Gotta love this guy...Don Garlits.
 

Big Daddy Don, "I'll be 92 in January"
That’s in the garage right behind his museum in Ocala. That’s well worth the time if you’re into drag racing, and if you’re lucky, he’ll be there!

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Turned 92 on Jan. 14th

I saw the museum last year on a road trip to fla, couldn’t stop. Next time for sure

Legend.

Mister Drag Racing.

Built, tuned and drove his dragsters. Built the first successful rear engine dragster which quickly became the standard configuration for all Top Fuel cars. Still owns every single race car he’s ever built and raced since the 1950s.

There’s nobody in the sport who can compare.

Long live “Big Daddy” Don, the Swamp Rat. :thumbup:

I went to the museum with a late friend around 22 years ago. Don's mom was still working the door. Great take if you're ever in the Ocala area.

Drag racing legend for sure. Happy Birthday!

Just give yourself plenty of time if you go. We visited the place a couple of years ago and didn't get to Ocala until 3:30 or so, so were inside only an hour and a half I think it was which wasn't near enough time to fully see everything. You'd need at least half a day or even a whole day IMO to really take your time and get a good look at everything.

You wouldn't believe all the cars in there.
(plus tons of other stuff, engines/trannies etc)
It will take you quite a while to see everything.
And Don is usually there or around somewhere.
He also has extra buildings behind there,
where there are more stuff that he works on or will be getting ready for the main building.


:)

Most think the clutch exploded but it was his “new” two speed. They didn’t have time to get enough oil in it and rolled a sprag causing it to turn about 20,000 rpm. The piece that severed part of his foot ended up in the stands severing the arm of Tim Ditt. Ditt’s arm was repaired but Garlits foot was beyond repair.

Video: https://youtu.be/J1a8ZQxq8EE?si=uUf89EEiwHOCFxVj

His museum is amazing! Only been once and didn’t have time enough to really see everything.

The guy kept everything!! Amazing time capsule for sure!!

truly a remarkable man!
Happy Birthday Don

Somewhere in my collection I have a photo of him in his truck while I was leaning in to say a few words. Circa 1974 in Memphis. I think I was saying ... "can I take your picture" :)

In 2018, we left the track at Cordova and were searching for dinner. We spotted a little diner and pulled in. Not many people there except for a black Dodge duallie with small lettering on the door "Swamp Rat".

Long story short, our clutch guy Dave bought Garlits dinner and we had a good little chat.

Eric

Fixed it for you.
Nice picture.
Click on it to get full size and save it
https://i.postimg.cc/G8xYL9HX/IMG-0317.jpg

First met him in Atlanta when he was running the “rubber band” front tires that never stayed on. Real down to earth guy. Talked with Eddie Hill there too. Another great guy to talk to.
The good old days of NHRA.

Turned your pic Eric……

We still have the best poster ever...
His blow over at Englishtown

Similar story here. Would have been February 2001, my wife (then girlfriend) took me there for my birthday. His mom was handling the counter.

Wife was fascinated by Edison, Don had a nice collection of Edison stuff. My dad was into early V8 Fords, restored a Washington Blue 1936 flatback convertible sedan. In his incredible collection of pre-WWII V8 Fords, Don had a superb unrestored '36 there in that blue, I can't recall now if it was a roadster or cabriolet. Many restorers visit there for reference of originality.

I've seen him around, especially at a car show he had there in the 80s, and at the Kissimmee Old Town cruise a few times driving a hemi powered 39 Mercury, but never got a moment to chat with him.

Quite a guy, and what a life so far.

I think it is one of my life highlights to meet your hero's and not be disappointed. I have had many encounters like this. Don Garlits was certainly a highlight. Sitting at that dinner like Eric described, a fly on the wall, just taking it all in is priceless. A true gentleman and his museum is fantastic. When Smokey Yunick passed, Garlits acquired a bunch of his cool engine development bits and pieces which are in the museum as well. So Don Garlits is 92 and Arnie Beswick is 93. The godfathers of drag racing and our hobby are not getting any younger. Spend time with them if you have the opportunity. You won't regret it.

Around '72 myself and two friends went up to Dragway 42 in West Salem for an AHRA race. After the first night we went to some hole-in-the-wall diner for breakfast. It was early and pretty busy due to all the racers and fans there. This guy walks up to the empty seat at our little table and says "mind if I sit here?" I looked up and it was Don Garlits. I couldn't believe it.

Sometime in the early 2000s I was at the Gatornationals and just looking for a seat about 2/3rds of the way up in the grandstands. Got sat down before I realized that Don Garlits was sitting on the same row about 4 seats down. He could have been in the skybox or tower but here he was in the middle of the fans and just another guy at the races if you didn't know who he was. Truly, one of a kind.

Cordova TN? Does he live in the area?
That's within a couple miles where I got his picture at the old Lakeland Dragstrip.