracy was in the
points car, so not a good night for the Championship. The split crew
looks forward to great results in Milwaukee (Silver Crown), and our home
track at "The Burg", and Terre Haute. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| NIGHT 3 OF INDIANA SPRINT WEEK RESULTS-HAUBSTADT INDIANA | ||||||
|
Running 2 cars is a real challenge for
the Team. Sitting at Putnamville to 11:00pm waiting to race, didn't help
the Team get any rest. It was a tale of 2 cars at Tr-State Speedway.
Tracy qualified 6th, only 0.1 tenths off the fast time of 12.903. Jerry
ran a 13.339 which put the 69ot car in a tough position at 26 th fast. Of
course both cars were in the same heat, heat #2. This seems to happen
every time we run 2 cars. Tracy transferred running 3rd, and Jerry had a
tough time coming through the field finishing 2 spots out of the transfer.
Starting in the back of the semi, on a track tough to pass on, Jerry
finished 13th in the B Main and unfortunately missed the show. Tracy
started on the pole , and it was evident immediately that the car was way
too tight. The left front was leaving the track surface throughout the A
Main. Tracy held on for a 5th place finish. Tr! acy is 2nd in Sprint
Week standings, only 2 points behind the Kruser. The Team is now 2nd in
points about 22 points behind the 11 car. Two cars will run at Gas City,
and Jerry will handle the driving at Lawrenceburg and Terre Haute.
Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| HISTORICAL WIN #61 COMES ON NIGHT 2 OF INDIANA SPRINT WEEK | ||||||
 It was my first trip to
Bloomington Speedway. The natural beauty of the area is very impressive,
and the race track has a beautiful setting. What a great place for record
setting USAC National Sprint Car victory #61(or 62 depending on how you
count). The remnants of hurricane Dennis played havoc with the track ,
and the program ran late from the very beginning. The track did a nice
job of preparing the surface . Hot laps gave us absolutely no indication
of how the car would be. We were in group 2, and the track was so greasy
that our best time was in the 12 second bracket. The last practice group
got in the 11 second bracket, as the track got "run in". Tracy's time of
11.668 was good for 6th quick (just like Rob planned it) . Tracy took
advantage of a couple of openings in heat race 2 , and transferred with a
3rd place finish. The car was pushing. Tracy started the feature on the
pole and fell to 2nd early when the red flag came out on lap 1, causing a
complete restart. Tracy got a great start on the restart and pulled away
by 3 car lengths when red flag #2 occurred on lap #4. Tracy got another
great restart and was over taking lapped cars by circuit #13. On lap 19
we were almost taken out by a lapped car who ignored the move over flag
for 3 laps, hitting Tracy as he executed the pass. Another good restart
and Tracy looked great until about lap 25 when the car picked up a push .
Tracy searched for the fastest line and won the race going away. This
was the first win for both Tracy and Hoffman Racing at Bloomington. What
a great night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Next up Lincoln Park Speedway tonight.
Tim Waechter |
||||||
| INDIANA SPRINT WEEK BEGINS-RESULTS FROM TWIN CITIES RACEWAY PARK-GREAT START | ||||||
|
It was a long night, maybe the"
longest night of our lives" oh Robbie. Periodic rain caused several
delays, and a big field of 53 cars resulted in the feature ending at
approximately 1:30am EST. If you were in the area, laughter coud be heard
coming from the Hoffman trailer. It was great to race with Tracy and
Christa again. Our old friend Stusch is in for Speedweeks from PA. The
rain gave all of us ample time to tell old tales, especially Tommy telling
some good Richard stories. The car was good all night. Our fast time in
practice was our first lap at 14.25, we were in the hunt for quick time.
Front spring change and a tire change saw Tracy cut a fast lap on the
first lap(didn't need the 2nd), of 13.863(broke the old track record),
good for 2nd at the time. Darland won the pole, set a new track
record(13.817) , and we ended up 3rd quick. The heat race was a circus.
Star! ting 8th, every time Tracy tried to pass back runners, he got
chopped or cut off, loosing momentum. The car was good in the semi, so
minor changes were made for the B main. Starting on the pole Tracy was
gone, breaking the old track record for 12 laps. Tracy was happy with the
car, he could run in the middle of the track, or high. A gear change,
tires, shock change, spring change prepared the car for the 30 lap
feature. Tracy got off to a bad start, dropping to 7th by lap 2. Tracy
got in a rhythm , the car "came in", and Tracy looked great. The last 15
laps the car was a rocket ship, the car seemingly could run anywhere on
the track. We needed a yellow late in the race for a shot at the win, but
we didn't get it. Tracy finished a strong 2nd to the Kruser. Great
1st race of Sprint week. On to Bloomington tonight with Tracy wheeling
the Kroger/Tide Hoffman car. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| PAVEMENT SPRINT CAR WEEKEND ENDS ON AN OPTIMISTIC NOTE- TOLEDO AND MANSFIELD RESULTS | ||||||
The pavement Sprint Car program has
been a struggle this year. We do have one win ,Anderson, but the
remainder of the races have been a challenge to find
 the
balance in the car. Toledo was an example of finding the balance. Brian
qualified 8th with a time of 15.1, fast time was 14.9(a new track record).
The heat race was wild with about 4 drivers trying to wreck each other.
Brian almost got run into the wall on the 2nd restart of the heat race,
but used great patience, dropped back, and finished 3rd . The feature was
a struggle , starting 7th, Brian fought an ill handling race car for the
30 laps. The car was loose, and Brian held on for a 13th place finish.
Taking post race pressures, temps, and stager, showed that stager was out
of control. Not a good night. Mansfield saw a very tight field on a track difficult to execute a pass. Brian was 
3rd fast in practice 1, and 4th quick in practice 2. We qualified 9th ,
0.2 tenths off the fast time of Marc Jessup. Mechanical problems cut the
field to 20 cars. The heat race was a challenge with Brian finishing 6th.
Changes to the car for the feature, brought the car to life. Brian
finished a strong 5th, considering starting position. Brian commented
that the car felt comfortable, and finally balanced. Progress!!!!!!! The
Team now prepares for a hectic stretch of the schedule. Indiana Sprint
Week, and a Silver Crown race at Milwaukee, splitting the Team in separate
geographies. See you in North Vernon!!!! Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| THE WEEK FROM HELL TURNS INTO A GOOD RESULT AND SOME RELAXATION IN COLORADO SPRINGS-RESULT FROM PPIR | ||||||
 When you look at the Silver Crown
schedule for the year you see a race in January and then the next pavement
race is not until the end of June in Richmond. The very next week you
have to travel across the Country to Colorado for the PPIR race. The best
case scenario is a challenge, turning the car around and heading West.
The worse case scenario is either a wreck at Richmond or motor problems,
we had both. Dan and Jake went beyond the call of duty, driving the car
back to the shop, stripping it, and Rob straightened out the frame by
Monday night. By Tuesday Rob had the frame cut up and welded back
together. Richard took the motor to Stanton Sunday night. The crew
worked early into Friday morning(1:00am) getting the car ready . Dan and
Jake left for Colorado Friday and arrived Saturday by noon (drove straight
through) to unload at the track. It was a struggle in practice, we were
17th in the first session with a 26.204, and 15th in the second session
with a slight improvement to 26.122. The problems with the throttle
linkage were fixed and tire pressure adjustments were made for
qualifications, wow what a pick up. We all looked at our watches twice to
verify our fast time of 25.470 , good for 5th quick. Great job by Eric
and the crew. We fell back initially to 8th by lap 2, Eric settled in and
got back to 6th by lap 12. A yellow flew on lap 52 and we were Turing our
best times of the race at 26.50. At this time Eric reporting that the
motor was starting to "lay down" and running hot. Eric hung in there,
fighting the rest of the race moving to 5th by lap 69 and eventually
finishing there , and on the same straight away as the winner. Who knows
what would have happened with a strong running motor, we had a good car
that was there at the end of the race. What a testimonial to the Team
!!!!!!! !! GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!!!!!!! There also was some time for relaxation and family in Colorado. Rob's family(AKA the Griswalds wife,Laura, sons AJ and Branden and daughter Lauren) made the trip, along with Linda Hoffman, and Diane Waechter. Trips to Pikes Peak(Rob got a slide job in), the Air Force Academy(AJ tried to climb to the top of the B-52), the Broadmore, white water rafting(Dan was a trouble maker as usual, Jake did not tip the scales) , Will Rogers memorial, Cheyenne mountain (Diane did not get close to the guards with machine guns) , and visits with old friends highlighted the relaxation time. This is a great event at PPIR, put it on your calendar for next year. (Photos) Next up , pavement Sprint Car events this weekend at Toledo and Mansfield. Brian Tyler will be at the controls. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| FRUSTRATING WEEKEND IN HOT RICHMOND VIRGINIA | ||||||
|
RICHARD MEETS WITH
BILL FRANCE JR. |
||||||
| THE TEAM PLANS FOR RICHMOND BUSY WEEKEND, AFTER TOUGH DIRT SPRINT CAR WEEKEND, TESTING AT IRP | ||||||
|
The Team looks forward to a hectic
Friday and Saturday in Richmond Virginia this weekend. Friday will
include practice , qualifying , and the race for the Sprint Car, and
practice/ qualifying for the Silver Crown Car. Saturday will be race day
for the Silver Crown Car. Needless to say Friday will be busy and hot.
Tuesday evening will be a test at IRP for the Silver Crown Car August
race. ELDORA BUCKEYE NATIONALS RESULTS 6/18  We
knew that the track would be tough when before practice, dry spots were
showing. We practiced at 18.8, with the track record at 15.2. Tire,
stagger, and bar changes before qualifying led to an improvement to 18.559
, good for 8th in qualifying. Passing was at a premium all night, that
included our heat race, #4. Starting in 6th position, we were unable to
advance and had to run the B main. Only 1 car faster than us was able to
transfer, which started us back in the pack for the B main. The track got
worse, Jerry tried a number of slide jobs to improve position, to no
avail. We missed the show. Richard decided to take a
provisional, and we started last in the A Main. Tony Stewart did his best
to improve the track during the night, but after a few laps the track
deteriorated again. Jerry was able to move up to 16th by lap 13. We were
clearly faster than Levi Jones, but unable to pass him for too many laps.
Jerry finished in a flurry, making a number of passes in the closing
laps , after getting around Levi, for a 12th place finish. A tough night
on a tough track. (more
photos)LIMALAND RESULTS BUCKEYE NATIONALS 6/17 W  e
were in the first practice session, the track was extremely sloppy, so it
was hard to gage where we were versus competition. We practiced at 14.14,
and qualifyed at 13.294, good for 16th. Running in heat race #3 we
started 4th and finished 3rd. Adjustments included stagger change,
lowering the front end, and changing a bar for the A main. To say that
confusion ruled the day would be an understatement , especially in the
Feature. There was a question on who was starting the race after the cars
were on the track. Bottom line is that a car that did not report for the
start initially, got his starting position back after the 2nd start, and
ended up taking us out. The right front wheel was damaged along
with a flat tire. Jerry was moving forward after starting 14th when we
were taken out. The race restarted before we had a chance to change the
tire and get out on the track. A r! ed flag allowed us to rejoin the
race, but 2 laps down, Jerry drove hard for a 19th place finish. What a
frustrating night!!!!!
(more
photos)Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| RP RESULTS-BDAD NIGHT AT THE TRACK TURNS INTO GOOD POINTS NIGHT- WELCOME BACK TO BRIAN TYLER | ||||||
|
Two sessions of hot laps in groups,
and one open session and we were running 21.2-21.4, while the fast cars
were under 21.0 seconds on some laps. During practice air pressure
changes were made along with front spring changes in the search for a
balanced car. We qualified at a 21.2, which put us 13th and in a big hole
which was tough to climb out of all night. The car was the best all night
in the heat race. On the original start, Brian got a big jump and had the
lead from 6th starting spot on lap 1. That was called back, and on the
2nd start Brian was in 4th position by turn 2, and was running laps at
21.0 and finished 3rd in the heat to transfer to the feature. A gear
change was the big change made for the feature. Starting 13th Brian did a
masterful job of passing cars and was to P9 by lap 3. He was up to P8 by
lap 10 and we thought we had something for them as the car was good. Only
1! car passed us during the feature, that was Jason McCord on lap 13, as
the car got loose. A 9th place finish was a bad night for the Team, we
wish we could have given Brian a better car. However, all the news was
not bad. We moved to 2nd in the hunt for the Team's unprecedented 9th
National Championship, only 12 points out of first place. We now go back
to one of the Team's favorite tracks, Winchester. We hope to se all of
you there. Tracy will be back in the car, as he will be back from the
Truck race in Texas. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| GAS CITY- GOOD FINISH | ||||||
|
It seems to rain everytime the Team
goes to Gas City. This time was no exception, with light rain falling at
times, especailly during qualifying. The car was loose in hot laps, so
Rob tightened the car up for qualifying. It was a little too tight to
qualify, and Jerry ended up 15th. Jerry transferred to the feature with a
3rd place finish in heat race # 3. Jerry started 12th in the feature. As
the track slicked off the car got better, especially with the air pressure
change the crew made during the red flag for Justin Marvel. The car went
from tight to well balanced with Jerry moving forward steadily. Jerry
drove the car hard, moved up to 5th, and made a pass on the main
straightaway for 4th as the checkered flew. It was a good performance by
the Team. We are hanging in there in the points, only a few from 1st
place. Everyone is looking forward to IRP on Thursday, as Tracy takes the
wheel. That place owes us one. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| ELDORA 5/28/05- GOOD CARS ALL NIGHT- GREAT POINTS WEEK | ||||||
| The challenge of fielding 2 cars was magnified by the fact that the Team had to make an engine change after the Little 500 for the Eldora race. The MOPAR in the pavement Sprint Car was transferred to Tracy's dirt car. The Team got back around 3:00 am Sunday morning. Rob, Dan, And Jake did a yeoman's job getting the car ready. It was a long night at Eldora. Lighting problems caused 2 lengthy delays during the program, causing another 3:00am arrival home for the Team. We had good cars from warm-ups on. Both cars were in the 16 second flat area for hot laps. Changes improved the cars for qualifying , Jerry clocking in 2nd at 15.731, and Tracy 3rd at 15.885. Jerry came to the front in heat race 2, finishing 3rd. Tracy did the job in heat race 3, finishing 2nd. Rob and Dan made changes in anticipation of the track taking rubber in the feature, to include choice of right rear tire. ! The cars started 4th and 5th in the feature. It was a tale of 2 cars. Jerry dropped positions from the green, falling to 15th before dropping out when the power steering failed. The steering was giving Jerry problems from the drop of the green. Tracy on the other hand held position on the track, and began moving forward when the car starting "coming in" with about 10 laps to go. The track finally started taking rubber and Tracy put some great moves on Kaeding and Clayton, and passed Marvel on the last lap for a 2nd place finish. Tracy was in the points car, so we had a great points week, with a win and a 2nd place. Next race is the rescheduled Gas City Border Wars event , this Friday. We will run 1 car with Jerry at the wheel. We are looking forward to Jerry;s first win with the Team. | ||||||
| OUR FIRST LITTLE 500 ENDS WAY TO EARLY | ||||||
 The
Little 500 is quite an event. The management at Anderson Speedway does a
fantastic job with organization, being on schedule, and putting on quite a
show for the fans and Teams. The build up to the race is dramatic, with
emotional ceremony's leading up to the green flag. Pictures of the pit
set up, and fueling rig are posted with this article. The Team practiced
pit stops before the race, and we felt confident that we
could rip off stops in the 14-16 second range, including a full tank and
changing 3 tires. Rob designed and built a fantastic refueling rig. Air
guns were set up to change 3 tires. Unfortunately after all the prep and
practice, we never got a chance to execute a pit stop. To see sprint cars
start the race 3 abreast on the 1/4 mile track is an experience. We had a
good car, certainly we felt that it was a top 3 car . Tracy had moved up
to 6th place, without abusing the ti! res, when
 our
race ended under 100 laps. While passing a car, Tracy was pushed up the
track and into the turn 4 wall. It was a hard hit , ending our race.
Very disappointing !!! The car is hurt and will be fixed before IRP.
Tim Waechter |
||||||
| BIG WEEK GETS OFF TO A GREAT START-RECORD SETTING NATIONAL WIN #60 | ||||||
 A
hectic week of racing got off to a great start at Anderson Speedway
Wednesday night. The Team participated in practice for the Little 500 for
over 3 hours to start off the day. The car was all over the board in
practice, but we felt that we could run consistent laps of 11.5. Fast
times were in the 11.3 range. Richard invested in 3 sets of tires to get
better and win. Next came USAC practice and qualifying. Rob, Dan,
Richard and Tracy continued to engineer the car
. It paid off with the 3rd
quick time of 11.513, quick time was 11.363. The heat race was a
challenge , having to start 6th on a track which is very difficult to
execute a pass. A late race wreck allowed us to finish 4th. More changes
were made for the 50 lap feature. We moved up a row in the start when a
car in the row ahead! of us would not start. This put us outside front
row, with Bobby East on the pole. Tracy got a great start and was outside
of Bobby, and had a pass if Bobby had not pushed Tracy up the track. A
yellow negated that start. Bobby was ready for that move on the restart .
Tracy dogged Bobby for 27 laps, and made a tremendous pass , what a great
move. Tracy fended off advances by Aaaron Pierce , and Marc Jessup, but
won by a comfortable margin. Tracy did a great job and the car "came in"
as planned. Great news- the car is good when it gets dark. Great job and
a heck of a lot of work by the Team , congratulations to all. |
||||||
| LITTLE 500 QUALIFYING-STARTING OUR FIRST IN 1OTH POSITION | ||||||
|
Participating in the Pay Less Remy
International Little 500 for the first time is a real experience.
Thursday's first day of qualifying was nerve racking. We waved off the
first attempt, made some changes on the car in the infield , and made a
2nd run. One lap was in the 11.4 area, 2 in the 11.5, and the last lap
was 11.6 when Tracy drove the car hard in turn one and got loose in turn
2. We took the time which was a good thing. The clouds moved in later in
the day, which had to help some later qualifiers. Our combined 4 lap time
of 46.217 was good for 10th starting spot. A good effort when considering
this is our first run at the Little 500, and we are not running a
"special built car". We are all excited for Saturday night's Little 5,
and Sunday night at the "Big E" . We will field 2 cars for Eldora.
Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| 8 TIME USAC NATIONAL CHAMPIONS TO COMPETE IN THE HISTORIC RACE FOR THE FIRST TIME | ||||||
|
Loveland Ohio, (May 24, 2005)- Defending
and 8 time USAC National Sprint Car Champions, Hoffman Auto Racing, will
compete in the 57th Payless Remy International Little 500 on May 28, 2005.
The Kroger/Tide/Bounty/Pringles/Mopar Stanton Beast will be driven by
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Tracy Hines. “ We have wanted to run this race for a number of years. Last year we attended the race, tried to learn all we could, and decided we would take on this tremendous challenge in 2005. Tracy (Hines) wanted to run the race, and was available , so we have been planning for the race since last fall. Rob (Hoffman) built a mock up of a Little 500 car, but we decided to run our Beast. Kroger is a primary sponsor of the race, so we want to represent them well. Pit stops will be a challenge for our Team, but we feel that we have built the equipment and have the personnel to pull of some quick stops”, said Richard Hoffman, President of Hoffman Auto Racing. It is a very busy week for HAR. A USAC Sprint race in scheduled May 25th at Anderson, the Little 500 is May 28th, and a USAC Sprint Car race is scheduled for Eldora on May 29. The Team will run 2 cars at Eldora, with Tracy Hines and Jerry Coons Jr. driving the F5’s. Primary sponsorship continues from Kroger and Tide, with associate sponsorship from MOPAR, Pringles, and Bounty . 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. MOPAR is the exclusive original equipment manufacturer for DaimlerChrysler’s American brands: Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| BEAVER DAM RESULTS-PROMISING NIGHT TURNS DISAPPOINTING | ||||||
|
Fielding 2 cars is a challenge for any
Team, much less a Team missing some key members. We had concerns that
Beaver Dam would rip through tires like it did last year, and
mounting/dismounting tires would be a challenge with 2 cars and 4 crew
members(2 of us either over or approaching 60). We got help from Dan's
cousin and his friend, and tire wear turned out to not be a factor. The
show was supposed to be a twi-light event with racing starting at 4:00pm.
Heavy rains the day before and light rain in the afternoon, caused the
format of the show to change. Hot laps didn't start until 5:00pm. Tracy
was fast ,lapping at 13.77, and Jerry at 14.25. The next fastest to Tracy
we clocked was Jay Drake at 13.9. Qualifying was cancelled, and heat
race line ups were determined by the draw. Jerry was #5, and Tracy was
#15. Of course both cars ended up in the 3rd heat on the front row. &nbs!
p;Tracy took the lead from the drop of the green and ran away, running the
high line. Jerry was in a battle for 2nd, until he changed his line and
went low in 3&4 . So things were looking good, finishing 1st & 2nd. The
feature saw Jerry on the pole and Tracy starting 4th. Mat Neely took the
lead when Jerry hit a rut, gained control of the car and was 2nd when the
yellow flew on lap 2. Jerry lost the car on lap 3 in turn 4 while running
low and spun, putting him at the tail of the field. Tracy was 4th .
Tracy made contact with another car on lap 17 while battling for
position, spun and broke front end suspension parts, ending his race.
Rob and Dan made a valiant effort to get Tracy back out, to no avail.
Tracy was in the points car, so this hurt us. Meanwhile Jerry was
driving his heart out, and was 8th by the lap 20 yellow flag. Jerry
continued to drive the heck out of the car and passed 2 cars on th! e last
lap for a 5th place finish. Both cars were tight for the feature. Our
congratulations to Mat Neely, our Silver Crown dirt driver, for winning
his first USAC Sprint Car feature. We look for our first win this year at
Terre Haute, one of our favorite tracks. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| GAS CITY RAINED OUT AFTER HOT LAPS-GOOD RESULT AT ELDORA- 2 CARS FOR BEAVER DAM | ||||||
The car was good in hot laps at Gas
City, about 0.2 off the fast time. The car was set up loose and would
come in for qualifying, which never happened. Persistent rain caused the
race to be postponed, and rescheduled for June.  The
Team had to adjust for the absence of Rob, who had an important family
event to attend. The car was good right off the truck. We were 5th in
hot laps at 16.12, about 0.3 of the very fast time of Dave Darland. A
left rear tire change, and a few minor adjustments resulted in a big pick
up in qualifying, Jerry ran a 15.737, good for 3rd quick behind a 15.630
of Darland and a 15.644 of Matt Neely. Jerry did a terrific job, running
his quick time in the 2nd lap. Pulling pill #2 put a lot of pressure on
the Team, and everyone came through. A gear change, and tire changes were
made for the heat race. Starting 8th in the 10 car heat race #3, Jerry
passed 7 cars by the time he hit the back stretch on lap 1. He went high
in 1 &2 , gassed the Gaerte MOPAR, and ran by them . By the time he hit
turn 1 in lap 2, Jerry was in the lead, and ran away with a very
impressive heat race win, running a 2:10.! 79. Starting 4th in the
feature event, the car was tight , which was anticipated by Richard and
Dan. After a yellow on lap 10, the car "came in", and Jerry was catching
the Tony Stewart cars, while Levi Jones had a big lead. Jerry finally got
around Josh Wise in the Stewart # 20 around lap 22. A red flag on lap 27
allowed the crew to check tire pressures. Dave Darland got around Jerry
by doing a slide job on lap 29 , and we finished 4th. Jerry drove the car
hard all night, the Team functioned well , and we had a good result. A
big CONGRATULATIONS from the Marketing department to Dan Launderville for
doing an outstanding job of working with Richard and Jerry on car set up,
assigning jobs to the Team, and showing great leadership in the absence of
Rob. (More
Photos)The Team now prepares 2 cars for the next race at Beaver Dam Wisc. Tracy and Jerry will Team up for a 2 car Hoffman effort. See you at the races. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| ANOTHER BAD WEATHER WEEKEND- TEAM NOW PREPARES FOR 2 DIRT RACES NEXT WEEKEND | ||||||
|
The Team was really, really, really,
really looking forward to Winchester this past weekend, but snow and cold
weather caused the weekend to be scraped. The Winchester race is
re-scheduled for October 16th. The Team now prepares for the "Border
Wars" which consists of 2 dirt races back to back Friday and Saturday.
The opening night is at Gas City Indiana, a racy 1/4 mile track close to
Ft Wayne. Saturday night is at the fast Big E, Eldora Speedway. We will
be running 1 car both nights with Jerry Coons Jr at the wheel of the
Kroger/Tide/Bounty/Pringles/Mopar Hoffman F5 Gaerte. Tracy has a Truck
race in St. Louis, good luck Tracy and Christa. The Hoffman Team will be
looking for National wins 60 and 61. See you at the races!!!!
Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| PAVEMENT SPRINT CAR IS REPAIRED | ||||||
 It
was a hard hit as is evidenced by the tail tank. The crash also did
some minor
damage to the frame at the left rear of the car. The pictures show Rob
cutting and piecing the frame back together. Dan did a paint job and we
are ready for Winchester on 4/24. GREAT JOB GUYS!!! Tim Waechter |
||||||
|
ANDERSON-BEAUTIFUL DAY,
MISERABLE DAY The Sprint car season got off to a disappointing start yesterday at Anderson Speedway. The bottom line is that we never got a handle on the track. The practice sessions saw the car loose in -getting off okay, to getting in okay to loose off, to not getting through the middle of the corners at all. We were 20th in practice times. A positive move saw us qualify 13th with a time of 11.784, in practice we were around 12 flat consistently. The car didn't work well in the 1st heat and we failed to transfer, finishing 6th. The 12 lap semi saw us running 7th, and things were looking bleak, when Tracy did a masterful move to go high and pass the 83 car on lap 10 to transfer for the feature. Starting 12th in the feature, we dropped to 13th by a lap 14 yellow flag. Tracy moved up to 12th by a lap 40 yellow. You could really see this coming for laps, as a car running in 5th place was holding u! p a group of 6-7 cars for many laps. The boys were getting impatient, stacking up. As a result of this stack up , Tracy tried to move high and avoid-pass the 2 car, the two cars got together and Tracy backed into the back stretch wall hard. The tail tank is now about 9 inches wide. We were done for the day, finishing 18th. It was a follow the leader race, with maybe 1-2 passes all race. Better days are ahead, including the next race at one of the Team's favorite tracks-Winchester on 4/24. Oh , by the way the body shop is back open again. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| SUNDAY'S WEATHER LOOKS GOOD FOR SPRINT CAR OPENER AT ANDERSON | ||||||
 The
shop was alive last night with grandchildren running around, Larry Miller
from Hamm Signs finishing the decaling of the cars (left) ,
and a certain someone leaning on a broom (not pushing it), giving Richard
and Rob a serious lecturing on how to set up the car for Anderson(picture).
The Sprint cars are ready, both dirt cars look pristine (pictures) .
Jerry and Tracy stopped by to check the seat fittings and are looking
younger everyday (pictures). The Team did test at Winchester on
Wednesday, finding the track to be very slick, but some great learnings
were captured for the April 24th race. See you at Anderson.
Tim Waechter |
||||||
| THE TEAM WILL BE READY TO FIELD 2 CAR EFFORT AT THE "BIG E" | ||||||
 To
say it will be a busy night is an understatement, but the Team is excited
and ready to field 2 cars for the first time this year. Tracy's car is
finished with the new Stanton Mopar (left). His car will sport the blue
stripe. Jerry's car is ready for placement of the new Gaerte Mopar
today. Jerry's car will have the Tide orange stripe.
Decals will be placed today, Jerry's car will be started, the hauler
loaded, etc., etc. etc. The 3rd F5 arrived last week. The body shop is
well on the way to having the body painted, the 3rd F5 will be a Tide
Coldwater Car.  Tires
are mounted and ready to load (left).
We are hoping the weather cooperates, and
we se all of you at Eldora. |
||||||
| TEAM TO TEST THE PAVEMENT SPRINT CAR AT ANDERSON AND WINCHESTER | ||||||
It was a nice trip to Anderson on the
28th, only to turn around and come home. At this point we are not sure
when the Anderson test will be rescheduled. The
 Winchester
test should happen this week, with Tracy behind the wheel for all tests.
The pavement car is ready to go (left), the body shop did stellar work on
all cars again. They
are beautiful ! |
||||||
| THE HOFFMAN TEAM AND BRIAN TYLER REUNITE FOR 6 PAVEMENT SPRINT CAR RACES | ||||||
|
We have had great success in the
past, so the Team is excited to have Brian Tyler back in the car for 6
pavement Sprint Car races this year. These will be the races where
Tracy has a conflict with his NASCAR schedule. Welcome back Brian and
Donna.
Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing
|
||||||
| TRACY VISITS THE SHOP | ||||||
Tracy and Christa Hines (and Indy)
made a visit to the race shop on 3/13. Tracy was fitted into both the
pavement and dirt sprint cars. Tracy's seats were put in place, after
some adjustments were made by Dan and Jake. It was a great time visiting
with Tracy and Christa, and Indy. Pictures include: Tracy and Christa,
Tracy and Indy, Tracy in the dirt car, and the next great Hoffman family
driver, Rob's son AJ, after a hot lap session on the dirt track at the
shop.
Tim Waechter |
||||||
|
|
||||||
| PROGRESS CONTINUES AT THE SHOP 3/11/2005 | ||||||
 The
new MOPAR from Stanton arrived and is placed in the pavement sprint car
(left). The new MOPAR from
Gaerte is being assembled and should be ready late next week. The bodies
are painted and ready for both dirt sprint cars,(right as well as the
pavement car.
|
||||||
| UPDATE FROM THE SHOP 3/3/2005 | ||||||
 Pictured
is the body for the first dirt sprint car, ready to hang on the car. Work
now shifts to the second dirt car. The two cars will be distinguished by
the color of the stripes, and the tape on the roll cage. Both cars need
to be ready for Eldora on 4/2, as both Tracy and Jerry are
ready to go. The pavement sprint car body was finished several weeks ago
and the MOPAR motor has arrived from Stanton. A second new MOPAR sprint
motor is coming from Gaerte. All sprint cars have front axles and rear
ends in place, and are progressing well. Rob , Dan, and Jake are also
working on refueling equipment for the 'Little 500". Rob has designed and
is building a fuel tower. |
||||||
| TIDE COLDWATER SILVER CROWN CAR ON DISPLAY THIS WEEKEND | ||||||
|
The Hoffman Kroger/Tide
Coldwater/Pringles/Bounty/Mopar Silver Crown car will be on display this
weekend in Beavercreek Ohio. The event is the DARF(Dayton Auto Race Fans)
"Race Car for Kids" charity car show at Lang's Chevrolet on 3/5 and 3/6.
Come on up to the greater Dayton area and see the car , it is all for a
fantastic cause. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| WORK CONTINUES FOR SPRINT CAR OPENER ON 4/2 AT THE "BIG E" | ||||||
 The
Team continues to work hard preparing the Sprint Cars for a run at another
National Championship. The pavement car and both dirt cars are being
assembled . A third F5 is on the way, for a total of 3 dirt cars, all
less
than a year old. Richard has been working late nights turning out
beautiful ,"iconic" cars for the 2005 season. The picture is of the
pavement car body which is finished, less decals. Dan has built new
bodies for the dirt cars, which will soon be ready for the paint booth.
One sprint car MOPAR motor should be arriving from Stanton any day now,
and one is on order from Gaerte. We will field two cars for the opener at
Eldora. Thanks for your support of Hoffman Racing. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| Tee Shirts | ||||||
| The 2005 tee 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. | ||||||
|
||||||
| 1OTH PLACE FINISH AT 28TH COPPER WORLD CLASSIC | ||||||
 The
"Valley of the Sun" was anything but that Saturday. We are not
complaining because ice and snow hit home in the midwest, but you do not
expect thunder, lightning, sleet, and hail to hit Phoenix in January. We
saw all of those Saturday. The track had to be dried twice, for a several
hour delay. We were plagued with brake problems Saturday. We were 12th
quick in the morning practice session, with brake ills and a big push. It
turns out that the new brake rotors were warped, they were the expensive
ones, built to slow the car quickly. The rotor problem caused the car to
vibrate when Eric applied the brakes. There wasn't time to fix them
before qualifying. We got quicker, but so did everyone else, and we
qualified 19th, making the field, but no one was happy. Richard, Tim and
Al chased down new brake parts Saturday evening, going to Manzy to track
down Arizona Race Mart. ! Back at the track Rob, Dan and Jake worked on
improving the car. It was a typical late night at Phoenix in the pits for
the Hoffman crew.  Sunday
proved to be a beautiful day in the desert, sunny with a high of 60. We
ran a full tank in the warm up session. The brake problem was fixed, and
we were 17th quick. The crew went back to work to make the car better for
the race. The green flag flew and we were immediately in heavy traffic ,
in a pack of 15 cars with some crazy driving . Eric did a great job
keeping us out of a wreck, yet being aggressive. We were up to 17th at a
lap 26 caution. Eric moved forward and was 13th by the lap 34 Bobby East
caution. Eric began a duel with Dave Darland and Jason McCord at lap 44 ,
which lasted about 20 laps. we were in P12 at the lap 61 caution. Jason
got by Eric and Eric got by Dave around lap
74. Eric had improved to P 10 by a lap 84 caution. Eric moved up to P9,
before getting caught up behind a car with the hood ready to fly off and
Dave Darland got around us
on the ! last lap for a 10th place finish. The new MOPAR performed
flawlessly all weekend. The truth is that we were victims of a lot of
blocking and chopping during the race. We had a good car, but not good
enough to win.  Certainly
not what we wanted. It was a great weekend , seeing old friends, and
getting back to the track. It was especially great to see Tracy and
Christa Hines, Brian and Donna Tyler, Jack French and crew, and Dave ,
Rebba, and Sarah Fisher. See the pictures attached. We were especially
happy that some of the "ladies of Hoffman Racing " were able to make the
trip. Linda Hoffman (Richard's wife), Laura Hoffman (Rob's wife), Diane
Waechter (my wife), and Jamie Gordon were all there and are pictured
around the car. We got a lot of compliments on the appearance of the car,
our new uniforms, and t-shirts. The Champ car now sits until June. Our
next race is Eldora for the sprint cars. Thanks for your support of
Hoffman Racing. (USAC
Results)
Tim Waechter |
||||||
| SILVER CROWN CAR HEADED TO PHOENIX | ||||||
| As of this writing, the "boys" are on the way to warm , sunny Phoenix. The car turned out to be beautiful as usual. See you in Phoenix. (Photos) | ||||||
| SILVER CROWN CAR ALMOST COMPLETE-LEAVES 1/25 FOR PHOENIX | ||||||
|
The car is almost finished and ready
to go. There are just a few decals to add, and the "Tide Ice". The theme
for the year will be the new Tide Coldwater detergent hitting Kroger
stores this week. Dan and Jake leave tomorrow for the warm weather. The
car looks spectacular, and should photograph well on the track.
(Photos) Tim Waechter VP MArketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| SILVER CROWN CAR NOW SPORTS THE MOPAR MOTOR | ||||||
As you can see in the pictures , the
Silver Crown car is getting close . The Stanton MOPAR has been installed,
the plumbing is finished, the oil tank is attached now, and Thursday night
we are targeting for a start up of the engine. Thursday night we should
also decal the car, and have it ready to leave for Phoenix.
|
||||||
| THE HOFFMAN TEAM WELCOMES JAKE SIMMONS-FULL TIME MECHANIC | ||||||
 The
Team's search for a full time mechanic has ended with the hiring of Jake
Simmons. Jake started work 1/17. Jake calls Little Rock home. His dad
has been a racer for years, starting with modified midgets, and graduating
to Sprint cars in the Little Rock area. Jake worked on his dad's cars for
years. Jake started his racing career in winged 360's, owning the car
with his dad. Jake and his dad started driving in the Midwest Sprint Car
series in 2002. The family moved to Effingham Ill in 2004. Jake is a
graduate of Ovachita Baptist University. We are happy to have Jake on the
Team. He will be a tremendous asset to all of us, but especially Dan.
Dan has been pulling double duty for awhile. A big Hoffman welcome to
Jake. We look forward to our first win, with Jake as a part of the Team,
in Phoenix.
Tim Waechter |
||||||
| SPRINT AND MIDGET MAGAZINE ARTICLE CHRONICLES THE 2004 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON | ||||||
|
Gifted writer Dave Argabright has
penned an article in the February edition of SprintCar and Midget
magazine, that chronicles the 2004 championship season as well as the
history of the HoffmanTeam. The article is written as only Dave can do,
beautifully, with great pictures. We want to thank Dave, and encourage
you to subscribe to SprintCar and Midget magazine on a regular basis. It
is an excellent publication. Sprintcarandmidget.com
is their web site. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| WORK CONTINUES ON SILVER CROWN CAR | ||||||
The pictures detail the progress being
made on the Silver Crown Car. We are hopeful that the MOPAR motor will be
delivered this week or early next from Stanton. The "new look" Silver
Crown car is coming together. The Tide Coldwater Car will feature a new
paint scheme, and lots of other new goodies on board. Great work by
Richard, Dan, Rob and the body shop.
Tim Waechter |
||||||
| DEFENDING USAC NATIONAL SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS- HOFFMAN AUTO RACING ANNOUNCES SPRINT CAR DRIVER LINE-UP FOR 2005 | ||||||
| TRACY HINES RETURNS FOR LIMITED SCHEDULE, JERRY COONS JR. DRIVES THE DIRT CAR | ||||||
|
Loveland Ohio(January 10,2005)- Hoffman
Auto Racing(HAR), 8 time USAC National Sprint Car Champions, announced
today that USAC veteran and NASCAR Craftsman Truck series driver Tracy
Hines will drive a limited schedule in the famous #69 in 2005. USAC star
Jerry Coons JR. will drive the full year in the dirt sprint car. Tracy Hines is one of USAC’s all time great drivers. He is a past Silver Crown and Sprint Car Champion(2002 in the HAR car). Tracy was a top three points finisher in all 3 USAC Divisions in 2003, and has won 53 USAC National races. He is a holder of the USAC “Super License”. Tracy continues as a full time driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Tracy will be able to make the majority of the pavement Sprint Car schedule, and will run on the dirt in limited races. When Tracy is able to make dirt races, HAR will run a second car. Jerry Coons Jr. is a native of Tuscon Arizona. Jerry one of USAC’s most talented drivers. In 2003 Jerry finished in the top 25 in all 3 USAC divisions. In 2002 Jerry finished 8th in the Silver Crown Series and 12th in the National Sprint Car Series. Jerry drove for HAR in 2004 on a limited basis. “ This will be our third year with Tracy, we have had much success including a National Championship in 2002, we are happy for Tracy’s success in NASCAR, and thrilled that he will be able to drive for us on a limited basis in 2005” said Richard Hoffman, President HAR. “Jerry is an up and coming USAC star. We had success with Jerry in 2004, and we believe together we can win races in 2005. The Team is focusing on winning races and repeating our Sprint Car Championship in 2005.” Driver(s) to fill in on the pavement Sprint Car races which present conflicts for Tracy Hines will be announced at a future date. Primary sponsorship will continue from Kroger and Tide, with associate sponsorship from MOPAR, Pringles, and Bounty . 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 |
||||||
| SHOP UPDATE AND THE LATEST NEWS- 1/3/2005 | ||||||
As usual, things are hectic and wild in
the shop. The Silver Crown car
 is
back from the powder coater(see pictures), and ready for the new paint
design this year. Tide is introducing a new product called Tide ColdWater,
and the Silver Crown Car will carry that theme this year. Buy your Tide
ColdWater at Kroger starting the last week of January. The pavement Sprint Car and one dirt Sprinter are 
at the powder coater now. The body shop has been busy stripping paint,
sanding ,making repairs, and painting. The MOPAR engines are being built.
Driver announcement for the Sprint Car should be made soon. Some exciting news to come regarding drivers. Project "A" is well under way. This is a top secret project that Rob is engineering. If I told you about it I would have to kill all of you, and we need all our great fans. Tracy Hines saw the project yesterday, so if word gets out, it is your fault Tracy. We hope all our fans had a great Christmas, and will have a Happy New Year.Thanks for your support and look for Sprint car driver announcement soon. Better check back everyday. Tim Waechter VP Marketing Hoffman Racing |
||||||
| 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 75th
anniversary with our 8th 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 |
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| HIGHLIGHTS OF PRI SHOW AND THE USAC BANQUET | ||||||
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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 difficulty 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 |
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