Thu, 03 Nov 2011, 19:10 PM Dick Rosberg Fund Founded to Aid Families Impacted by Cancer

Courtesy of NHRA Communications

LAS VEGAS -- When he succumbed to cancer last May 23, ending one of the most diverse careers in drag racing history, Dick Rosberg could never have imagined the burden left to his wife of 23 years, Nancy.

Nancy Rosberg discovered that her husband's insurance contained a cancer exclusion of which she previously was unaware. As a result, she was left to pay bills related to Dick's cancer treatments along with household expenses and the mortgage on a schoolteacher?s pension.

That was the reason that former car owner Noel Smith and others collaborated to found the Dick Rosberg Fund to assist cancer victims and their families who find themselves in similar circumstances.

Rosberg, who drove straight-line race cars for 47 years after failing to realize his first dream of becoming a military pilot, donated his body to cancer research so that others might survive the devastating disease.

Now, The Dick Rosberg Fund is asking for donations to help the families of those otherwise impacted by cancer.

An Iowa native, Rosberg joined the Marine Corps at age 18 and caught the racing bug while working for Cal Edison in California. Over the course of his career, he drove Top Fuel dragsters, fuel Funny Cars, Top Fuel hydroplane boats, jet-powered dragsters, jet-powered Funny Cars and jet-powered trucks.

Up until this season, the father of five had served as the International Hot Rod Association?s Jet Vehicle Inspector, a position in which son Terry now serves.

Rosberg perhaps was best-known on the NHRA circuit as the driver of a series of "Fighting Irish" Funny Cars he campaigned with partners Don Novak and Bill McDaniel.? He also drove the "Stroh's Fire-brewed Firebird" jet Funny Car, the "RamJet" jet-powered Dodge Ram truck owned by Smith and Al Hanna's "Eastern Raider."

In 2009, Rosberg was inducted into the North Carolina Racing Hall of Fame.

Donations can be made to:
The Dick Rosberg Fund?
c/o Noel Smith
P.O. Box 3173
Yuma, Ariz. 85365

or visit https://wepay.com/donate/142919

Smith said that, in addition, a promotional tour is being planned to help educate others about family financial planning to prevent the kind of problems with which the Rosbergs now are dealing.

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