When Barry Hoffman bought a chartreuse Porsche 914 six months ago, he relived some college memories. Hoffman, president of BC Graphics in Tempe, Ariz., owned an identical car while attending Suffolk University in Boston in 1971. But instead of speeding around campus, today Hoffman races the Porsche and other cars at Phoenix International Raceway.
Hoffman, a novice to car racing, took up the hobby when he purchased an M5 BMW more than a year ago. As a perk for buying the car, the automaker offered Hoffman and a guest a free trip to Spartansburg, S.C., to learn how to handle the M5 and race on BMW's track. Hoffman BC Graphics' sales manager spent a day in a class taught by racecar drivers and on the track zooming around in an M5 provided by BMW.
Hoffman relished the experience. "When you're racing using someone else's car, you don't worry about a lot of things you would in your own car," Hoffman says. So when BMW called and asked if he would like another all-expenses-paid trip to the track, Hoffman jumped at the offer. This time, Hoffman was joined by his 18-year-old son, who felt his stomach turn--not a rush of adrenaline--while racing the car. After his second trip to Spartansburg, Hoffman was hooked on racing.
Upon returning to Tempe, Hoffman, who also owns a Porsche 911, joined the local Porsche Club and began racing at Phoenix International Raceway. He converted his 911 to a race-ready car, adding roll bars, a 5-point seat belt and stiff suspension. But Hoffman soon got a cold dose of reality about the dangerous world of racing when he witnessed a Dodge Viper slam into the raceway wall. Fortunately, the driver was fine, but the car was totaled. Hoffman decided to invest in a car designed solely for racing--the Porsche 914.
Hoffman enters races each month. He typically puts his Porsche to the test against other Porsches, Corvettes and similar cars. Racing 10 to 50 other cars, Hoffman reaches speeds of approximately 120 mph. The speeds are high--and so are the costs. The typical entrance fee for a 2-day event is $225, and the cost of the required high-octane gas--$6 per gallon--makes local gas station prices seem modest.
Racing cars requires more than pushing the pedal to the metal and driving in circles, Hoffman says. To race at Phoenix International Raceway, Hoffman attended daylong schools on driving safety, racing etiquette and track rules. For instance, Hoffman had to memorize numerous flag colors the track uses to communicate with drivers. There are flags indicating drivers should exit the track, be wary of trouble ahead and so on. It's not easy to remember the flags' meanings when you're driving 120 mph, Hoffman says.
While Hoffman enjoys racing, he has no plans to quit his day job: The only prize for the first- and second-place finishes he has achieved is a sense of accomplishment. But the hobby is a nice diversion from business ownership. "It's a great way to completely take your mind off of your job," Hoffman says. "You're so focused on what's happening on the track that you can't think about your job and the stress."
--Susan Keen Flynn
