Don Garlits chasing 200MPH

[tig1]

Saw this on the Gainesville Sun about Don Garlits and an electric powered dragster. He's 82 and still goin fast.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20140501/ARTICLES/140509970?tc=cr

 

[94astro]

That just sounds wrong, I miss the exhaust sound. If it can be done Garlits can do it, he brought many improvements to drag racing.

 

[A_Harman]

If you're ever down in the vicinity of Ocala, Florida, go to the Garlits Museum. There's a lot of great stuff to see there.

 

[bubbatime]

About 15 years ago, I went to his museum as a school project with a bunch of students. He spoke to the group. Lets just say the guy has hit his head a few too many times and sniffed way too much nitro. He is nuttier than a nut factory. Kept talking about Alien invasions and govt conspiracies. And he was serious.

No doubt about it, the guy IS the father of drag racing. He invented/perfected the rear engine dragster after being almost burned to death in a front engine top fuel car.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
If you're ever down in the vicinity of Ocala, Florida, go to the Garlits Museum. There's a lot of great stuff to see there.


I have been there twice and it is well worth the time and money. There's a lot more to the place than just drag racing stuff.

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: bubbatime
About 15 years ago, I went to his museum as a school project with a bunch of students. He spoke to the group. Lets just say the guy has hit his head a few too many times and sniffed way too much nitro. He is nuttier than a nut factory. Kept talking about Alien invasions and govt conspiracies. And he was serious.

No doubt about it, the guy IS the father of drag racing. He invented/perfected the rear engine dragster after being almost burned to death in a front engine top fuel car.


I met Don Garlits briefly at the PRI show in Indianapolis in 2000 (or somewhere thereabouts). I was manning our booth at the show where we were displaying a marine V12 engine. Don stopped in and asked me some questions about it. We had a nice conversation, motorhead to motorhead, for a few minutes. I thought he was a pretty down-to-earth guy.

Garlits invented the rear-engine dragster after part of one of his feet was severed by a clutch explosion in a front engine dragster in 1970. He wasn't seriously burned. He has a display covering that incident at the museum.

 

[morris]

you just need some clothes pins and some playing cards. like we put on our bicycles.

 

[Shannow]

Given the torque delivery of an electric motor from rest, I hope his head is firmly attached to his neck.