Don Garlits sets new world record...

[Glen]

Stan, I agree there were several rear engine dragsters before DG. Tony Nancy was one and did well. I drove a rear engine mod roadster in 1957 at over 200, they banned them as not being safe, but they are back and going over 300.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Big Daddy . . . and he invented the rear engine rail.

Really?

Invention has many fathers, so much so, I wouldn't want to be seen with the mother.

But if Garlits didn't invent it, I think it's safe to say he sure had a hand in perfecting it and promoting it.

That layout supplanted front engine cars faster in NHRA than at Indianapolis.

Two years after he showed up with the rear engine Swamp Rat, there wasn't a competitive slingshot left.

Yes - it's really cool seeing him still at it.

[tortoise]

Yes - it's really cool seeing him still at it.

On the other hand, it's not really his project, he's just in the seat to give the deal a promotable ($$$) face. When some LSR teams do something similar, but with (say) a woman, we get bitching and moaning on this site.

[manta22]

MM;

"Invention has many fathers, so much so, I wouldn't want to be seen with the mother." 

Great line; the original was "Success has many fathers; failure is an orphan."

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[floydjer]

Thread hijack alert....It was a home made 2 speed trans. that failed.  

[floydjer]

And..If I can figure out how to re-size it, I have a pic of the back half of that car...Ol` Donald squeezed the two sides of the butterfly steering wheel together

[Duramax]

Yes - it's really cool seeing him still at it.

On the other hand, it's not really his project, he's just in the seat to give the deal a promotable ($$$) face. When some LSR teams do something similar, but with (say) a woman, we get bitching and moaning on this site.

And you know this how?  You asked him?

Here's how silly you sound:

Absolutely!

If I wanted to promote to the 18-40 prime hotrod race part buyer demographic, I'd also pick a 82 year old man that nobody under 50 heard of.

You certainly would not put the fastest young dude you can muster at the throttle if you wanted a record for the publicity.

Because electric racing is so huge today, that it's all image and no talent.  Apparently they could not afford to have Tom Cruise (who also races cars) to set a record in it.

If they are doing their promotion videos with a Go-Pro, I have a hard time believing the Garlits effort is megabuck.

[Duramax]

Big Daddy . . . and he invented the rear engine rail.

Really?

Jim,

Sorry.  He's the first one to figure out how to win consistently with a rear engine dragster.  You say copycat, I say winner.

Lots of people have good ideas.  The skill is how to make a good idea work.  You don't know if Garlits didn't have the idea first, you only know he made it work.

Sidebar - Since you know so much about drag racing, let's set a date and time.  I suck, so my wife will drive. You run your Hot Rod Ford, she'll run you with a street legal pickup.  Rules?  Drive it to the track, drive it home.  Name the track.  She likes HRP, but it's your choice.

It's all about the "Street"...

[racefanwfo]

I saw an interview of BIG and he gave credit to a guy i can not remember his name for helping him make the first rear engine car work. the first time BIG took the car out it did not steer right the person in question told BIG to change the steering ratio to slow it down of course it worked and the rest is history. the story i saw on the electric dragster said it is owned by the museum of drag racing. i was at the winternationals when BIG spanked everyone with the new car.

[jdincau]

The guy was T. C. Lemons his long time crew chief. Gar was worried the whole thing was a failure because the car was un controllably twitchy at the top end. T C slowed the steering ratio from what was the standard for a FED and THEN history was made.

[tortoise]

Here's how silly you sound:

Absolutely!

Have you been forgetting to take your medications again? Flame wars are not what this site is about.

The driveline was built by Lawless Industries. Big didn't build the chassis, either. It's an incremental development of what had been the fastest electric dragster, also built by Lawless. Lawless already has a good driver.

The story of the cantankerous old ex-champ coming out of retirement to show the whippersnappers  how it's done is a natural for the likes of the Discovery Channel, along with American Choppers and reruns of World's Fastest Indian. Drag racing is a nostalgia deal in the public mind at this point in time; drag racing fans know who Garlits is.

There's nothing wrong with a little hokum, and nothing I've said indicates a lack of respect for Garlits'  great accomplishments.

[gearheadeh]

Here's how silly you sound:

Absolutely!

Have you been forgetting to take your medications again? Flame wars are not what this site is about.

The driveline was built by Lawless Industries. Big didn't build the chassis, either. It's an incremental development of what had been the fastest electric dragster, also built by Lawless. Lawless already has a good driver.

The story of the cantankerous old ex-champ coming out of retirement to show the whippersnappers  how it's done is a natural for the likes of the Discovery Channel, along with American Choppers and reruns of World's Fastest Indian. Drag racing is a nostalgia deal in the public mind at this point in time; drag racing fans know who Garlits is.

There's nothing wrong with a little hokum, and nothing I've said indicates a lack of respect for Garlits'  great accomplishments.

Clicking the"LIKE" Button.

[Stan Back]

"Sidebar – Since you know so much about drag racing, let's set a time and date.  I suck, so my wife will drive.  You run your Hot Rod Ford, she'll run you with a street legal pickup.  Rules?  Drive it to the track, drive it home.  Name the track.  She likes HRP, but it's your choice."


Never said I knew so much about drag racing.  But I know Ollie Morris in his Smokin' White Owl won some eliminator races at Santa Ana in the early 50s with a rear-engine dragster.  I personally won "X Eliminator" at Colton in 1958.  I beat an Willys station wagon and a go-kart which, fortunately for me, broke its chain.  I carried him back to the pits in my stock 1930 Model A pickup.

I've been hanging around LSR for a few years.  We don't race side by side.  My old licensed, unblown, mechanically-injected, gas Street Roadster has been set up for Bonneville and El Mirage.  I remember you tried both ventures as I did, and, although I don't remember the exact results, I do remember you unluckily broke a lot of parts and never reached your goals.  You quoted a figure once on what you spent for a week at SpeedWeek and it would cover my entire 12-year budget including the cost of the car.  I was fortunate over the years to set 5 Bonneville and 2 El Mirage records in one of the most-competitive classes.  I'm proud to be in the Bonneville 200 MPH Club.

Somehow you think I might want to race you.  You're wrong.  I don't want to race your wife, either.  We've been timed at the same venues, and I believe I've run faster, luckily, than your blown machine.  Could it be you want to change venues until you find one you can be successful at?

[Glen]

Tortoise, must live on the moon as he has never added his area where he lives.

[floydjer]

I`ll make the popcorn...Who wants butter??