11-17-2022, 07:51 AM | #1 |
Drives: 2010 Turbo LS3 Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Palm Bay, FL
Posts: 2,845
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Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum
My daughter wanted to take me to the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum in Ocala because I have told the story about what a big fan I was growing up and how Big Daddy molded the sport from nearly its infancy. What I never imagined would happen is that we would get to meet Big Daddy and he would proceed to spend an hour telling stories about how the museum was moved from Seffner to Ocala and what a charmed life he led (all backed up by tons of hard work of course). This guy was my hero running for Super Shops in the 80s and IMO the greatest top fuel drag racer ever. What a day!
BTW, he is 91 and just like me can't hear crap anymore, but I have never met a 91 year old legend who could carry on a conversation like that.
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2010 SS - Kind of an On3 kit, CTR 78/80, CompCam 239/251 620/632 122+4, E85, Z28 suspension and ZL1 diff with Outlaw axles. Gen6 ZL1/1LE brakes.
2011 Vert - 416/w 230/236 .612/.602 115lsa, 1LE suspension w/32mm rear bar. Z28 diff. ZL1 brakes. |
11-17-2022, 08:11 AM | #2 |
Drives: 2017 Mosaic Bk ZL1 M6 Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: South of Raleigh, NC
Posts: 9,522
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Nice! I went over to the Richard Petty Museum one Friday last month but he wasn't there. Probably in Vegas for the race that weekend. It was an interesting place.
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11-17-2022, 12:10 PM | #3 |
Drives: 2010 Turbo LS3 Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Palm Bay, FL
Posts: 2,845
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Another GOAT racer. Loved watching him at the end of his career in the 80s.
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2010 SS - Kind of an On3 kit, CTR 78/80, CompCam 239/251 620/632 122+4, E85, Z28 suspension and ZL1 diff with Outlaw axles. Gen6 ZL1/1LE brakes.
2011 Vert - 416/w 230/236 .612/.602 115lsa, 1LE suspension w/32mm rear bar. Z28 diff. ZL1 brakes. |
11-17-2022, 01:20 PM | #4 |
Drives: 2017 Mosaic Bk ZL1 M6 Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: South of Raleigh, NC
Posts: 9,522
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I did manage to get a pic with him though
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11-17-2022, 01:26 PM | #5 |
Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS Black & Silver Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 8,228
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I remember seeing him and Gene Snow in a match race when I was a kid!
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STAINLESS WORKS HEADERS-TUNED BY JANNETTY RACING-C.A.I. INTAKE-TAYLOR 409 WIRES-SOLO AXLE BACK EXHAUST-ELITE CATCH CAN |
11-17-2022, 06:42 PM | #6 |
Give speed a chance
Drives: 2015 Camaro 2LS, 2015 Camaro Z/28 Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Mesa, Az
Posts: 2,373
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Way cool! Definitely one of the (if not THE) all time greats. Those type of individuals are like a living piece of history. I too used to pay close attention to him in the '70s and '80s. Great innovator.
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2LS: a TREMENDOUS machine. Z/28: it's a BIT MORE POWERFUL, of course.
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11-17-2022, 08:15 PM | #7 |
It don’t come easy.
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Met Don at the Indy Nationals in ‘97. We parked in this huge field/parking area across from the track. While walking across the parking area, we came upon one of those round back trailers with a couple of tables setup with books and some other stuff. Long time ago, cant quite remember the details.
Anyways, started looking at the “stuff” when, from around the other side of the trailer, here comes Don in jeans and a t-shirt. Im trying to tell my son who this guy is whilst keeping my composure. Ive always been a huge fan. We shot the breeze like two regular guys who just bumped into each that wanted to talk drag racing. Btw, he was also a big announcer at the track for that event. You wouldn’t have guessed it by the way our conversation went. Just a regular guy and very cordial. Glad we met! Still have the spark plugs from Al Hoffman’s funny car! From one of his runs before he beat Force.
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11-22-2022, 10:25 PM | #8 |
Drives: ABM #93 Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Lotaburger
Posts: 2,846
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Dude, that is a seriously bad ass experience! I have a friend who used to race build engines for him, and several other of the greats from the past once upon a time in the 60’s and 70’s. He’s got a ton of great stories too.
As for Mr Petty… me and my younger brother got to talk to him in the infield for a little while at Phoenix a couple years ago. About as nice of a man as I’ve ever met. He really values race fans a whole lot.
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01-02-2023, 09:23 PM | #9 | |
Drives: 2001 Camaro Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: GA
Posts: 177
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