GIR Helps Put on the BRAKES in Memory of Herberts
MADISON, Ill. – When Gateway International Raceway Vice President and General Manager Lenny Batycki heard the news that Jon and James Herbert, the sons of NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel racer Doug Herbert, had been killed in an automobile accident Jan. 26th, his heart sank immediately. In addition to Batycki’s extensive background working in NHRA drag racing, he is the former executive vice president and general manager at Doug Herbert Performance Parts.
“I remember those boys and how important they were to Doug and it just crushed me to hear of their passing,” Batycki said. “Doug is a tough racer and a strong man and my time working with him was unforgettable. When I heard about this tragedy, I wondered like many did if there was anything that could be done to not only prevent this tragedy from happening again, but to honor the memories of Jon and James.”
The classmates of the boys at Southlake Christian Academy in North Carolina felt the same way and, with Doug Herbert’s help, created BRAKES-Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe-a program aimed at keeping teen drivers safe.
The idea sprang from the accident itself. On that Saturday morning, the same day Herbert was to test his dragster at Phoenix's Firebird Int'l Raceway, Jon lost control of his Mazda, and the car spun counterclockwise across four lanes of traffic, striking another vehicle. His car was traveling at an estimated 72 mph in the 45-mph zone at the time of the collision. Both died on Jetton Road .
The program has several arms: the first, a school-lecture circuit for Herbert, who will tell others the dangers of speed and drowsy, impaired, and distracted driving and the importance of wearing safety belts and obeying all posted speeds and traffic rules. The group hopes to advertise its message through NHRA POWERade Series events and coverage on ESPN2.
As soon as he saw the story on the program on NHRA.com, Batycki wanted to be a part of it. “With the relationship we have with the NHRA here and my relationship with Doug personally,” he said, “I wanted Gateway to be the first track to go forward with this.”
GIR Dragstrip Manager Jason Dukes said the BRAKES program would be aimed towards the Tuesday night high school racing program and street tire test-and-tune, as well as the Midnight Madness events. “A large number of our Midnight Madness attendees are teens and we have a very strong high-school racing program,” he said. “We want them to have fun here at the track and enjoy the thrill of speeding down the dragstrip, but we want them to understand the importance of being safe on the streets. BRAKES will help us provide that training.”
To find out more about the program, visit PutOnTheBrakes.com. For more information about Gateway International Raceway, go to GatewayRaceway.com.
