He followed up that victory in 1979, winning the NHRA Winter Nationals in Pomona, Ca. In 1977 Hoover won the NHRA Grand Nationals in Montreal, Canada. Hoover went on to win the AHRA Funny Car Championship three years in a row in. In the early 1970s, Hoover became one of the first dragster drivers to take on the challenge of driving and owning the then newest class of drag racing vehicles, the nearly uncontrollable “Funny Car”. At just 24 years old, he was the youngest driver to ever win such a major event. In 1965, Hoover’s first “major” victory came at the American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) Winter Nationals in Phoenix Arizona. Hoover was one of the first five funny car drivers in drag racing to break the 6 second quarter mile, 5 second quarter mile and 4 second quarter mile and is the only driver to be among the first to break all three milestones over three decades while racing in funny car.

While Hoover was determinately humble, his notable list of racing accomplishments throughout his career in funny car included the following: He was fearless in his racing pursuits and lived for the sport, but it was his family legacy that meant the most to Tom.” “His presence and personality were both larger than life and he could put a smile on anyone’s face with his wit and humor. “Anyone who ever met Tom, would certainly remember that very moment,” said his wife Betten Hoover (on left) who penned the book Out of the Groove about living life on the road. Hoover is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years Betten Hoover, and his children Trent Hoover (deceased in 2018), Troy Hoover, Leighe “Paige” Steers and Landon Hoover as well as 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. This reputation earned him the nickname “Showtime”, a nod not only to his track record, but also for the stunning paint jobs on his cars by his painter and lifelong friend Reed Holmes, but also well as his colorful on-camera interviews and his candor with fans. He raced from the 1960s to the early 2000s, creating a worldwide reputation for showmanship and performance on the track. Hoover was a cornerstone of the NHRA, IHRA and AHRA professional drag racing community for almost four decades, having built a 35-year career of competitive racing achievements while delivering extreme thrills for fans in both of drag racing’s major racing categories: Top Fuel Dragster and predominantly in Funny Car.

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