Dec. 8, 2002
by Ronald J. Szczerba

NYSSCA AND FONDA SPEEDWAY LOSE A PART OF 
THEIR HISTORY IN JEEP HERBERT

            They call Fonda Speedway the “Track of Champions”. The nickname was given to the speedway for good reason because of all of it’s former and current champions who have raced at other speedways and for other sanctioning bodies with success at those levels. On Friday November 29, 2002 Fonda Speedway and NYSSCA lost one of those champions.

 Howard “Jeep” Herbert passed away on that day at home after a short illness at age 75. Jeep had a total of 25 wins at Fonda Speedway the first one coming on 7/11/1953 and the final one coming on 8/10/63. He was the Fonda Speedway Track Champion in 1959 and was also a member of the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame along with the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame and the New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) Hall of Fame. He was the New York State Champion in both 1956 & 1957 in the Bob Whitbeck built #37, a car that he bought off of Gibby Wolf and Sam Kitler who he once drove for.

            Jeep was on hand to race in Fonda Speedway’s opening night of 50 years of consecutive racing back on May 30, 1953. He was present many times at Fonda this year as a part of their 50^th Anniversary to sign autographs and to greet the fans. He also blew out the candles on the 50^th Anniversary birthday cake back on May 25, 2002 when the 50^th birthday celebration was held at Fonda Speedway.

            Jeep competed at a total of 40 different speedways including the old beach course and the international tri-oval in Daytona. He drove for many different car owners including Gibby Wolf and Sam Kitler (#37), J.R. Earl (the #1 & the #991), Pete Hollebrand (#53), Frank Trinkaus (#62), Henry Caputo (#11), and others. Jeep was also behind the pit wall in Indianapolis when Lee Wallard won the Indianapolis 500 in 1951.

            According to the book FONDA: An Illustrated and Documented History of the Legendary Fonda Speedway, the nickname “Jeep” was given to him back in the mid-40’s. At that time he was working at Bill Kugler’s gas station in Schenectady. One day Herbert spaced, accidentally dropped the left side of a customer’s car into the pit. Bill Kugler (father of Alan Kugler 1970’s Fonda Modified car owner) grimaced as he shouted, “Jeep”, referring to a ne’er-do-well comic strip Dalmatian that was always in trouble.

            Fonda Speedway was the epicenter for Jeep as he found the wide circumference and egg shape perfectly suited his stylistic approach to driving. In his own words Jeep said “I always listened very carefully to the engines. They had to be running pure to get me down the chute. I learned that from Bob Mott. I fiddled with them to get them pure. I didn’t bellyache about the handling. I would manhandle the car and I would get those rear tires to chewing through the turns. That is what I wanted.”

            When the Modifieds made their entry into the 1960’s, the money in racing skyrocketed. New tire compounds were introduced to give “bite” rather than “chew” and Jeep put his helmet on the peg for good. It was time to dedicate more time to his wife Delores.

Jeep was predeceased by his wife Delores Bordeau Herbert who passed away earlier this year on July 18, 2002 and a brother Clifford E. Herbert, Jr. Jeep is survived by two brothers, James E. Herbert and Clayton T. Herbert along with two nieces and two nephews.

            Howard “Jeep” Herbert was a person who was always happy and upbeat about everything. He will be missed by all of the friends and fans that remember him wheeling a racecar around the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway.