He lost over 60 kilograms for his racing career. It was worth it. Christof “Fifty” Höfer has achieved what he set out to do—and even more: He clinched the title in the German Endurance Cup, won the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Cup, and finished in the points in the IDM Superbike 1000 class at this year’s IDM finale. The nine points in the top class were the icing on the cake for the BMW M 1000 RR rider from Reiskirchen. Now, a few days later, the 31-year-old is hanging up his helmet as an active racer, but he still has big plans for motorcycle racing.
The chubby Fifty of the past is no more. Everything changed nearly 14 years ago. It all started with a Yamaha Cup race at Hockenheim, which he attended as a spectator. From that moment on, Fifty had only one goal: to race motorcycles and make it onto the podium in the Yamaha Cup. He stuck to his weight-loss plan and made his dream come true, even securing a third-place finish in the Yamaha Cup.
“This incredible journey began for me when I was 17. And when I crossed the finish line in the second race at the IDM finale, I was able to check off the last box on my list as a race car driver,” says the native of Hesse, “but you should quit while you’re ahead.” The day has come. “I have more than achieved my personal goals as an active racer.”
In the future, Christof “Fifty” Höfer will focus primarily on promoting young talent at his F73 Academy. As team manager and instructor, he will remain active both on and off the racetrack.