Richard E. LaHaie

He is survived by his son, Jeffrey (Jori); daughter, Kim Richards (Tim); step-son, Darin Stankiewicz; grandchildren, Tanna and Race LaHaie; five great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert Joseph and Pauline LaHaie; brothers, Karl Weinner, Albert "Skip" LaHaie.

Dick-O, as he was known by friends and family, had a career that spanned some 40 years in drag racing. Combining his talents in the cockpit and later as a crew chief, he won five NHRA championships. To this day he is the only competitor to win Top Fuel championships as both driver and crew chief in NHRA history.

LaHaie began his career at age 17, competing in his first drag race at Central Michigan Dragway, not far from his Lansing, Michigan, home. He won the E/Gas class in his inaugural outing. That victory launched his career in drag racing and he moved up to the Top Fuel category in 1964, winning championships on the United Drag Racers Association circuit in 1970, 1973 and 1976.

His first NHRA career victory came at the 1980 Summernationals.

In 1987, he captured the NHRA Top Fuel championship.

When he stepped out of the cockpit after winning 15 national event titles, he earned a reputation as one of the sport’s most coveted crew chiefs and went to work for some of the legends of the sport.

In 1993 Connie Kalitta called him to wrench for his son Scott. LaHaie helped Scott become a dominant force during the 1990s, earning NHRA Top Fuel championships in 1994 and 1995. The duo won 13 races.

He joined the Don Prudhomme-owned team in 2000 with driver Larry Dixon. They finished third that year, second in 2001, and claimed back-to-back championship titles in 2002 and 2003. Dixon, LaHaie and the legendary Snake, celebrated in victory circle nine times in 2002 and eight times in 2003 during their championship seasons.

The soft-spoken man with boundless tuning talent, was also responsible for numerous national event wins and scores of elapsed time and speed records for a variety of drivers.

Through the years, he shared his tuning knowledge with many who worked alongside him, and some who went on to become successful championship crew chiefs themselves.

LaHaie retired from his role as crew chief in 2005. He enjoyed restoring classic cars and attending car shows, and devoted his time to this hobby.

He was No. 31 on NHRA’s list of the 50 greatest drivers of all time and has been inducted into five Halls of Fame, including the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame and the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame in recognition of his drag racing achievements.

LaHaie, a spiritual man who was well-known for displaying the verse John 3:16 on all the race cars he drove and worked on as a crew chief, has gone to be with the Lord and is at peace now. One of Dick’s traits was great competitiveness. Another was his commitment to his faith. Here is the verse that he cherished:

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

A funeral service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, December 15 at South Church, 5250 Cornerstone Dr., Lansing. Interment will follow at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 2-4 and 6-8pm on Friday, December 14 at the Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes Lansing Chapel and one hour prior to the funeral at church.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions are suggested to the Cleveland Clinic. Checks payable to Cleveland Clinic Foundation can be mailed to Cleveland Clinic Philanthropy Institute, PO Box 931517, Cleveland, OH 44193-1655. Please include a note indicating designation to the lung transplant unit in the name of Richard LaHaie.