Bernd Herndlhofer: racing boxer likes to fight his way up
Whereas the best drivers of the world are paid astronomical salaries in exchange for their exalted skill levels, getting rich is not Bernd Herndlhofer´s goal. “My goal has always been to enjoy each race and drive as many times as I would like. That’s the one thing I’ve always wanted to do and my ambition remains unchanged”, says the Austrian BOSS GP driver. “Unfortunately, racing is expensive and financial issues are holding me back at the moment. It’s my aim to put in fine performances and thus get on the radar of team bosses. Hopefully they will ask me to join their team.”
Bernd Herndlhofer is by far the youngest Big Open Single Seater participant with his 21 years. The driver, who made his debut in the series at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, completed his second race weekend at the Red Bull Ring at the end of August.
All-round sportsman
Bernd Herndlhofer, from Austria, just like BOSS regulars Ingo Gerstl and Norbert Gruber, is an all-round sportsman. Some years ago, he focused for a while on his other passion when he did not have the funds to go racing and passionately took up boxing. He immediately came in second in the weight class to 75 kilograms in the Austrian championships for amateurs under 20 years. The BOSS GP drivers were warned in Spielberg!
Fully fit
When many of his fellow Big Open Single Seaters drivers tested the beautiful, sloping race track in Austria on Friday, Hernldhofer had not arrived yet, as he boosted his fitness levels through an intense extra boxing training programme. “My next fight is scheduled to take place in Klagenfurt in ten days’’, he explained. “ And I will compete at the Golden Gloves gala night in Vienna in October. I need to be fully fit on the night.”
Tinkering
Bern Herndlhofer is actually very much attracted to motoring. As a teenager he loved to go karting, hitting the pedal hard and fast. He finished runner-up in Europe in his age-group. “From an early age, I love tinkering with and repairing cars’’, adds the Vienna-born driver. “That’s how I make money these days. I am a mechanic at Autohaus Maurer, my brother’s company. ’’
