Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Rocky Drebber, father of SpeedTV motorcycle racing commentator Brian Drebber, died February 20th in New Mexico. He was 82.

Funeral services were held February 24 in Albuquerque, and he was buried with full military honors at Santa Fe National Cemetery.

Brian Drebber tells his story:

Rocky lived in Belen, New Mexico, just south of Albuquerque. He was a rider all his life and naturally my connection to motorcycling began with him.

The story is that he was to be stationed on Guam just after WWII while serving in the U.S. Army. He was a career officer and eventually retired with the rank of Major. My mother procured a job with the Navy — also on Guam. They shipped over together in late 1948 or early 1949. Shortly thereafter he arranged thru his supply sergeant buddies to have an Ariel Square Four shipped to him. One night Rocky and Charlotte took a moonlight ride to the high point on the island. There were three of us on the way back down. My first motorcycle rides were therefore before I was born — also on Guam in July of 1950.

The Ariel was one of 91 motorcycles Rocky owned in his life. The most recent is a Honda CB400 which he purchased via the Internet in New Hampshire last fall. Scott Greenwood, Geoff May and Jeff Bostrom collaborated in getting it from New Hampshire to Daytona to Atlanta to Albuquerque before, during and after the ROC and GNF weekends.

Rocky raced also. Amateur Hare scrambles, hillclimbs, enduros, etc. The war interrupted his racing career, it seems.

Rest In Peace.