Larry Pfister, of Horsepowerheaven.com, provided 1320 TV with video footage featuring Funny Car headliner Al Hofmann in action at Southern Oregon Dragstrip and Seattle International Raceway in 1998. The video also includes footage of John Shoemaker, who lost his life at the recent March Meet at Bakersfield, California.

Phil Burgess was also kind enough to permit us to publish the story that he and John Jodauga put together for National Dragster.

Click here to view the video and read the story:
1320 TV

Thanks very much for sharing this. It is a nice tribute.

Dave

Very Cool!!!

Very Great Tribute

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Ah Brian...that just brought a HUGE SMILE to my face! To see John racing his American Eagle TAD and waving that flag as he backed up, brought a tear to my eye, but to see his car run within a few Hun...both passes w/different conditions, Man....that was John Shoemaker...He built and ran a very consistent car! But, to see ol AL out there doing his 400' UNDERPOWER Burnouts at a match race was flat out awesome to see! Great Job on the video Brian...Those are great images to remember both Al and John! You guys do great work on 1320.tv.....Keep up the good work!

Timmah!

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Thanks for the tribute. I miss the days of seeing fuel cars at a local track match racing. Man those high % nitro motors sounded great didn't they. It is amazing how much different they sound as apposed to modern fuelers. Godspeed Al, you were one of a kind.

I am going to miss Al Hoffman for many reasons. First of all, as a Nitro Junkie (sorry Jackie) since the 60's, I have always followed Funny Car (and Top Fuel) racing and when I became aware of Al Hoffman, I thought it was cool that that he transplanted himself to Florida as did I. It was even better to know that he was based close to Orlando, in Umatilla, FL and so was practically a local. I worked for awhile with one of his girlfriends from his early funny car days and got to hear some funny stories about him, most of which I have long since forgotten. But what stuck with me was that he was a racer's racer, and I always admired the fact that he and his then wife Helen (and team) were able to be so competetive with so little. And Al always put on a great show for the fans, probably due to his match racing days. Al was one of the few racers that John Force really had a rivalry with until later on when Whit Bazemore, Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps started to challenge him. I guess I have always liked the underdog and that kept me rooting for Big Al. Every time a thread would get started about "where are they now" and "wouldn't it be great if" some racers would come back to race again, Al's name would be one of those at the top of the list. I was one of those hoping he'd come back out of retirement for another shot, even if just as a part time deal. Now, it's gonna be like when one of the Beatle's died, and you realize that comeback is never gonna happen.

I leave you with the funniest drag racing fan moment that ever occured to me, at least in my wife's eyes, which of course involves Al Hoffman. I was at the GatorNationals many years ago, not sure what year, but it matters not. I had just bought a new NHRA cap at Nitro Alley and was walking the pits and there was Al Hoffman at the ropes, so I said cool, I want his autograph. Well, when it was my turn to get his sig, Al asks me what or who to write his autograph to, and I think another fuel car started to warm up right then and I thought Al asked me where to sign on my hat, and I said "on the bill" and he apparently thought I told him to sign it "To Bill, thanks, Al". He handed the hat back to me and I just looked at it and went Oh crap...whaddaya gonna do? My wife laughed for 20 min. straight when I told her the story when I got home. I still have the hat and she still laughs whenever she thinks about it, which included tonight when I found out that Al was gone, and I had to break the news to her.

So Al, RIP and thanks for all the memories. You will be missed.

Kurt Leinenkugel
aka: dragfan2

let's get a picture of that hat Kurt . Great Story.

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"A Friday night run in a Funny Car is just really intense" - Whit Bazemore

I wrote a personal remembrance to Al over at ESPN.com's NHRA page. I hope everyone will take a moment and read it. Al was a real racer and there won't be another one like him in our lifetime.

Very nice piece Bill!!!

RIP Al!

Well, since the "RIP....Al" thread is getting all the attention, and it has been a great read, I thought I would respond to Bob's request with the pic of the hat Al signed for me, and then maybe we can wrap this thread up, and let everyone continue their tribute to Al on the other thread. Here it is fans.

PS: If anyone can tell me how to post larger pics than thumbnails I would appreciate it.

Attached Thumbnails

Just a reminder for all of you about the Al Hofmann memorial Myspace page. Lots of good stuff info and pics on there. MySpace.com - Al Hofmann Memorial - 60 - Male - Eustis, Florida - www.myspace.com/alhofmannmemorial

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Buell's and Hardley's suck!

Thanks he was one of my favorits.... ALWAYS !!

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