Doug Herbert update 12/13/08
Doug talks about the Land Speed operation
Doug Herbert sits in his office and taps away on two keyboards while talking on his office phone, texting on his cell phone, and answering questions from employees who pop in and out throughout the morning. Herbert, a drag racing veteran who has competed in the NHRA Top Fuel class since 1991, is usually glad to have the time offered by the short off-season to be at home and catch up on business at Doug Herbert Performance, the high-performance parts shop he owns in Lincolnton, N.C. However, this year is different. Most of his focus is still on drag racing.
After the announcement by Snap-on Tools that the company would be ending its long-standing relationship with Doug Herbert Racing, Herbert immediately went to work to find a new sponsor for the 2009 season. Herbert still needs to answer many questions before the season opener in Pomona, but what he does know about that first weekend in February is that the one place he doesn't want to be is in his office in Lincolnton.
"The thought of not racing next year is just weird to me," said Herbert, who scored his 10th NHRA victory in Norwalk this year. "I've been traveling and racing at dragstrips across the country for nearly two decades. I can't imagine what I would do with myself if I wasn't racing. I know I can't do it forever, but I'm just not done yet. There's too much I want to do out there and so much that I still want to accomplish."
One piece of unfinished business that stands out in Herbert's mind and tops his list of goals is winning an NHRA world championship. The California native, who became the third Top Fuel driver to run in the 3.7s this year, has earned four IHRA titles but has yet to clinch an NHRA Top Fuel championship.
"My IHRA championships came early in my career, but lately I've been getting closer and closer to scoring an NHRA title," said Herbert, who posted his highest NHRA points finish, sixth, in 2005 and 2007. "That's really what we're all out there racing for, the championship, and I don't want to quit until I've earned one."
Herbert also sees the continuance of his drag racing career as a way to grow the nonprofit organization he founded in memory of his sons, Jon and James, who were killed in a tragic car accident in January 2008. BRAKES (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) aims to promote safe driving among teenage drivers and their parents to prevent injuries and save lives.
Doug Herbert has at least two unfinished items of business: He'd like to win an NHRA world championship, and he's eager to continue to grow support for his BRAKES safe-driving foundation.
"There's a lot I can do for BRAKES here in Charlotte, but drag racing gives me the ability to talk about BRAKES and what we have under way on a national stage, not just a local one. Like when we ran the BRAKES dragster at the Charlotte race, which probably exposed millions of NHRA fans to the foundation and its cause."
In his search for a new sponsor, Herbert hopes to find a company that not only can benefit from placement on his high-horsepower machine but that also is interested in partnering with BRAKES and building on the great work that Herbert has done with the foundation.
"It was a real bummer that Snap-on left drag racing, but we had a lot of great years together," said the driver, who posted his 11th top 10 points finish in 2008. "But this is an opportunity to find a company that will benefit from everything I have to offer, including the race team, BRAKES, and the land-speed car."
Currently building a car that he will take to the Bonneville Salt Flats next summer, Herbert plans to compete in the Unlimited Streamliner class and attempt to set a new land-speed record. He sees this project as an added opportunity for companies interested in NHRA. By being involved with the land-speed car, a company can reach an added and different demographic.
"With BRAKES and the land-speed car, I have a lot of great stuff going on, but drag racing is what I do," proclaimed Herbert, who made four semifinal and seven quarterfinal appearances this year. "There have been times when I've considered taking a step away from it, especially after the boys' accident earlier this year. But being in this situation, facing the possibility that I may not be able to race next year, has made me realize that it's exactly where I want to be. I'm going to do everything I can to make sure I'm out there next year competing for trophies and a Top Fuel championship."
