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This was the surprising off-screen obsession of Bonanza star Dan Blocker
Big Hoss liked high horsepower!
Dan Blocker loved horsepower, "Hoss power," you might call it — but not the kind of horses seen on Bonanza. Off-screen, Blocker preferred a different kind of ride.
The actor had done quite well for himself on horseback while starring in the Western series Bonanza, but outside of the show, he developed a serious love for auto racing.
According to a 1966 interview with the Calgary Herald, Blocker became obsessed with fast cars— although he didn't drive the race cars himself.
"I don't race personally," Blocker said. "I'd love to do it myself, but I learned long ago that I don't have that kind of talent. Racing takes a lot of brains, a lot of skill, and a lot of guts. I'm disqualified in all three categories."
Instead, Blocker found another way to stay involved: sponsorship. He spent around $50,000 sponsoring race cars over the course of eight years.
One of his sponsored cars competed in the U.S. Road Racing Championship in 1966. Blocker proudly noted that the car had a 400-horsepower engine and could reach speeds up to 200 mph — the kind of "Hoss power" that got his heart racing.
"I always loved cars as far back as high school," Blocker said. "But I never had enough dough to fool with them. I raced a '41 Chevy once."
Blocker had been fascinated by all kinds of machines, from trucks and tractors to Ferris wheels. As a kid, he loved watching them work and learning how they operated. His interest in cars was fueled by his fascination with how things worked — and how humans could work with them.
"I don't have to race myself," Blocker said. "I can get satisfaction from going to the track and watching the driver make the car perform. It’s an art."
He considered racing one of the highest forms of competitive sports. Despite his deep love of automobiles — something he shared with stars like Steve McQueen — Blocker also had another surprising passion: boxing. In his younger years, the future "Big Hoss" was a big-time amateur boxer and remained a fan of the sport long after his days in the ring.
So while Blocker never raced a car professionally, he was a major fan and advocate for the sport. He continued to be a racing fan for the rest of his life until he passed away in 1972.
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