Author Topic: Don Garlits sets new world record...  (Read 11001 times)

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Offline Duramax

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Don Garlits sets new world record...
« on: May 09, 2014, 03:40:36 PM »
At age 82.  Yes, he drove an electric dragster into the record books:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c90_1399241480

(yeah, I know quit LSR, but I think this is so cool, I thought folk should know)

Offline tortoise

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2014, 04:48:39 PM »
An electric drag bike went over 200 and into the sixes in 2012.

Offline Stan Back

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2014, 06:02:16 PM »
Shhhhh -- he'll go away soon -- he promised!
« Last Edit: May 09, 2014, 06:14:25 PM by Stan Back »
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Offline Peter Jack

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2014, 07:51:33 PM »
I like that he's still playing. More power to him!!!

Pete

Offline aircap

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2014, 11:52:18 PM »
Quote
An electric drag bike went over 200 and into the sixes in 2012.

Which one was easier? The bike.
Which one was cooler? Garlits.
"Act your age, not your shoe size". - Prince

Offline Frank06

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Re:
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2014, 09:44:06 AM »
Garlits has a NEDRA record.  The car only has a few runs on it, I think there is quite a bit more in it...
E-Racer

Offline tortoise

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2014, 10:27:44 AM »
Which one was easier? The bike.
What is your argument for that opinion?

Offline Duramax

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2014, 04:59:29 PM »
Which one was easier? The bike.
What is your argument for that opinion?


The bikes have been at it much longer with more backing.

When I was running a hot rod daily driver street bike in late 70's, I could hose 95% of everything wearing 4 tires and a license plate at the strip, or on the big end.  10 second ET's with a plate were trailer items, as were 175mph machines, not something you drove to the track and work each day.

 Things have changed.  Want to run a stock production street motorcycle today against a stock production street car today?  I don't think so.  Fuel economy cars go over 200mph stock (2006 Z06 Corvette, 27 mpg, 202mph in 2 miles smog legal), which is better than most fast OEM motorcycles.

For a first effort Garlits kicked arse.  Breaking a NHRA record by 1/2 second isn't small potatoes.  Records are normally measured in the 0.0x range.

If I remember right, the last racer to try and set the EV car record, caught fire on the return road at HRP, and barely escaped, his car burned to the ground, they could not stop it.  A nitro fire can hit 2000°F and can be extinguished, an EV fire can go way over 100,000°F spraying copper plasma (think arc flash) and You Cannot Put It Out.

Big Daddy still has balls the size of grapefruit.  Remember he lost 1/2 of one of his feet when a flywheel exploded, and he invented the rear engine rail.  And HE STILL RACES!

Sidebar - Love you Jim K, but you don't have a lot of experience with racing late model technology, drag racing, electricity, digital technology etc.  You think racing technology peaked in in 1934?   :D
« Last Edit: May 11, 2014, 05:11:41 PM by Duramax »

Offline tortoise

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2014, 05:11:24 PM »
The bikes have been at it much longer with more backing.
That would seem to support the view that it's harder for an electric bike to go 200, not easier.


Offline Duramax

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2014, 05:15:46 PM »
The bikes have been at it much longer with more backing.
That would seem to support the view that it's harder for an electric bike to go 200, not easier.



I kicked Car arse by power to weight in the late 70's. my top speed was just because the cars had the aero of a barn door.  EV Bikes currently (sic) have the advantage.  But don't count on it for long.  We are about 1980 in this area right now.

I love bikes, and have hundreds of stitches and 10lb of titanium to prove it.  But don't count on them winning the EV war.  Watch the parade.

Offline Glen

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2014, 05:24:54 PM »
How about the Ohio collage buckeye bullet electric streamliner at over 314 mph,that's a real record,they coming back this year. :cheers:
Glen
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Offline tortoise

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2014, 05:42:15 PM »
that's a real record . . .

NEDRA records are also real.

Offline Glen

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2014, 06:14:51 PM »
I didn't say Garlits dragster wasn't a record , only made a statement. The lightning rod , the BYU electric liner set Electric records.
Glen
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South West, Utah

Offline Duramax

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2014, 07:30:32 PM »
that's a real record . . .

NEDRA records are also real.

Apparently only the M/C records are real:

http://www.nedra.com/record_holders.html

Both are easily eclipsed by the OEM truck engine Diesel records, and since I'm a diesel racer, builder, tuner, you'd think I'd say Big Daddy's record ain't shiit.

Quickest diesel running a heavy duty truck engine ran 6.35 @ 221.5 mph.  On pump fuel. 

I love electrics.  I own two.  I'm building others.  But I don't diss other racers efforts.

Just because a megabuck electric custom with a pro rider can't hang with a pickup engine jockeyed by an old fart doesn't mean the EV bike isn't fast.

Because if you want to go there, Top Fuel has all of us owned.  And Big Daddy was one of the first.  The EV bike cannot beat a 40 year old Garlits record, much less any of his 70 year old driver records.

His last qualifying TF race was in May 2003. At the age of 71 years of age, he set a personal best speed in the quarter mile with a time of 4.788 seconds at 319.98 miles per hour.

No EV is there yet.  Not even in the same ballpark.



Offline Stan Back

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Re: Don Garlits sets new world record...
« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2014, 08:19:47 PM »
Big Daddy . . . and he invented the rear engine rail.

Really?
Past (Only) Member of the San Berdoo Roadsters -- "California's Most-Exclusive Roadster Club" -- 19 Years of Bonneville and/or El Mirage Street Roadster Records