Doug Herbert, owner and driver of the SnaponFranchise.com Top Fuel dragster, will begin the 2008 NHRA POWERade season with one goal in mind: to win the championship, and to win it for his boys.

After tying for his career best points finish in 2007, Herbert arrived at a preseason test session in Phoenix prepared to make a statement. With a brand new car, a new crew chief and a positive outlook, things seemed bound to head Herbert’s way. Then Saturday dawned, and Herbert received the call every parent fears.

His sons, Jon, 17, and James, 12, died instantly after their vehicle collided head-on with a second vehicle. Herbert immediately left Phoenix to be at home with his daughter,
Doug Herbert, owner and driver of the SnaponFranchise.com Top Fuel dragster, will begin the 2008 NHRA POWERade season with one goal in mind: to win the championship, and to win it for his boys.

After tying for his career best points finish in 2007, Herbert arrived at a preseason test session in Phoenix prepared to make a statement. With a brand new car, a new crew chief and a positive outlook, things seemed bound to head Herbert’s way. Then Saturday dawned, and Herbert received the call every parent fears.

His sons, Jon, 17, and James, 12, died instantly after their vehicle collided head-on with a second vehicle. Herbert immediately left Phoenix to be at home with his daughter,

Jessie, 9, and to do everything he could for his boys.

Words can’t begin to describe what my family and I have been going through since the accident,” said Herbert. “We have received countless emails and phone calls from people telling us how much they care and how they are praying for us. That has been a big help, and I want to say thank you to everybody. - Doug Herbert

“One thing I really want people to understand it how important it is to tell your kids how much you love them. The last thing I said to Jon and James was that I loved them, and the last thing I heard from them was that they loved me. That’s the only thing that is going to help me make it through.

“I want to make my boys proud. They would want me to win, and that’s exactly what I am going to do.”

The Snap-on team, while wanting to accompany Herbert back to N.C., complied with his wishes and continued on with the test session. By the time they left for the first race of the season, the Snap-on team had prepared a car worthy of making Jon and James proud.

“We are more ready for the Winternationals then we ever have been,” said Herbert. “How can we not be? We have two angels right here with us, cheering us on. We are going to win this championship for them, and it all starts this weekend.”