By Tim Waechter
Loveland, OH (26 April ,2016) Saturday, 23 April, turned out to be a historic race in the history of Hoffman Racing. Brady Bacon, with his 14th USAC National Sprint Car win in the # 69 Mean Green, Lykins Oil, Purple Heart Hoffman Machine, at Montpelier Speedway in Indiana, became the winningest driver in HAR Racing history. Brady went into this year tied with Jerry Coons Jr. with 13th, followed by Tracy Hines with 12 and Dave Darland with 11.
Brady first won in the #69 in 2012 while driving part time for the Team, at West Memphis AR. He became the full time driver in 2013 and won again at Lake Odessa MI. Things really started to click in 2014 with 4 more wins and Brady’s first USAC National Sprint Car Championship and Hoffman’s 10th . The year 2015 was a tough year points wise but was a record year in Hoffman history with 7 USAC National Sprint Car wins, the most of any driver in 87 years in a single year.
” We were fortunate that Brady moved back to Indiana and gave me a call in 2013 . It is really special that out of the 132 drivers Hoffman Racing has had over the years, Brady has won more races then any of them”, said Richard Hoffman President of Hoffman Racing.
Rob Hoffman, Vice President of Engineering and Crew Chief said “Brady has been a real pleasure to work with. We have been able to work together each year and improved our performance. When Brady gets into a rhythm he is hard to beat”.
” Brady is a dream driver for sponsors to work with, they all value what he brings to market their products and represents them in a first class manner always” said Tim Waechter VP of Marketing, PR and Social media.
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 10 USAC National Sprint Car Championships with Rob Hoffman as the crew chief (’92,’93,’96,’97,’99,’02,’04,’08,’14)
With 94 USAC National Sprint Car wins and 10 National Championships, HAR has won more National races and championships than any other team in USAC sprint car history. HAR also has 7 Silver Crown and a National Midget win for a total of 102 USAC National wins. In 2003 HAR was recognized for excellence by the Ohio State Senate and House of Representatives. HAR has finished in the top 3 in USAC National Sprint Car owners points 19 times since 1989.
Drivers from the past 87 years reads like a who’s who of racing: 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, Steve Butler , Jerry Coons Jr. Ryan Newman, Dave Steele, George Snider, Tom Bigelow Shorty Templemen, Don Branson, Eddie Sachs, Bill Puterbaugh, Elmer George, Pancho Carter, Roger Ward, Andy Michener, Kyle Larson and Brady Bacon. In all approximately 132 drivers have competed in the Hoffman cars. Of those there are four father/son combinations , Dick and Dickie Gaines, Jim and Tracy Hines Kerry and Dave Norris, Clark and Shorty Templemen. Two brother combinations, Larry and Steve Cannon, Pancho Carter and Johnny Parsons Jr. HAR also had a step-grandfather and step-grandson combination of Elmer George and Ed Carpenter.