We have the unhappy duty of reporting the death of Dick Rosberg, one of drag racing’s truly good men and a racer whose career spanned decades and involved some of the coolest and fastest cars to attack the strip. Dick was racing right up until the end, as we had the pleasure to see him in February at the IHRA Nitro Jam event, held in Baton Rouge, LA.
Rosberg first rose to note as the driver of Tim Beebe’s legendary “Fighting Irish” flopper. He would later campaign a jet funny car under the Fighting Irish banner, but in between those two machines were a series of Top Fuel dragsters and other high powered rides.
We’ve interacted with Dick at local match races and large national events and in both of those very different situations there was a constant. The man was always smiling. Even while battling the cancer that eventually took his life, Rosberg managed a few jokes and that trademark smile while we were settling up our different checks at a Baton Rouge steakhouse back in February.
We’re sure Dick is either completing a massive smokey burnout or burner popping the shit out of the windows at the big dragway in the sky,
Godspeed Dick, you will be missed.
