Gainesville medical update

>From the Prodigy Auto Racing BB and Newsgroup.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- NHRA Funny Car driver Al Hofmann, Top Fuel driver Marshall Topping and Federal-Mogul Dragster driver Keith Stark remain hospitalized Monday at Shands Medical Center after suffering injuries during accidents last weekend at the Mac Tools Gatornationals. Hofmann, 49, from Umatilla, Fla., suffered a broken right arm and a hand injury Sunday in the Funny Car final round at Gainesville Raceway. Hofmann had just crossed the finish line, earning his 13th career victory with a win over Mark Oswald, when the engine exploded in his Hofmann Racing Pontiac Firebird, starting a fire. The car hit the right retaining wall in the shutdown area. Hofmann is a longtime competitor in Funny Car, with a career-best finish of second in the NHRA Winston point standings in 1995. He is second in the current point standings. Topping, 26, from Balboa Island, Calif., is in serious but stable condition with multiple fractures suffered Saturday in the final qualifying session. The Montana Express Dragster driven by Topping went out of control near the finish line. Topping moved to Top Fuel this season after competing in Federal- Mogul Dragster the last few seasons. He formerly held the Federal- Mogul Dragster elapsed-time national record. Stark, 42, from Danville, Ill., was upgraded from serious to fair condition Monday afternoon with injuries to his left hand and right forearm suffered Sunday in the quarterfinals of final eliminations. Stark's dragster went out of control just off the starting line and flipped several times. Stark, a veteran racer, holds the NHRA speed national record of 265. 09 mph for Federal-Mogul Dragster