NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Jim “O” Oberhofer, vice president of Kalitta Motorsports and crew chief for Doug Kalitta’s Mac Tools Top Fuel team, has announced the establishment of The Tammy O Foundation, celebrating the life of his wife, Tammy “O” Oberhofer, who lost her battle with cancer June 18, 2013.

The Tammy O Foundation will be a donor-advised fund that will donate funds raised from the purchases of Jim O’s book, Top Fuel for Life. The charity will send funds to organizations that were very close to Tammy O’s heart, including B.R.AK.E.S., Pandas International, Racers For Christ, DRAW, and the Infinite Hero Foundation. Funds from the Tammy O Foundation will continue to be available based on NHRA fans continuing to purchase Top Fuel for Life, which is available through the Team Kalitta website, trackside at the Patrón merchandise hauler, or on Amazon.com.

“I thought about doing my own 501(c)(3), but I wanted to do this the right way,” said Oberhofer. “This allows me to be able to donate to things that I know Tammy would have wanted me to donate to. [Daughter] Ashley O and I have made a list, and we are going to continue to support as many people as we can.”

The logo highlights one of Tammy O’s favorite things, pandas, and was designed by legendary motorsports artist Kenny Youngblood. The Tammy O Foundation logo will be run on all four Team Kalitta machines driven by Alexis DeJoria, Del Worsham, Doug Kalitta, and J.R. Todd starting in Indianapolis.

“Tammy was very close to Kenny’s wife, Terri, and thought the world of Kenny’s work,” said Oberhofer. “I knew he was the perfect person to design a logo for her foundation.”

Tammy O was a beloved member of the Team Kalitta and NHRA families and worked for Kalitta Motorsports for more than 20 years, first as the team’s public relations representative before taking over as office manager.