Sad News: Legendary Canadian drag racer Herbie ‘Go-Fast’ Rodgers passed away recently after complications from a long and courageous battle with cancer. Rodgers campaigned the ‘Flying Glass’ Alcohol Funny Car for many years with a great deal of success, the most notable being the big win at the IHRA Empire Nationals in New York in 1993. Rodgers was also invited by NHRA to attend the Suzuka circuit in Japan in the mid-1990’s as a Canadian competitor. Rodgers’s last runs were at the Featherlite Can-Am Nationals at St. Thomas Dragway last June 29 & 30 where he recorded two six second passes at over 200mph. Rodgers is survived by long-time wife and best friend ‘Toots’ (real name Elaine) and daughters Jackie and Stacey. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Logan Chapel at 371 Dundas St. in London. Visitation will be held Monday from 2 – 4 and 7 – 9 with the funeral Tuesday at 11.00am.(Drag Race Canada) AND Services for Bill Hielscher, who was synonymous with North Texas drag racing from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s, will be at 11:00am Wednesday at Highland Meadows Christian Church, 2600 Hall Johnson Road in Colleyville. Mr. Hielscher died Thursday from complications of lung disease at Baylor Medical Center at Grapevine. He was 67. While Mr. Hielscher was a Hall of Fame racer who operated racetracks in eight states, he is best known to many as the owner of Green Valley Raceway in North Richland Hills. The track and its owner became icons of radio advertising for the high-energy promotions announcing events coming “Sunday, Sunday, Sunday” during their heyday. Mr. Hielscher twice set a speed record for a Corvette at the Bonneville Salt Flats, once early in his career and once in retirement. During his career, he won 37 American Hot Rod Association championship races, nine of them in one year, set 110 AHRA records for the quarter-mile and eighth-mile courses, and won the AHRA World Points championship seven times. From 1968 to 1972, he raced under the name of Mr. Bardahl. He raced for 6 ½ years before buying Green Valley Raceway in 1972. The drag strip became a haven for high school kids testing their street rods, as well as the site of championships for the AHRA and the National Hot Rod Association. Daredevil Evel Knievel performed a record motorcycle jump at the track for a national live broadcast of ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Memorials may be made to The Racers Chapel, Texas Raceway, P.O. Box 690, Kennedale, TX 76060.(Dallas Morning News)(12-3-2002) (12-2-2002)
