“It was impossible to miss Roger Richards,” veteran sportswriter Thomas Pope and Competition Plus contributor said.
  
“Nobody looked like "Geezer," Pope said. “Most noticeable was the distinctive Fu Manchu mustache - accented by a soul patch – that bracketed an ever-present, wide smile. There was the hat that stylishly kept his slick noggin' protected from the broiling sun. He possessed a unique take on anything that was said in any dragstrip press room. And I can't explain how or why I arrived at this conclusion, but I always had the distinct sense that there was very little going on behind the scenes in the sport to which he wasn't privy.”
 
That little touch of whimsy, that tremendous sense of humor, and that curiosity about the men and women of drag racing belied the fierce passion Roger Richards had for the sport. His passing this week at his home in South Carolina opened a gaping hole in the drag-racing landscape and in the hearts of those who knew him.
 
“Honestly, a drag race had less appeal to me if he weren’t in attendance,” Pope said. “And I’m still at a loss to figure out how the man did his job, since wherever he was on-site, people stopped him to say hi, shake his hand, and shoot the breeze. John Force is easily the most popular driver at every NHRA race . . . but the sheer magnetism of Roger’s personality made him a close second, in my opinion. He was that kind of person. And if you think that’s a stretch on my part, you obviously never met him.”
 
The pun-popping, pug-loving Richards was part social butterfly and part tiger when it came to snapping the exact photo he wanted. CompPlus pioneer Brian Wood said of Richards’ dedication to his racing photography, “He did it very well, from top-tier national events to local street-car races. He loved it all, and he quickly established himself as someone that everyone wanted to know.”  
 
That included Pope.

“I couldn't tell you how many times our paths crossed through the years at Rockingham, Darlington, Bristol, Dinwiddie, or GALOT when I was a reporter/Sports Editor at The Fayetteville (NC) Observer, and since 2019, a part of the CompetitionPlus.com team,” Pope said. “But knowing that I would encounter a true character made me look forward to every race at those tracks. And it was my good fortune, when I left the paper after 41 years, to no longer consider him as a peer but as a comrade in arms. Roger covered in cameras and lenses, me with a laptop and audio recorder.
 
“Whenever I thought he might be coming through, or to, my neck of the woods en route to a race, he had a standing invitation: Meet me at the Cracker Barrel off I-95 near Fayetteville, Exit 52. We managed to make that happen only once due to his travel plans or my availability, and sometimes he simply wasn't going to be headed to GALOT or Virginia Motorsports Park that weekend as I had hoped,” he said.
 
“At the moment, I can't recall anything specific about that occasion at Cracker Barrel, or, really, any other conversation. That’s irrelevant. But I know for a fact that every time we spoke -- EVER -- there was the type of instant connection that recharges your hope in humanity. You couldn’t help but laugh and smile and feel better when you were around Roger Richards,” Pope said. “At some point, days, weeks or months after I had seen him, Geezer would pop into my head, and I'd begin grinning for no reason other than I have only good memories of the man, husband, father, military veteran. 
 
“He was that kind of buddy you're lucky to have in this life, and for that reason,” he said, “despite this gaping hole in my heart tonight, I feel blessed.” 

 
Wood and Richards traveled the highways and backroads of North America together as the first supporting cast members of editor/publisher Bobby Bennett, who said they “took a chance on me when I wasn’t worthy.” Roger Richards, Competition Plus’ director of photography from the magazine’s inception, and Wood, a fellow photographer and writer/editor at Competition Plus for the better part of a quarter-century, truly were the road warriors.
 
“I met Roger 25 years ago when we were both charter members of the Competition Plus staff, and I took an immediate liking to this wedding photographer turned drag- racing junkie. His home and photo studio were literally located in the shadow of South Carolina’s Greer Dragway, and curiosity finally drew him to the track one Saturday night to see what was making all the noise. That was all it took for Roger to quit recording nuptials and hit the road in his quest to document the best two-lane competition in the world,” Wood said.

“He was kind, friendly, and always willing to help anyone in any way.”
 
For example, longtime CompPlus writer Tracy Renck said he remembered “one time when I was covering the Mile-High National at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. It was a scorching hot day and I had to rush to the races on a Saturday and I was not dressed for the event.” He said Richards “rounded up a pair of shorts and a CompPlus dress shirt to wear. That's just the kind of guy Roger was. He was always willing to help.”
 
Wood said Pope nailed his description of Richards: “With his trademark moustache and beret, you couldn’t miss Roger at the track. In the early days, he often had his pug Yoda with him, as well, which added even more flair to his style.”
 
Some might not be aware that Richards, as Wood recalled, “was a very active, and very good, golfer” in his earlier days. Richards mentioned playing golf on the rooftop of a building in Tokyo years ago.
 
“Roger had a great sense of humor, and as we travelled from track to track in the early days of our long association, he was a constant source of entertainment. He was also a fountain of knowledge when it came to photography, and over the years he inspired me as well as many other aspiring photographers who had a desire to enjoy the people and the sport Roger loved,” Wood said.

“Roger was a kind and compassionate man, who loved his family, his friends and everyone he met during his many years trackside and in the pits.” But he confided in Wood, who recalled, “He once said to me in a reflective moment while we were driving to yet another race that ‘When I’m gone, all I wish for is to have people remember me as a good man and a good friend who did his best.’

“That, my friend,” Wood said in his own farewell salute to Richards, “is undoubtedly the way people will remember the man known as ‘Geezer.’”
 
Renck had been working at CompetitionPlus.com since 2009, and he said, “I remember meeting Roger at Indy that year. He was such a hard worker, and he had a great sense of humor. And he took fantastic photos. I always knew if Roger was at an event because he drove his trusty van, and I believe he got a new van in the time that I have been at CompetitionPlus.com.” But it wasn’t the van but rather a scooter that stands out in Renck’s mind when it comes to Richards.
 
“My most vivid memory of Roger was at Indy. And I'm not sure of the year, but his motor scooter he raced around the pits in was stolen. It was devastating to Roger. But, to tell you how much people liked and respected Roger,” Renck said, “when he showed up at the track the next morning, he had a new motor scooter waiting for him.”
 
Renck said, “He will be dearly missed by me. He was a key piece in making CompetitionPlus.com great, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
 
Even the NHRA front office sent condolences via Director of PR and Communications Josh Hachat: “On behalf of everyone at NHRA, we want to offer our condolences to Roger’s family and friends. Roger was a great ambassador for NHRA drag racing, and he always enjoyed a great relationship with NHRA drivers and officials. He will be undoubtedly missed within the racing community, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.”
 
Writer/photographer Ian Tocher, who contributed to Competition Plus throughout the years, posted on his Facebook page that learning of Richards’ passing was “a real gut punch. Roger and I spent A LOT of time together over the years: trackside, press rooms, restaurants, and hotel rooms many, many times over for each. And I could easily count on one hand the times I saw him even mildly annoyed. IHRA, NHRA, ADRL, PDRA, ORSCA, Duck X, outlaw stuff – we did it all together. So many times.
 
“He was just a good guy to be around, very talented, very knowledgeable (and generous with his knowledge!), very likable, and very clever,” Tocher said.  “I remember our first meeting was at the IHRA banquet in Louisville 1998, in the elevator, and he had his first digital camera, a Sony that wrote straight to disc. I thought it was SO cool!’
 
Tocher endured his own serious medical ordeal in 2016, when Ronnie “The King” Davis’ race car vaulted the guardwall in a fatal accident at Rockingham, N.C., and struck him. Tocher was hospitalized for months and lost part of his leg following the crash.
 
“Roger came to see me multiple times when I was hospitalized in Chapel Hill after my accident, including once when he showed up in the little curtained ‘room’ they hold you in before going for an operation. I was literally about to go under the knife, and in pops Roger in this supposedly ‘secure’ area. I still don't know how he made it in there, but it was memorable!” Tocher wrote. “I'm stunned by this news. Rest in peace, my old friend.”

Richards was a true "teammate," never a rival, with his fellow CompPlus photographers. Mike Burghardt said, "He always gave a friendly 'fist bump' when he saw me at the track. Both of us served in the military. He was in the Army, and I was in the Navy. During 'down times' at the wall, we would share our experiences. When you shot photos with him, he always brought out your best. He loved what he was doing.  When you worked with him, shooting for C-Plus, you were part of a special team and did not want to be the weak link, thus you gave your best efforts. It became a simple expectation, that depending on the lighting, one of us would be on one side of the track and the other on the other side. If the lighting was such we both were on the same side, we made sure that (between us) we had every car covered in the pro classes. We definitely fed off each other, making each better. As a team, we were able get at least one good photo of every car on the list for all the different categories (notes, results, et c). If there was a car on the track (in any category), he got a photo of it. He was great to work with." 

Now retired CompetitionPlus.com Senior Editor Jon Asher was quick to point out how well Roger blended with the established veterans of drag racing journalists because of his straightforwardness and willingness to listen.

“In an era when rapidly decreasing income made it difficult for many freelancers to stay involved in drag racing, Roger Richards stood out for his dedication, professionalism and never-quit personality,” Asher said. “One of the toughest things to deal with as a journalist or photographer covering the sport is that we sometimes run into individuals whose sole reason for even acknowledging our existence is because of what they think we can do for them.  Roger’s ready smile and openness was so disarming that he rarely ran into those situations because just about everyone, upon meeting him, came to quickly understand that the image he projected was the real deal.

“Roger was also a willing helper to anyone who asked a question, whether it be about camera gear or even the next car in line for Pro Mod qualifying.  I can’t readily think of anyone more knowledgeable about every category from Pro Mod down through 15-second bracket runners.  He knew them all — and they knew him, too.  He was a welcome visitor in everyone’s pits, where conversations were open and above board because the racers knew he’d never repeat anything said to him, even casually.

“I know how this might sound to some people, but I’m confident my fellow shooters will easily understand the respect and admiration with which this is being written:  If we’re to acknowledge that Hall of Fame photographer Steve Reyes has turned in more spectacular images of professional racers doing the unthinkable than every other shooter out there, the same must be said about Roger Richards’ spectacular production of errant Pro Mods, Top Sportsman entries and more.  He dazzled me with images of cars flying through the air — sometimes on fire — from tracks I’d never even heard of, much less visited.  When I’d pick my jaw up off the ground all he’d do was gently smile.  I don’t know how he did it so often, but if ever a photographer was in the right place at the right time it was Roger.

“During the waning years of my career I had three or four conversations with Roger than were beyond interesting.  They were eye-opening.  I think it’s quite possible that many of those who knew him didn’t realize what a thoughtful observer of our sport Roger was.  He had a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of not only what was taking place on the track in front of everyone, but what was taking place behind the scenes as well.  I think part of that was the result of his being so open with people.  While a credentialed writer might seek the answer to a behind-the-scenes question from a racing official, the odds were, more often than not, that Roger already knew the answer.  How?  Because he was on a first-name basis with literally dozens of below-the-upper-management-level employees of every racing association as well as with dozens of track workers  — even from those tracks many of us had never visited.

“Alas, all of that inside knowledge and understanding is lost with his untimely passing.

“As the years pass and we continue to lose those who have helped make drag racing a still-exciting endeavor it becomes ever more difficult to replace them.  With the passing of Roger Richards we have indeed lost one of the sport’s unsung giants.” 

Competition Plus staff writer Larry Crum said he “first learned about the legend of Roger Richards during my tenure as Director of Public Relations with the IHRA. Initially, he was just another media figure to a newcomer like me in the world of straight-line racing. However, as time passed, I came to know the man behind the cap and distinctive curly mustache. After leaving IHRA for a new role closer to home, I continued my involvement in drag racing with a part-time position alongside my good friend Bobby Bennett at Competition Plus. It was there that I truly bonded with Roger, eventually considering him a friend akin to family.

“During our time together, setting up alongside Roger's impressive array of cameras and gear became a familiar ritual for me. As a photography enthusiast myself, who has spent considerable time trackside capturing moments, I admired Roger's knack for capturing the perfect shot. He imparted valuable lessons on exactly where to stand (and where not to stand) and the perfect positioning for optimal images, both at the track —where his expertise in capturing header flames, wheelstands, and spectacular moments was unmatched – and in more personal settings, as evidenced by two cherished candid photos he took of my family years ago.

“But beyond photography, what I valued most was Roger's warm welcome and humor whenever I returned to the tower after a day's work. Though our time together became less frequent as years passed, I always cherished our race weekends, particularly those in Norwalk, Ohio, my former hometown.
 
“Roger's presence will be deeply missed. He was truly a special person,” Crum said. “While his loss is heartbreaking, I find solace in believing that Heaven now enjoys his remarkable talent. Perhaps someday, I'll playfully be able to convince my children that flashes of lightning during a storm are simply Roger capturing heavenly moments with his camera.”