Hofmann Discovers Not All Is Lost

Veteran funny car driver Al Hofmann lost his sponsor and his crew chief last year, but he didn’t lose his ability to go fast.

Driving a 5,500-horsepower Dodge Avenger with last year’s paint job--but no sponsor decals--Hofmann blistered Pomona Raceway’s quarter-mile drag strip with a track-record 308-mph run Friday during qualifying for the Chief Auto Parts Winternationals.

The old record of 307.06 was set last year by Cruz Pedregon.

Hofmann, 49, lost his Western Auto Parts sponsorship to young Randy Anderson and his crew chief, Tom Anderson, to Don Prudhomme’s new funny car team. With his wife, Helen, as team manager, Hofmann hired Jimbo Ermalovich to do the tuning and came to Pomona with an unsponsored car.

Although his 308 was also faster than all of the top-fuel dragsters, it still wasn’t fast enough to get the No. 1 position. Hofmann’s elapsed time of 4.972 seconds was the blink of an eyelash slower than John Force’s 4.957. Race positions are determined by time, not speed.

Hofmann’s last win was in last year’s Winternationals when he beat Force in the final round.

“I don’t think the 4.95 will hold up,” Force said. “We can hit it hard tomorrow, there’s nothing to lose.”

Two time trials remain, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. today, to set the 16-car fields for Sunday’s eliminations.

Force shocked the drag racing fraternity Friday when he switched the body work on teammate Tony Pedregon’s funny car from Pontiac Firebird to Ford Mustang. Pedregon had campaigned a Pontiac since joining Force’s team at the start of last season. Pedregon qualified the car, as a Firebird, on Thursday at 5.102 seconds, but it will run the rest of the weekend as a Mustang.

“I’ve been a GM driver for 20 years, but the opportunity to do something for Tony was too good to pass up,” Force said. “We’ll work both cars out of our shop in Yorba Linda with Castrol sponsorship on both of them, but they’ll be run as separate teams. Pontiac has plenty of cars--me, Cruz [Pedregon, Tony’s brother] . . . they didn’t need another one.

“I’ll have another surprise a little later on when we bring out our top-fuel dragster. I like to put a little excitement in this game.”

Joe Amato, in top fuel, and Warren Johnson, in pro stock, retained their No. 1 positions, even though neither bettered his Thursday performance. Among drivers still unqualified are top-fuel veteran Eddie Hill and the Dodge pro stock team of Darrell Alderman and Scott Geoffrion.

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The Facts

EVENT AT A GLANCE

* WHAT: Chief Auto Parts Winternationals, Round 1 of 22-event National Hot Rod Assn. drag racing season.

* WHERE: Pomona Raceway, Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, Pomona.

* WHEN: Today, pro qualifying, 11 a.m., 3 p.m; Sunday, final eliminations, 10:30 a.m.

* TV: Sunday, 4-5:30 p.m., TNN.

* TICKETS: Today, $41 (ages 6-15 $10), reserved $53; Sunday, $46, reserved $58. Admission includes pit pass.

(Southland Edition) By the Numbers

EVENT AT A GLANCE

* WHAT: Chief Auto Parts Winternationals, Round 1 of 22-event National Hot Rod Assn. drag racing season.

* WHERE: Pomona Raceway, Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, Pomona.

* WHEN: Today, pro qualifying, 11 a.m., 3 p.m; Sunday, final eliminations, 10:30 a.m.

* TV: Sunday, 4-5:30 p.m., TNN.

* TICKETS: Today, $41, reserved $53; Sunday, $46, reserved $58. Admission includes pit pass.

POMONA RACEWAY RECORDS

* TOP FUEL: Elapsed time, 4.620 seconds, Joe Amato, October 1996; Speed, 315.01 mph, Amato, October 1996.

* FUNNY CAR: Elapsed time, 4.932 seconds, Richard Hartman, October 1996; Speed, 307.06 mph, Cruz Pedregon, February 1996.

* PRO STOCK: Elapsed time, 6.957 seconds, Warren Johnson, October 1996; Speed, 198.67 mph, Johnson, January, 1997.

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

* TOP FUEL: Blaine Johnson.

* FUNNY CAR: Al Hoffmann.

* PRO STOCK: Jim Yates.