NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

In 2008, after losing his sons, Jon and James, in a highway accident, former NHRA Top Fuel driver Doug Herbert created B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), a teen driving program that he hoped would help to prevent other families from experiencing similar heartbreak by teaching young drivers more conscientious and confident skills behind the wheel.

The class teaches subjects such as accident avoidance using a slalom course to teach elevated steering control, a distraction exercise to teach increased focus and concentration, a wheel drop-off recovery exercise to teach the proper method of retaining control when the vehicle drops a wheel off a highway shoulder, a panic stop exercise to give teenagers safer and more controlled responses when braking in an emergency, and a car control and recovery exercise that teaches the skills necessary to maintain or regain control in wet or icy road conditions.

To date, more than 15,000 teenagers and their parents have attended the B.R.A.K.E.S. program; these students have come from 24 different states and two countries. Recently, three-time NHRA Top Fuel champ Larry Dixon watched his son, Donovan, go through the course, as did NHRA Funny Car and current NHRA FOX Television Analyst Tony Pedregon with daughter Cecily.

For more information about B.R.A.K.E.S., visit the official website.

This is the second in a series of Heart of the NHRA videos, which will highlight charitable programs and people with big hearts in the sport.

Heart of the NHRA: Terry Chandler