1981 or there about, I went to north Texas and saw Shirley and Big Daddy. I took pic of Shirley in her directors chair with lap dog. Her crew all decked out in matching shirts and her big rig semi and trailer. I then went to Big Daddy's pit. His long but small enclosed white trailer pulled by a 1 ton dodge dually pick up. Only him in the pits with grease up to elbows wrenching on swamp rat. On the door of his trailer it had black marker with the words Shirley 3 - Big Daddy 1. The man is a legend and both of them have sincere love for the sport first.
I did the tour with Don at the museum back in 2008 , spent a couple hrs with him and asked him a ton of questions .He went into great depth on the accident which the flywheel came out at I think he said 20 thou rpm and tore up his foot and how it injured a young man .We also talked alot about his health regiment and his friend T C Lemons .I asked him if he ran Dover Drag Strip in NY state ,he grabbed my arm and we walked into the gift shop .He then picked up a book and pointed to him just leaving the line at Dover and signed it for me .My daughter and I took photos with him and topped off a most memorable and wonderful day .If you ever get near Ocala ,visit the museum ,spend the whole day even if you are not into drag racing because he also has alot of very nice hot rods , alot of hemi 's and play a Buddy Holly tune on the jukebox ,Downtown Bobby Brown .
@@sergeantmasson3669 Dont remember Serg but is it still still there ? Jungle was cool ,too bad things didn't work out with him and Pam . She was a hell of a woman to travel with him , and beautiful too ! Fate is cruel to most .Thanks for the reply Serg .
It wasn't the flywheel, and if you got it from Garlits, pretty suree he knew that. It was the planetary housing of a transmission he was developing. TF engines rarely turn 8k rpms
Big Daddy is a true legend. I never will forget the most bad ass dragster of all-time, first one to 270 MPH...Swamp Rat XXX. The blowover in EnglishTown '86, is one of the most spectacular moments in NHRA history, even better to be interviewed by the legendary Steve Evans after the incident.
Always looks for a safer way to go faster from front engine to rear engine to electric and saved countless lives but is gas or liquid fuel going to be dead in the water is 350-400 mph sub 4 seconds a real possibility????
My favorite action momen with The Don is the picture that gave my friends the poster "Burn Out" where his swamp rat is doing a burnout in a puddle of nitromethane, and the background of the scene is a giant wall of flames, with flames instead of smoke winding around the slicks. I have not been able to find that photo since. I've seen similar, but none that utterly epic.
Big Daddy Don Garlits a real live American Legend. He use to come race at baylands in Fremont ca. Then on my way home from work one day right around the corner of my house and sitting on the lawn of a house was swamp Rat . I couldn't believe it i stopped to talk with a man there and I think he said he was the crew chief or tuner I can't remember now .But was my lucky day.i was given a private tour. For me big daddy is still the man responsible for the drag races we see today. John force would agree that big daddy is the man.
Electric dragster cool but I can tell you I won't be going to watch them people go to watch top fuel cars for the sound the shock wave on your body and the smell of the fuel. So of the three things I mentioned I think the only thing I'll smell or experience during a pass is burning wires
Hay Big Danny...!!! When are you gonna bring a lithium battery to the salt flats...? You brought a flathead there... Or maybe the dry lakes in the Mojave...
Ive always loved big daddy and totally respect what hes doing, but a big part of the top fuel show is the sights sounds and smells of the cars, and electric cars have none of it. I cant see folks in the future paying like they do today just to see electric cars go quietly down the track like glorified golf carts, the show will be totally gone. Theres no awesome sound and feel of power and all the skills that goes with turning the car around in the pits. I can see it as an added attraction, but it will never replace the top fuel show, but then maybe thats not the intent.
I see your point Yambo. However "Big Daddy" has always been at the forefront of dragster competition innovations. The reason why we have cars going 330MPH is due to guys like him. Back in 1960 no one thought about rear wheels that would get taller and skinnier as they developed faster rotation. No one thought of advancing the timing some 40+ degrees or whatever it is on nitro fuels. Nor the rear engine dragster which was critically important and saved hundreds of lives. However, they all do these things today. So it's quite possible that the electric car will eventually top 400 mph. Remember! The top-fuel dragster is limited to a 500 cubic inch engine block. The only limitation on the electric car today is the technology and the motors/tools etc. When the electric car inevitably surpasses the top-fuel? You'll only see them on the track. Top-fuels will only be found in Don's museum. I think that Garlits kinda knows this. Smart man. I can do without his fundamental "pro-life" bullshit but I still greatly respect the guy.
You forgot to add to big daddy list of innovation the wing and spark plugs at the bottom of the stroke to help burn off excess fuel and help push her back up for the little edge over the guy exploding blowers every run. And big daddy will always be big daddy .best we all save the politics for a different arena. We dont want to destroy something we all can agree on . We all love nitro. And even our not so favorite drivers we have respect for.
1981 or there about, I went to north Texas and saw Shirley and Big Daddy. I took pic of Shirley in her directors chair with lap dog. Her crew all decked out in matching shirts and her big rig semi and trailer. I then went to Big Daddy's pit. His long but small enclosed white trailer pulled by a 1 ton dodge dually pick up. Only him in the pits with grease up to elbows wrenching on swamp rat. On the door of his trailer it had black marker with the words Shirley 3 - Big Daddy 1. The man is a legend and both of them have sincere love for the sport first.
Garlits is pure class.
I did the tour with Don at the museum back in 2008 , spent a couple hrs with him and asked him a ton of questions .He went into great depth on the accident which the flywheel came out at I think he said 20 thou rpm and tore up his foot and how it injured a young man .We also talked alot about his health regiment and his friend T C Lemons .I asked him if he ran Dover Drag Strip in NY state ,he grabbed my arm and we walked into the gift shop .He then picked up a book and pointed to him just leaving the line at Dover and signed it for me .My daughter and I took photos with him and topped off a most memorable and wonderful day .If you ever get near Ocala ,visit the museum ,spend the whole day even if you are not into drag racing because he also has alot of very nice hot rods , alot of hemi 's and play a Buddy Holly tune on the jukebox ,Downtown Bobby Brown .
met him a keystone raceway out side of pittsburgh yep he loves to talk!
Downtown Bobby Brown, while there, did you see the Jungle Jim Vega funny car? I/we sold that car to Jungle Jim Liberman in 1974,
@@sergeantmasson3669 Dont remember Serg but is it still still there ? Jungle was cool ,too bad things didn't work out with him and Pam . She was a hell of a woman to travel with him , and beautiful too ! Fate is cruel to most .Thanks for the reply Serg .
@@downtownbobbybrown6237 The Vega FC was still there a month ago.
It wasn't the flywheel, and if you got it from Garlits, pretty suree he knew that. It was the planetary housing of a transmission he was developing.
TF engines rarely turn 8k rpms
Not sure how I got here now. Not sure where I am going afterwards. But this was an entertaining part of the journey.
Big Daddy is a true legend. I never will forget the most bad ass dragster of all-time, first one to 270 MPH...Swamp Rat XXX. The blowover in EnglishTown '86, is one of the most spectacular moments in NHRA history, even better to be interviewed by the legendary Steve Evans after the incident.
Always looks for a safer way to go faster from front engine to rear engine to electric and saved countless lives but is gas or liquid fuel going to be dead in the water is 350-400 mph sub 4 seconds a real possibility????
My favorite action momen with The Don is the picture that gave my friends the poster "Burn Out" where his swamp rat is doing a burnout in a puddle of nitromethane, and the background of the scene is a giant wall of flames, with flames instead of smoke winding around the slicks. I have not been able to find that photo since. I've seen similar, but none that utterly epic.
30. My Favorite.
Big Daddy isn't going to let technology pass him by. He was always a leader in going fast and he is moving ahead with the times.
Big has done more for racing and drag racing than any others.....
Amen 🙏🏻 i agree love drag racing. Demolition derby and monster truck jams ... but drag racing grew up with it 🌺🌺🌺🌺
This 80+ years old and still behind a wheel of a car 180 mph
Big Daddy Don Garlits a real live American Legend. He use to come race at baylands in Fremont ca. Then on my way home from work one day right around the corner of my house and sitting on the lawn of a house was swamp Rat . I couldn't believe it i stopped to talk with a man there and I think he said he was the crew chief or tuner I can't remember now .But was my lucky day.i was given a private tour. For me big daddy is still the man responsible for the drag races we see today. John force would agree that big daddy is the man.
Silly Question for the King: "You don't wanna wait for that, right?"
Electric dragster cool but I can tell you I won't be going to watch them people go to watch top fuel cars for the sound the shock wave on your body and the smell of the fuel. So of the three things I mentioned I think the only thing I'll smell or experience during a pass is burning wires
The founding father of top fuel🤓👍
I remember when Top Fuel was going for 200 mph. now with batts!!!!!! And little sound!!!
how they charge this, do they use a generator
If anyone can, it will be this man.
I suppose it's all the same when your flyin' along over 200MPH...whatever gets you there lol!
American Icon
I hope big daddy is giving tours at his museum after gator nations 2022, I'm going, please don , we will all wear N95s!
Kind of neat, but nothing is more exciting then Nitro
Well, enjoy it while it lasts then. Everything comes to an end eventually.
Remember when Bob Dylan went electric?
You can do it Big Daddy 😉
"200 MPH on Batteries" do they trying that on a quarter mile pass or on a shorter track like the fule dragsters and funny cars drive on tody??
Sounds a bit like a jet taking off.
I build oddball sleepers and have been looking for wrecked tesla. Building a 2002 Acura tl that's electric. Can't wait.
The weight of the batteries is a disadvantage
Hay Big Danny...!!! When are you gonna bring a lithium battery to the salt flats...? You brought a flathead there... Or maybe the dry lakes in the Mojave...
EV dragsters will be doing sub 3’s soon.
Why are electrics popular when Don garlits considers them as substandard.
One day dragsters will be going over 330 mph..... oh wait, we are already there, liquid energy... what a concept.
How about we just forget about the whole global warming nonsense not like new technology would be interesting
Electric cars aren't new technology
Big daddy and his swamp rats have been first in a lot of milestones but unfortunately he won't do this.Huff and his 2.0 have already gone 200
Ive always loved big daddy and totally respect what hes doing, but a big part of the top fuel show is the sights sounds and smells of the cars, and electric cars have none of it. I cant see folks in the future paying like they do today just to see electric cars go quietly down the track like glorified golf carts, the show will be totally gone. Theres no awesome sound and feel of power and all the skills that goes with turning the car around in the pits. I can see it as an added attraction, but it will never replace the top fuel show, but then maybe thats not the intent.
It's not like that .I mean Porsche make an electric 4 wheel drive that puts out 200 HP a wheel
I see your point Yambo. However "Big Daddy" has always been at the forefront of dragster competition innovations. The reason why we have cars going 330MPH is due to guys like him.
Back in 1960 no one thought about rear wheels that would get taller and skinnier as they developed faster rotation. No one thought of advancing the timing some 40+ degrees or whatever it is on nitro fuels. Nor the rear engine dragster which was critically important and saved hundreds of lives. However, they all do these things today.
So it's quite possible that the electric car will eventually top 400 mph. Remember! The top-fuel dragster is limited to a 500 cubic inch engine block. The only limitation on the electric car today is the technology and the motors/tools etc. When the electric car inevitably surpasses the top-fuel?
You'll only see them on the track. Top-fuels will only be found in Don's museum. I think that Garlits kinda knows this. Smart man. I can do without his fundamental "pro-life" bullshit but I still greatly respect the guy.
You forgot to add to big daddy list of innovation the wing and spark plugs at the bottom of the stroke to help burn off excess fuel and help push her back up for the little edge over the guy exploding blowers every run. And big daddy will always be big daddy .best we all save the politics for a different arena. We dont want to destroy something we all can agree on . We all love nitro. And even our not so favorite drivers we have respect for.
In the concession stand, soy burgers, smoothies and celery sticks.
In the concession stand, soy burgers, smoothies and celery sticks.
And now you can buy a Tesla 4 door family sedan that can almost keep up !
New world record for a tesla plaid, 9.08 at 155mph. A 4 door street driven car.
Jackson MeHoff, my give a damn's busted.
thats cool but really not into it, I LIKE A FORD GT 40 NOW YOU GOT SOMETHING AWSOM
Love don but I’ll bet it did not sound like a nitro fire hemi I will not go to see them ever sorry don
200 MPH? BFD! I want the noise and vibration and visuals that go with a 320mph + nitro run. Phuch the ev crowd.
Today 200 MPH, tomorrow 300 MPH.
You can't stop progress, Luddite.
Without the noise, its boring. Please, no electric drags, or motorsports in general. It goes E, im done watching and supporting
It's all cool. but the sad fact of the matter is the resources to power the electric car's. Does a ten fold harm to the earth.Over oil.
Hey let's talk about climate change. NOT!
That is simply not true. Someone is watching too much right wing media.
@@genepoolxfc It most certainly IS true if you go from the beginnings of these batteries till their ends!
Love Big. Hate EV racecars. Break 200 then park that thing Don.
BORING