With a little help and advice from local racing legend Bruce Canepa, retired Scotts Valley Police Lt. John Hohmann cruised to victory last Friday at Ocean Speedway’s “Top Cop of the Oval” series.
Hohmann, driving a 1994 Plymouth Acclaim that had been donated from a wrecking yard, was able to beat police officers from around the county representing departments from Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Capitola and even the California Highway Patrol.
Members of the Scotts Valley Police Department, including Police Chief John Weiss, gathered at Canepa’s in Scotts Valley earlier in the day and drove down to the event together. Weiss said the police chase races have been fun competition between the departments and have raised more than $15,000 for Special Olympics of Northern California.
Hohmann’s winning car, purchased for $1, was retrofitted by Canepa and his crew.
“We stripped it and took like 400 pounds off it,” Canepa said.
Scotts Valley Police Officer Mike Burley said that the car originally went from 0-60 mph in about 10 seconds and after Canepa was done, it went from 0-60 in 7 seconds.
Canepa also offered the racers a little advice.
“When you’re waiting for the guy to drop the flag, don’t wait to see the flag, look for his flinch,” he said.
