Al Holbert
Five-time IMSA champion and triple Crown endurance winner.
Alvah Robert Holbert was an American automobile racing driver who won the IMSA Camel GT series five times. He became the fifth driver to complete the informal triple Crown of endurance racing and once held the record for the most IMSA race wins at 50.
Quick Facts
- Nationality
- USA American
- Birth name
- Alvah Robert Holbert
- Born
- 11 November 1946
- Birthplace
- Abington Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Died
- 30 September 1988
- Place of death
- Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Facts from the source article.
Life and career
Al Holbert was born in Abington, Pennsylvania, the son of racer Bob Holbert, who owned one of America’s first Porsche dealerships in Warrington, Pennsylvania. While studying mechanical engineering at Lehigh University, Holbert worked for Roger Penske and earned his degree in 1968. He began racing Porsches in the SCCA’s northeast division, piloting a C-production Porsche 914/6 against competitors like Bob Tullius and Bob Sharp. Holbert notched his first Porsche victory in 1971 and turned professional in 1974. He captured his first two IMSA championships in 1976 and 1977 driving a Dekon Monza. A loyal Porsche supporter, he let Porsche technicians examine his Monza, which helped prompt Porsche to enter the series with turbocharged models like the 934, sparking years of Porsche dominance. Holbert then switched to the Porsche marque. Between 1976 and 1979, he ran 19 NASCAR races, mostly for James Hylton, earning four top-ten finishes. In 1983, after Porsche couldn’t make its 956 eligible, Holbert won another IMSA GTP title in a Chevrolet- and Porsche-powered March 83G, also taking the Grand Prix of Miami on February 27, 1983. He placed fourth in the 1984 Indianapolis 500 and led Porsche’s IndyCar program in 1987 and 1988. 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. He headed Porsche North America’s Motorsports Division and ran his own team, Holbert Racing. He claimed back-to-back IMSA GTP titles in 1985 and 1986 driving a Lowenbrau-sponsored Porsche 962. By 1988, Holbert saw the 962 being outpaced by newer designs like the Jaguar XJR-9 and Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo. His plan was to build an open-top Porsche-engined racer for customer teams. Porsche eventually built a similar car nearly a decade later, but the WSC-95 was never produced for customers as Holbert and Porsche had intended.
Death and afterwards
Al Holbert died on September 30, 1988, after his private Piper PA-60 crashed near Columbus, Ohio, shortly after takeoff from the IMSA Columbus Ford Dealers 500. The accident happened because a clamshell door had been left unclosed. Following the season, Holbert Racing disbanded, and IMSA permanently retired his race number 14. Kevin Doran, the team’s former chief mechanic, went on to become a noted team owner. Holbert’s son, Todd, was also a mechanic and is currently with Toyota developing their NASCAR Tundra and Camry vehicles.
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