Sad Day for GM Racing

[juliosz]

Hot off the press:
GM RACING’S HERB FISHEL TO RETIRE . . . Herb Fishel, executive director of GM Racing, will retire Sept. 1, leaving a legacy in racing spanning 40 years. Fishel will be on special assignment to GM Service and Parts Operations from June 1 until his retirement. One of Fishel's final duties with GM Racing will be to drive the Chevrolet SSR official pace vehicle to start the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25. Doug Duchardt, group manager for GM Racing's oval track group, will assume Fishel's responsibilities at GM Racing effective June 1. Pat Suhy, Jr., an engineer at GM Powertrain, will replace Duchardt. Fishel, 61, worked with the late Zora Arkus-Duntov and Vince Piggins, who initiated GM's rebirth into racing and performance parts with the Corvette and small-block Chevy V8 engine in the 1950s. Fishel has influenced GM's performance programs throughout the second half of the 20th century. On Oct. 8, 1991, all of GM's racing programs were combined under his supervision.

From time to time I'd be drooling over one of Herb's hot rods in the executive garage in the Chevrolet Central Office building at the Tech Center and if Herb was down there he would always take time to come over and give you the entire rundown on the vehicle - with total enthusiasm! after all these years. A very nice man who'll be missed at GM. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif[/img]