Herb Rodgers
In Memoriam

Words and photos by Ian Tocher

I was deeply saddened when I learned that veteran Alcohol Funny Car competitor Herb Rodgers died the morning of Nov. 30 from complications related to surgery in his struggle against cancer and lung disease.

Herb Rodgers (left) shared a friendship that dated back to the 1960s with Dick LaHaie, current crew chief for NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon. Rodgers raced a Jr. Fuel dragster for years before settling into the Alky flopper class in 1977.

As a fellow Canadian I always made sure to check on Herb's progress at IHRA national events. No matter if he had a great outing and qualified in the top half of the field, or suffered a rare DNQ, I knew I could count on a friendly welcome in Herb's pit and he'd give me a straight answer about what happened. In an ever-more-competitive class, Herb consistently made the best use of what limited resources he had, and he was never a driver to be taken lightly -- especially at the starting line.

A drag racer since 1963, Herb switched full-time to the Alcohol Funny Car class in 1977, where he enjoyed considerable success in the American Hot Rod Association and United Drag Racers Association, winning several UDRA events along the way.

Canadian Herb Rodgers and his "Flyin' Glass" Firebird Alcohol Funny Car journeyed south to make a number of AHRA and UDRA shows from the late-1970s to mid-1980s (DRO file photo by Mark Bruederle).

His biggest win came in 1992, though, when he beat Doug Hearsum in the Alky Funny Car final at the Empire Nationals in Leicester, NY. That same year, Herb cracked the top-10 in IHRA points for the only time in his career, finishing seventh overall. Also of note is that Herb and his team were invited by NHRA in 1995 to represent Canada as part of an international drag racing exhibition at Fuji, Japan, and he is credited with being the first Alcohol Funny Car driver to break into the fives at a Canadian track.

Herb Rodgers' most recent "Flyin' Glass" was a 1997 Mustang-bodied creation with sponsor support from Rockin' Rodeo in Fredericton, NB, as well as Castrol Canada, Tri-Metal, and Snap-On Tools.

Herb apparently last drove his racecar in June at St. Thomas Dragway, located near his London, Ontario home, where he made a couple of six-second passes at more than 200 mph. According to draglist.com, his career-best pass came in 2001 when he went 5.915 at 242.25 mph.

As is so often the case, it's hard to believe I won't get to speak with Herb again about his racing, his family, or just about how the hockey season might be shaping up. It's not often I find a similarly devout hockey fan in the deep south and with Herb no longer making the races, those trips to places like Rockingham, Darlington, Richmond, and Bradenton just aren't going to be the same.

Herb Rodgers is survived by his wife Elaine "Toots" Rodgers and daughters Jackie and Stacey. His funeral was held Dec. 3, in London, Ontario.