Bio:
Doug Herbert grew up around the motorsports industry and now the 6'4", 40-year-old who hails from the drag racing hot bed of Southern California is aiming to add another piece to his lifelong jigsaw puzzle. Herbert wants to drive his Snap-on Tools dragster into the ultimate winner’s circle – the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing championship. Will it happen this year? Only time will tell. Will it be the one thing that could calm the fast- talking, fast-walking Herbert? Unlikely.

Drag racing has been part of Herbert’s life since he could remember. His father, legendary roller cam pioneer Chet Herbert, was part of the scene in Southern California when drag racing was moved off the streets and into venues that awarded the baddest drivers around.

If you were around the industry all the time, it would be difficult not to pay attention at least a little. When Doug Herbert went to the 1982 Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., he did more than pay attention. He started daydreaming.

His father introduced him to the likes of “Big Daddy”
Don Garlits, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “Mongoose” McEwen and the teenager was hooked.

“I was 15 years old and I remember thinking that the entire racing deal was pretty neat,” Herbert said. “It got my mind whirling about being a driver and I kept thinking that this was something I might like to try someday.”

Herbert’s racing career started off on shaky ground. Actually, there wasn’t ground at all because he first raced boats. It didn’t take long before he turned a couple of boats over and it struck him that boating might not be where his interest would stay for long.

After his short career in boat racing, Herbert graduated from Villa Park High School in Orange, Calif. and went looking for a job. He spent two years working at Konblett’s Service Center before he decided to strike out on his own.

“I was almost 21 years old and my time at the Service Center got me thinking about opening my own store,” Herbert said. “I asked my dad about building a speed shop at his work site. I told him I would handle the business if he would let me use the building. I had been helping him grind cams before that but it just wasn’t for me. I felt like I was making keys all day long and I couldn’t do that. Dad knew all the right people, Edelbrock, Weiand and other manufacturers and before long, we had enough equipment to open a store.”
Doug Herbert Performance Parts was born.

Surrounded by the very parts that made the cars go quicker and faster at drag racing events all over the area, Herbert opted to get involved as a driver.

Since 1986, Herbert has juggled two things at all hours of the day: his parts business and his driving career. He made his first appearance at a drag race that year. Herbert drove a Top Alcohol dragster in Las Vegas and he was instantly hooked on driving race cars for a career.

“Working and driving a dragster are the two things that I know how to do best,” Herbert said. “I spend so much time working because there is always something that needs to be done and it’s amazing how after all these years, I am still learning how to run my business better.”

“The same thing can be said about driving. Drag racing has changed so drastically over the years and it constantly evolves. You have to pay attention and try to stay with the pack, but it takes a lot of time and money to do that. But I keep after it because I love racing.”

Herbert made his first start on the IHRA circuit in 1991. He went on to win 20 IHRA events as well as four IHRA Top Fuel championships. “You learn how to win in IHRA competition,” Herbert said. “Once you know how to do that, you can do it anywhere. The competition was good, but it was still a place where you could learn as you went along. We had a great time racing in those days because it was more of a hobby to most people rather than a business. We had some fun, we won a lot of races and four championships and it helped me prepare to go on the NHRA national circuit.”

In 1991 Herbert decided to go after the coveted NHRA Wally trophies as well. He made his first NHRA start at the Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. in 1991 and had his first event win by the next season (Columbus 1992).

Herbert juggled both NHRA and IHRA competition until 1999 when Herbert went to just one event – Rockingham, N.C. – and took home his final IHRA trophy.

“It got to be too hectic to run two circuits,” Herbert said. “The NHRA was national and if you want a major primary sponsor, you need the national series. The competition is very intense because everyone spends millions on the teams, everyone has the best equipment and the crew chiefs are all competitive, intelligent people. It’s a tough place to win and I’m lucky to have won nine events already. But I also know this team is getting better every day and we have a lot more victories to come.”

Kevin Poynter will join the Snap-on Tools team as crew chief for the 2008 NHRA POWErade season. After working his way through the ranks of the drag racing world, as a crew chief, Poynter has already earned the fastest speed of the 2007 season (334.22 mph) and the seventh fastest pass in history.

Herbert hired the up and coming crew chief Poynter early in the 2008 season to lead the team. Herbert knows he has a winning combination of dedication, intelligence and excitement working on his dragster. “He has a passion for drag racing and winning,” Herbert said. “With Kevin Poynter joining the team as crew chief, we are poised to take on the 2008 season with a renewed passion for winning.”

So far Herbert has been a force to reckon with on the quarter-mile drag strip. He has earned nine NHRA national even wins in 25 final round appearances. What could be the most intimidating factor is that he and Snap-on Tools team continue to get better. In 2007 alone, the team earned four final round appearances en route to tying for a career-best sixth place finish in the point standings.

Herbert also holds the position of the eighth quickest driver in NHRA history with a 4.441-second pass at Dallas.

As Herbert and the Snap-on Tools team prepare for the upcoming 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season, Herbert is aiming for victory. “This team is capable of winning races and if you can win enough rounds and races in one season, you have a shot at the championship,” Herbert said. “The window of opportunity to win is open for us right now. We have a great team in place, lead by our crew chief Kevin Poynter. We made progress at the end of the season and we are going to be in a better position to win this season as well as for years to come.

We’re just getting started.”

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Career Highlights:
DOUG HERBERT NHRA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2007 Earned victory at Reading, racing his way into Countdown to Four; Earned four final round and three semi final round appearances; Qualified No. 1 at Sonoma; Top Eight points finish – tied his career best – with a sixth place points spot

2006 Earned two semi final round appearances; As high as No. 3 in points
2005 Earned four final round appearances; Recorded career-best performances for time and speed; Became the third quickest driver in Top Fuel history, turning in a 4.441-second pass (Dallas); Qualified in the No. 1 position at Dallas; Posted his seventh consecutive POWERade Top 10 points finish – and highest career finish – with a sixth place points spot; Recorded career-best elimination round victories (23)
2004 Earned victory at Chicago 2 in thrilling final over Tony Schumacher; Posted his sixth consecutive POWERade Top 10 points finish
2003 Advanced to the final round at Bristol
2002 Posted two No. 1 qualifying efforts; Advanced to three finals, winning once
2000 Finished in the top 10 of the NHRA championship point standings for the fourth time
1999 Won a career-best four events in six final-round appearances
1996 Won exhibition event at Fiji International Speedway
1995 Won exhibition event at Fiji International Speedway
1993 Became the second driver to exceed 300 mph (301.60) and the first to run that fast during eliminations; Earned first career victory (Columbus)
1992 Became the first driver to run in the 4.80s with a 4.880-second pass at Pomona 1; Was the runner-up to Pat Austin in his first career final round (Phoenix); Made first appearance in the NHRA top 10

DOUG HERBERT IHRA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1999 Earned victory at Rockingham, N.C. for first time
1998 Earned four wins (Cordova, Ill., Norwalk, Ohio, Epping, N.H., Shreveport, La.)
1997 Took two event wins (Bristol, TN, Stanton, Mich.); Earned the victory at Bristol for the sixth consecutive season
1996 IHRA Top Fuel Champion; Three wins (Tulsa, Okla., Bristol, Darlington, S.C.); Became the first driver in IHRA history to run a 300-mph pass (Bristol)
1995 IHRA Top Fuel Champion; Two wins (Bristol, Rochester, NY)
1994 IHRA Top Fuel Champion; Earned victory at Bristol
1993 Earned two event victories (Bristol, Norwalk)
1992 IHRA Top Fuel Champion with career-high five wins (Rochester, Bristol, Scribner, Neb., Epping, Darlington)

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