Herb Parks
Following local success as an independent top fuel owner-driver on the United Drag Racing Association circuit, Herb Parks embarked upon a second career as a crew chief. In 1977, Parks left Clayton Harris team and finish out the season with Don Garlits. In his NHRA debut, Herb tuned Garlits “Donovan Charger” to a track record 5.77 ET at the 1978 Winternationals. In 1979, he helped design and construct Swap Rat 25 with early examples of ground effects technology. Garlits gives Parks much of the credit for 1984’s incredible NHRA comeback campaign which netted three consecutive NHRA US Nationals titles and two consecutive NHRA Winston championships. Herb also made major design contributions to the revolutionary 1986 Swap Rat 30 streamliner, the first top fuel dragster over 270 mph, enshrined in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. Herbs talents would be lost when he was struck and killed, by a top fuel car, in a freak accident, in Bradenton Florida, at the age of 39.