Top drag racer won 15 Funny Car titles

Drag racer Al Hofmann, 60, a 15-time Funny Car winner who finished second to champion John Force in the 1995 season standings, died March 20 of a heart attack at his home in Eustis, Fla.

Hofmann was among the National Hot Rod Assn.’s top 10 drivers from 1991 to 1996. His highlight was a five-win campaign in 1995.

Hofmann suffered a near-fatal crash in 1997 as he crossed the finish line at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. He retired from racing in 2002 and opened a shop with his partner, Susan Hickey, to restore classic cars.

A native of Peekskill, N.Y., Hofmann was a contractor building houses in his 20s. After dabbling in drag racing, he sold his business and become a professional race-car driver in 1979.