Richmond County Daily Journal
Veteran dragster Dick Rosberg’s name is synonymous with drag racing, but his son, Terry, is beginning to make his mark in the sport.
Both Rosbergs will be involved in Friday’s Freedom Drag Fest at the Rockingham Dragway. Dick will serve as crew chief, while Terry will be going down the strip in the “The Thriller” Viper F-16 jet funny car dragster, which can reach a top speed of 300 miles-per-hour, in an exhibition run against Ernie Bouge.
Terry just became a licensed jet dragster a month-and-a-half ago. He was a little reluctant at first to follow in the footsteps of his father, but warmed up to the idea.
“It seemed when I was young that I didn’t want to get involved,” Terry said. “But as time went on and a lot of people wanted me to drive and it kind of got to a point where I wouldn’t mind trying it. Now that I’m involved in the driving aspect, it’s definitely exhilarating and an addictive sport. I wished I had done it a long time ago.”
Dick’s career in drag racing spans more than 40 years. He was named to the North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame this past January, although he was born in Superior, Wis.
Dick was a regular tour driver on the NHRA and IHRA circuits for 18 years, driving nitro funny cars and top fuel dragsters.
At the end of the 1981 season, Dick along with partners Don Novak and Bill McDaniel felt like the cost of independent nitro racing was becoming too much and decided to sell the car. In 1982, they decided to build a jet funny car and Dick drove jet powered cars for the last 20-plus years of his career.
During Dick’s career, he also drove boats, and is putting the finishing touches on a Powerboat Jet Dragster that goes up to 300 miles-per-hour.
