Herbert A. (Herb) Fishel

Herbert A. (Herb) FishelHerbert A. (Herb) Fishel is executive director of General Motors Motorsports, a position he has held since the group was formed on October 8, 1991. He is responsible for the engineering resources and program management of GM's motorsports programs.

A native of Winston-Salem, N.C.,where stock car racing was the most popular form of sport, Fishel developed an early love for auto racing. He also began fostering the belief that this exciting sport could have a positive impact on key aspect of the automotive business: image, people, product, process and profit.

Fishel received a degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University in 1963 before moving to Detroit to join the Chevrolet Drafting Department.

He was assigned to the Chevrolet Product Performance Group in March 1969, where he began working on major racing programs wit many of his childhood heroes, including such American racing legends as Smokey Yunick and Junior Johnson.

In September 1976 Fishel became manager of Buick Motor Division's Special Products Engineering Group, where he was responsible for the Buick Regals driven by Darrell Waltrip among other that dominated NASCAR racing and helped Buick win two NASCAR Winston Cup Manufacturer's Championships in 1981 and 1982. Fishel was appointed staff engineer, special products and specialty car programs for Buick, in July 1982.

He returned to Chevrolet in March 1983 as staff engineer for the Product Promotion Group. In December 1984 he was promoted to director of Chevrolet Special Products (which in 1988 became the Chevrolet Race Shop) and held that position until being promoted to his current assignment.

Fishel directed GM programs that won driver's and manufacturer's championships in most of North America's top professional racing series including: Six straight Indianapolis 500s (1988-93) with the Chevrolet Indy V8 engine and two straight with Oldsmobile Aurora V8 (1997-98); eight of 10 Daytona 500s (1989-91, 1993-95, and 1997-98) with the Chevy Monte Carlo and Lumina; three straight Baja 1000s with the Chevy C/K truck (1995-97); and the 1996 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring with the Aurora V8. He played a key role in Chevrolet's unprecedented achievement of nine straight NASCAR Winston Cup Manufacturer's Cup Championships (1983-91).

As a resident of Clarkston, Mich., his hobbies include collecting tobacco and racing memorabilia, and driving his immaculately restored, Chevrolet V8-powered 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe.

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