1. Alvah Robert Holbert was an American automobile racing driver who was a five-time champion of the IMSA Camel GT series and the fifth driver to complete the informal triple Crown of endurance racing.
18 Facts About Al Holbert
1. 2.
Al Holbert once held the record with the most IMSA race wins at 50.
3.
Al Holbert was the son of racecar driver Bob Holbert, who ran a Volkswagen-Porsche dealership in Warrington, PA, near Philadelphia.
4.
In 1971, Al Holbert scored his first race win in a Porsche and would turn professional in 1974.
5.
From 1976 to 1979 Al Holbert raced 19 career races in NASCAR.
6.
In those 19 races, in which he drove primarily for James Hylton, Al Holbert scored 4 top ten finishes.
7.
Al Holbert added an IMSA GTP title during 1983 in a Chevrolet and Porsche powered March 83G when Porsche were unable to make their 956 eligible for competition that year.
8.
Al Holbert won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1983,1986, and 1987, the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1986 and 1987 and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1976 and 1981.
9.
Al Holbert was the head of the Porsche North America's Motorsports Division and ran his own racing team, Al Holbert Racing.
10.
Al Holbert clinched two more IMSA GTP championships back to back in both 1985 and 1986 driving a Lowenbrau sponsored Porsche 962.
11.
In 1988, Al Holbert realised that the Porsche 962 that had brought him success in his earlier years was becoming outmoded by the newer generation of racers from the likes of the Jaguar XJR-9 and the Electramotive's Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo.
12.
Al Holbert's plan was to build an open top Porsche-engined racer for customer teams.
13.
On September 30,1988, Al Holbert was at the IMSA Columbus Ford Dealers 500.
14.
That evening, Al Holbert was fatally injured when his privately owned propeller driven Piper PA-60 aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near Columbus, Ohio, when a clamshell door was not closed.
15.
Former Al Holbert Racing chief mechanic Kevin Doran later became a noted team owner.
16.
Son, Todd Al Holbert was a mechanic, and is currently with Toyota developing their NASCAR Tundra and Camry vehicles.
17.
Al Holbert was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993.
18.
Al Holbert was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1993.