HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT! The most legendary Drag Racer of all time....Don Garlits will be attending the Florida 1/2 Mile Shootout at Jumbolair Airport! Don will be on-site and perform an exhibition run is one of his vintage dragsters in addition to signing autographs and selling some incredible Official Don Garlits Merchandise. We are so excited to have him at our event!! Read below for Dons full bio...hes truly an American Icon!! Big Daddy” Don Garlits Drag Racing Profile The name “Big Daddy” Don Garlits is synonymous with Drag Racing. In fact, Garlits has been dubbed the “King of the Dragsters,” and could be considered the patriarch of Top Fuel Drag Racing. Don’s high school sweetheart is his wife Pat, however, his first love is the automobile, and his passion is winning. His Swamp Rat series of 34 hand fabricated black racecars carried him to 144 national event wins. Added to his marvelous racing accomplishments is a Florida tourist complex called Garlits Attractions in Ocala, FL. The Drag Racing Museum and Classic Car Collection, 17 World Championship Titles, and numerous racing milestones are all reality because Don first saw them as worthwhile dreams. Garlits’ distinct ability to conceptualize his dreams has allowed him to be master over the end result. “Big Daddy’s” living legacy and racecar design innovations are so significant that his record breaking Swamp Rat XXX is enshrined in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Don Garlits began racing in 1950 and scored his first major victory in 1955. His first NHRA National event win came in 1963 at the Winternationals in Pomona, CA. Don has won the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals a record 8 times. His four decades of Drag Racing have filled the pages of seven books. Although this list is not exhaustive, the facts below provide a good overview of “Big Daddy” Don Garlits’ colorful racing career. 1972 Popular Hot Rod Magazine declared Swamp Rat “The Dragster of the Decade,” 1960-1970. Voted into Auto Racing All-American Team by the AARWBA -1970,’71,’72,’73,’74,’75,’79,’84,’85,’87 Car Craft Magazines All-Star Team, “Top Fuel Driver of The Year”- 1969,’70,’72,’73,’75,’76,’77,’78,’86 Car Craft Magazines All-Star Team, as “Chassis Builder of the Year,” (Top Fuel) 1970 and 1971 Car Craft Magazines “Man of the Year” - 1969, ’71, ’72, and 1973 Drag News Magazine voted Don as, “Man of the Year” - 1971, 1973, and 1975 American Hot Rod Association (AHRA), “Fuel Driver of the Year” - 1971, ’72, ’73, and 1974 1971 - Presidential Guest at the White House - Also received the Chris Schenkel Award Founder and President of the Professional Racers Organization (PRO) - 1972, ‘73,’74,’75, and 1976 1973 - Inducted into the Florida Pro Sports Hall of Fame - Race Drivers Hall of Fame, Ontario, CA 1974 - Honorary President of the Cragar 5 -second Club - Motorsports Hall of Fame, Ontario, CA 1975 - Elected to the Goodyear Motorsports Advisory Board - Key to the City of Tampa 1985 - Inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame, Talladega, AL - Received the Sid Collins Award Received the Keys to the City of Daytona Beach in 1967 - Keys to the City of Las Vegas in 1984 1985 - Chosen by Racers for Christ and NHRA Division 2 as “Person of the Year” National Hot Rod Association Division 2, “Professional Category Driver of the Year” 1985 and 1986 1989 - Inducted into the National Hot Rod Associations, Southeastern Hall of Fame 1989 - Inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame, Novi Michigan 1997 - Inducted into International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Talladega Alabama 1997 - Hot Rod Magazine Hall of Fame 1999 - Voted Top Ten driver of the Century 1999 - California Cruising Hall of Fame, San Bernardino California 2001 - Returned to the sport, drove Gary Clapshaws T/F car to 303.37 MPH with an ET of 4.720 Seconds 2001 - Voted the number 1 Drag Racer for the last 50 years by the NHRA 2002 - Took Swamp Rat 34 out of the Museum of Drag Racing, entered it into the NHRA US Nationals and turned a career best of 318.54 MPH in 4.76 Seconds First Dragster to top 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, 260, and 270 MPH - First to top 200 in the 1/8 mile 17 World Champion Titles, 8 U.S. National Championships, and a total of 144 National Event Wins These being the highlights, it is no wonder that Chrysler Corporation has continued sponsorship affiliation with Don for over 40 years. Today, Don and Pat make their home on the grounds of the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum. They raised two daughters while traveling all over our nation on tour, and they now have five grandchildren. Don currently coordinates the vehicle restorations for the museum, he is a broadcast commentator for a variety of networks, and he enjoys consulting for some Top Fuel Race Teams. Due to an unquenchable burning desire to win, Don would consider returning to Top Fuel involvement if the right corporate partnership is committed. Technology has driven the cost of fielding a competitive Pro Fuel Team well into the seven-figure range. The hard work ethic and personal determination is what has separated Garlits from his counterparts. His human spirit is larger than life and his purpose keeps him young, pushing him above and beyond. Don Garlits has no comprehension of mediocrity! To prove he could still do it, during the NHRA 2001 US Nationals held during Labor Day in Indianapolis IN, Big Daddy borrowed a Top Fuel car and entered it into this prestigious event. Don qualified the car with a personal best of 303.37 MPH in 4.720 seconds! Then in 2002 he resurrected Swamp Rat 34 from the Museum and updated its equipment. SR-34 ran the US Nationals with a speed of 318.54 MPH in 4.76 seconds.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 15:16:12 +0000
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