News
08-09-2008, 04:14 PM
<img src="http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff53/outlawpms/EH1.jpg" align="left" borders="0" width="180" height="195"> A diversion from Pro Modified
(8-9-2008) COLUMBIA, SC – The drag racing community knows Ed Hoover as the winner of the first sanctioned Pro Modified national event. Two little know factoids about the Columbia, SC.-based driver for construction magnate Paul Trussell is that he once earned a living as a diesel mechanic and in his spare time flies airplanes he constructs.
“I learned in my teenage years that if I was going to support my racing habit that I needed to open a business of my own,” Hoover said. “That’s the first thing I did right out of high school. I did it for about fifteen years and we had ten employees.”
Hoover juggled his racing and work until he admitted, “I found someone with more money than I had.” Hoover’s full time job is drag racing and because he no longer operates the diesel repair business, he‘s got time to pursue a hobby. His spare time is spent fabricating and flying airplanes.
“I was turned onto that by [engine builder] Gene Fulton,” Hoover said. “He took me up in his Ultra-light [plane] and I had to go get me one. Now I’m into full-fledged planes. I’m always shopping for a good deal.”
Hoover’s current plane is amphibious since he lives on Lake Hartwell. He can actually take off from his front yard and land on the water in the back. The plane will take off in 200 feet and doesn’t need much more to land.
“The plane is designed to get in and out of tight places,” Hoover added. “It’s a rough-neck plane.”
The thirteen-time IHRA winner and recent IHRA Torco President's Cup Nationals runner-up is quickly becoming an astute learner of the intricacies of amateur flying. The self-taught pilot has learned to never, under any circumstances start his plane while on the water if he’s not in the cockpit.
“If you’re not in it when it starts up, it can take off without you,” Hoover said, cracking a smile. “I have come close to losing them and that’s why I say you had better be ready to go when you crank it on the water because it will take off with or without you. There is no park on these things, if you’re headed towards the dock, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”
(8-9-2008) COLUMBIA, SC – The drag racing community knows Ed Hoover as the winner of the first sanctioned Pro Modified national event. Two little know factoids about the Columbia, SC.-based driver for construction magnate Paul Trussell is that he once earned a living as a diesel mechanic and in his spare time flies airplanes he constructs.
“I learned in my teenage years that if I was going to support my racing habit that I needed to open a business of my own,” Hoover said. “That’s the first thing I did right out of high school. I did it for about fifteen years and we had ten employees.”
Hoover juggled his racing and work until he admitted, “I found someone with more money than I had.” Hoover’s full time job is drag racing and because he no longer operates the diesel repair business, he‘s got time to pursue a hobby. His spare time is spent fabricating and flying airplanes.
“I was turned onto that by [engine builder] Gene Fulton,” Hoover said. “He took me up in his Ultra-light [plane] and I had to go get me one. Now I’m into full-fledged planes. I’m always shopping for a good deal.”
Hoover’s current plane is amphibious since he lives on Lake Hartwell. He can actually take off from his front yard and land on the water in the back. The plane will take off in 200 feet and doesn’t need much more to land.
“The plane is designed to get in and out of tight places,” Hoover added. “It’s a rough-neck plane.”
The thirteen-time IHRA winner and recent IHRA Torco President's Cup Nationals runner-up is quickly becoming an astute learner of the intricacies of amateur flying. The self-taught pilot has learned to never, under any circumstances start his plane while on the water if he’s not in the cockpit.
“If you’re not in it when it starts up, it can take off without you,” Hoover said, cracking a smile. “I have come close to losing them and that’s why I say you had better be ready to go when you crank it on the water because it will take off with or without you. There is no park on these things, if you’re headed towards the dock, there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”