SIGNATURE PROFILES
©1999-2001 Dwight Drum

DOUG HERBERT

Photos © Dwight Drum
Questions and Story by Dwight Drum

When I met Doug Herbert my first thoughts pointed to a steady competitor. He looks comfortable at the task at hand, and if you saw him in another endeavor, a banker, a policeman, a business owner, or whatever, that sense of comfort would dominate his presence.

Doug is a licensed pilot, at home in many skies, as well as a ground pilot at home as the driver of Snap-On Racing's Top Fuel dragster. Have a comfortable seat with us in the lounge of Doug's elaborate trailer, and listen in as Doug, a steady pro-driver answers my questions.

DOB: 10/5/67
Home Town: Cherryville, NC

"Friendly. I try to talk to the fans over the last ten or eleven years."

"The fun and the winning. We're racing to win."

"No…'Herby'."

"My dad is my hero. As a kid, Don Garlits was my hero too. My dad raced cars also."

"Life's good."

"Money. Winning. More fun. NHRA Championship."

"When my kids are in the car, I wear a seat belt. I rolled a Jeep once and got thrown out."

"No. It started as a hobby. My full time occupation is a performance parts business and a T-shirt business."

"Yeah, You gotta have hobbies. Jet Skis, boating. I fly airplanes, and toy with remote control cars with the kids."

"Cadillac Eldorado."

"Yeah."

"NASCAR. Just give me a chance."

"My brain."

"No. Three kids are enough."

"No."

"Friendliness."

"While I take deep breaths, I'm going through runs in my head over and over."

"I know I've been scared one time or another. I was flying a plane and the engine went out at 18,000 feet. I got it started again."

"Jet ski and motorcycle ride with no one but myself."

"A long list. Portray real life over TV. You can't get the feel on TV. It pounds your chest."

"Yeah. Dreams about winning. Nightmares about losing."

"I can't really think about any one place. I enjoy flying. I'm Instrument IFR rated. When you fly, you can't think about anything else. It's not stressful."

"Racers look forward a long ways. We keep an eye out for what the other guy is doing. Look out in front…that's it."

"Failure."

"You're sitting at a light, stopped, and a semi-truck hits you at 80 mph in the back."

"Smooth. It's not fast enough long enough to feel it. Smooth it. I need to go to Bonneville, so I can go longer."

"I've had so many. I learn from them. I'm not sure of a specific race."

"My kids."

"From my dad. Stick to it. He doesn't give up and he's in a wheel chair. Shirley Muldowney…Her desire to drive."

"My aunt used to get drag racing news. My dad had drag racing cars."

"Losing."

"What motivates me? I spend my money to do what I want to do…win."

"Focused. Determined."

"I've got an idea. I know what to pursue. I have to pursue, do other things to make money. I'm always thinking what I can do to make money. I'll keep my direction, and get wins."

I read determination in Doug Herbert' eyes. He carries those eyes well in a tall body, and even sitting his stature doesn't disappear. Behind that determination, I sense a good tall man. Many heightened words would describe Doug, but Gary Larsen and I had to settle on one. Doug Herbert is ….