Al Holbert
A master of endurance racing, he dominated American sports car competition with a record 50 IMSA wins and conquered the world's toughest tracks.
1946–1988 (age 42)·American racing driver·Birthday: November 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Al Holbert grew up around cars, the son of a Porsche dealer, and his path to the track felt almost preordained. He wasn't just a driver; he was a brilliant engineer and a savvy team manager, a triple-threat whose analytical mind was as sharp as his reflexes. Holbert's name became synonymous with the IMSA Camel GT series in the 1970s and 80s, where he piloted Porsches to five championships. His ambition, however, stretched beyond domestic circuits. He achieved the rare feat of winning the 'triple crown' of endurance racing: the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tragically, his life and soaring career were cut short in a plane crash in 1988, but his legacy endures as a benchmark for the complete racing professional.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Al was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Died at 42
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
Key Achievements
- Won five IMSA Camel GT championship titles, a record of dominance in American sports car racing.
- Achieved the informal 'triple crown' of endurance racing by winning the 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
- Once held the all-time record for most IMSA race victories with 50 wins.
- Served as the Director of Porsche's North American racing operations, shaping the brand's competitive efforts.
Did You Know?
His father, Bob Holbert, was also a champion sports car racer who competed at Le Mans.
He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1983, 1986, and 1987, the final two victories coming with the factory Porsche 962C.
He was instrumental in the development and success of the Porsche 962 race car.
“A race car is a system, and you have to make every part of that system work.”
