Big Daddy Don Garlits coming to Byron Dragway

[johnny_fever]

Next Sunday Big Daddy Is coming to Byron Dragway (Byron IL) The event Is going to be wild. 5 sec front engine dragsters. Chicago Wise guys 6 sec club. Chicago Outlaw Superstocks 7 sec club. Arnie the farmer & animal Jim. Here Is the link. Later Rick

www.byrondragway.com/Flyers/5th_Annual_Spring_Nationals_2008.pdf

[MitsuMan]

What a great guy he is. I worked his pit crew back in 1977 when he came to Gateway International Raceway (the old strip). One of their guys was sick and he knew the owner of the Amoco station I worked at in high school. He called and I volunteered immediately. I didn't do any wrenching, but got to talk to him in the back of the tow car between runs, and helped push his dragster to the line before each run. He knew his days were numbered as the top racer, and he told me in the back seat of the Suburban tow car that he was not confident he was going to win that particular event, and he didn't. :smoke:

[mloaks]

If u have never been to his museum in Ocala, FL, u should.
wow

[Arkay]

I'm surprised he is still out there doing shows, as he has been famous since I was a kid. How old is he now?

[gearhead]

I can go if it rains!
We haven't gotten a THING planted yet, I'd better not leave the county in case it gets dry enough to work in the field.
I'd love to go-I've been wanting to see some FEDs on "pop."

[johnny_fever]

MitsuMan. What a story. I have met him a couple of times. He seemed very down to earth. Did you get that feeling?

Arkay. I think he Is 75 maybe 76.
Arnie The farmer Is around the same age. 50+ years In Drag Racing. I cant wait. Later Rick

[MitsuMan]

MitsuMan. What a story. I have met him a couple of times. He seemed very down to earth. Did you get that feeling?

Arkay. I think he Is 75 maybe 76.
Arnie The farmer Is around the same age. 50+ years In Drag Racing. I cant wait. Later Rick

He was one of the most genuine "famous" people I've ever met. I was a kid of 17 when I helped him (AHRA Springnationals at Gateway) in the pits and he talked to me like I was someone he'd known for years. He was very focused and professional but he took time to talk to me like he was just another drag racing enthusiast. We sat in the back seat of his Suburban and talked like he was my uncle or something. Without a doubt, he was the most gracious pro driver I've ever talked to. I have found through the years that the NHRA guys are much more genuine than some of the other motorsports guys in general, but Big Daddy was in a class by himself on and off the track.

BTW, he won 6 straight events in AHRA at the old Gateway track before it went IHRA in 1984 IIRC. Glad you enjoyed my story. :D

http://www.dragracingonline.com/special/ahra_typical_1.html

The big names in drag racing all came to test the new track, and the fans followed – more than 8,000 in a facility designated for 3,000. Names like Ron Colson, the Beebe Brothers, and Dick Harrell’s Yenko Camero dominated the winner’s circle.

Just after the 1971 Spring Nationals, Meinert acquired enough land to make a full quarter-mile strip and extend the track in just 14 days. The track was renamed St. Louis International Raceway. The swampland promptly became the property of Swamp Rat.

The legendary “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and his Swamp Rat cars paid the first call for the inaugural AHRA Gateway Nationals. He laid down a track record of 6.49 seconds (231.95 mph), but lost in the finals to Steve Carbone. This was the Garliet’s last loss until the opening round of the 1984 event. He would win 33 straight races in St. Louis, eight AHRA Gateway Nationals and six consecutive event wins between 1978-83.

“If I remember, that’s Swamp Rats 13 through 18 or 19,” said Garlits, who has most of those old cars in his drag racing museum in Ocala, FL. “St. Louis was one of those tracks that could be really tricky, but if you were able to get the combination and get the read on the place you could have a lot of success. Think it’s because we had a lot of experience racing a lot of different tracks, but we had some awfully good years at that facility. And the fans? The fans were just great to us. It was a place we really enjoyed coming to each year.

[NeedForSpeed]

Not often to see a living legend. I know he'll try to get into the US nationals field, This may be a tune-up for it.

[gearhead]

I had him sign a shirt I bought for my daughter in Indy at a trade show, it must've been 15 years ago. (The shirt's really little!)
I asked him if he'd mind if I took a picture of him signing it, and he said "Not at all" like I'd known him for years.
He was one of my heroes in the 70s.

[johnny_fever]

Ron Colson was at Byron last week visiting with Trk Owner Ron Leek.
I'm sure he will be attending the event. Some years back Drag news magazine did a Broadway Bob roast. He was the orig owner of Union Grove Dragway In WI. Well Big Daddy had tons of funny stores to tell about Bob & The Grove. Later Rick

[Brent71]

Sounds like it should be a great day of racing. I've never been to Byron but I've wanted to go for a long time. Usually Tri-State in Earlville, Cedar Falls Raceway and Cordova were where I went. I've seen so many big names at Cordova over the years it's almost hard to believe. I didn't realize how good I had it in Iowa until I moved to Oregon almost 6 years ago.

[piece-it pete]

Hey Mits, I spent some time at Gateway back when, and met Big Daddy though only briefly, he was nice, and I saw one of his flame burnouts. Too cool! And fun times.

Didn't Shirley Muldowney get a suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct after the return run there damaged her rail? Iirc one of the old timers told me that, who knows?

Pete

[jbrainey]

Featuring – The Legendary
Big “DADDY” DON GARLITS
with The Swap Rat!
On Display with Big Daddy
Photo & Autograph session

WTF is a "swap rat"?

[MitsuMan]

Featuring – The Legendary
Big “DADDY” DON GARLITS
with The Swap Rat!
On Display with Big Daddy
Photo & Autograph session

WTF is a "swap rat"?

A spelling error.........it's Swamp Rat :D

[stuwee]

:ntwrthy::ntwrthy::ntwrthy::ntwrthy::ntwrthy:

'nuff said, say stuwee