OT - Don Garlits / Dodge
09-02-2009, 01:13 PM
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OT - Don Garlits / Dodge
'Big Daddy' Don Garlits to Return to NHRA Drag Racing
Garlits will make his first appearance in organized drag racing in six years.
“Big Daddy” Don Garlits is making a comeback to NHRA competition for the first time since 2003, driving his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak by Mopar into the heat of NHRA Stock eliminations at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend. His historic first run in the Drag Pak will be on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in A/Stock Automatic qualifying at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. The full U.S. Nationals event is scheduled to begin Sept. 2 with final eliminations on Monday, Sept. 7.
Garlits hung up his helmet after Top Fuel qualifying at the U.S. Nationals exactly six years ago in 2003. He last ran a stock class car in 1963 when he competed in a 1963 Dodge Max Wedge drag package car carrying “Garlits Dodge” graphics. His new Dodge Challenger Drag Pak by Mopar has the same lettering emblazoned on its sides, along with the same Mopar graphics from his historic run last year alongside “Miss Mighty Mopar” Judy Lilly in Drag Pak prototypes at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.
“I like my Dodge Challenger Drag Pak much better than a dragster,” said Garlits, referring to the current way Top Fuel dragsters are campaigned. “It takes 25 people to get a dragster to the line these days. All I have to do with the Dodge Challenger is turn the key and take it there. When the light turns green I have a 10-second ride — which is almost three times what I used to get — and I even have time to look at the tach and shift gears.”
“Big Daddy’s” 2009 Dodge Challenger is the first Drag Pak by Mopar ever made. He took delivery at the Performance Racing Industry show in December 2008, receiving the keys along with a certificate of authenticity from Mopar. Garlits put the Drag Pak by Mopar through test and exhibition runs at the World Series of Drag Racing at Cordova Dragway Park in Cordova, IL, last weekend.
Garlits retired for the first time in 1987, but returned for one race at Atlanta in 1992 and made a 300-mph run at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis in 2001. He then ran a limited schedule of four NHRA National events each year in 2002 and 2003 before he stepped out of Top Fuel at the request of his wife, Pat. “I didn’t want to come home and find my clothes all over the front yard,” he said at the time he acquired his new Dodge Challenger, explaining that he had the home-front green light to run a doorslammer in competition, referring to his Drag Pak car.
Garlits Statistics
• 17 World Championship Titles and 144 National event wins
• Voted #1 Drag Racer for the past 50 years by the NHRA in 2001
• Won the prestigious U.S. Nationals eight times
• Car Craft Magazine Top Fuel Driver of the Year: 1969-’70, 1972-’73, 1975-’78 and 1986
• Car Craft Magazine “Man of the Year”: 1969, 1971-’73
• American Hot Rod Association “Fuel Driver of the Year”: 1971-’74
Above reprinted from "Engine Builder"
Garlits will make his first appearance in organized drag racing in six years.
“Big Daddy” Don Garlits is making a comeback to NHRA competition for the first time since 2003, driving his Dodge Challenger Drag Pak by Mopar into the heat of NHRA Stock eliminations at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend. His historic first run in the Drag Pak will be on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in A/Stock Automatic qualifying at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. The full U.S. Nationals event is scheduled to begin Sept. 2 with final eliminations on Monday, Sept. 7.
Garlits hung up his helmet after Top Fuel qualifying at the U.S. Nationals exactly six years ago in 2003. He last ran a stock class car in 1963 when he competed in a 1963 Dodge Max Wedge drag package car carrying “Garlits Dodge” graphics. His new Dodge Challenger Drag Pak by Mopar has the same lettering emblazoned on its sides, along with the same Mopar graphics from his historic run last year alongside “Miss Mighty Mopar” Judy Lilly in Drag Pak prototypes at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.
“I like my Dodge Challenger Drag Pak much better than a dragster,” said Garlits, referring to the current way Top Fuel dragsters are campaigned. “It takes 25 people to get a dragster to the line these days. All I have to do with the Dodge Challenger is turn the key and take it there. When the light turns green I have a 10-second ride — which is almost three times what I used to get — and I even have time to look at the tach and shift gears.”
“Big Daddy’s” 2009 Dodge Challenger is the first Drag Pak by Mopar ever made. He took delivery at the Performance Racing Industry show in December 2008, receiving the keys along with a certificate of authenticity from Mopar. Garlits put the Drag Pak by Mopar through test and exhibition runs at the World Series of Drag Racing at Cordova Dragway Park in Cordova, IL, last weekend.
Garlits retired for the first time in 1987, but returned for one race at Atlanta in 1992 and made a 300-mph run at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis in 2001. He then ran a limited schedule of four NHRA National events each year in 2002 and 2003 before he stepped out of Top Fuel at the request of his wife, Pat. “I didn’t want to come home and find my clothes all over the front yard,” he said at the time he acquired his new Dodge Challenger, explaining that he had the home-front green light to run a doorslammer in competition, referring to his Drag Pak car.
Garlits Statistics
• 17 World Championship Titles and 144 National event wins
• Voted #1 Drag Racer for the past 50 years by the NHRA in 2001
• Won the prestigious U.S. Nationals eight times
• Car Craft Magazine Top Fuel Driver of the Year: 1969-’70, 1972-’73, 1975-’78 and 1986
• Car Craft Magazine “Man of the Year”: 1969, 1971-’73
• American Hot Rod Association “Fuel Driver of the Year”: 1971-’74
Above reprinted from "Engine Builder"
09-02-2009, 01:37 PM
#2
Le Mans Master
Great guy and racer. Been to his Ocala, museum many times. I saw him at the Southern Nationals a few years ago. Didn't realize its been 6 years though !
09-02-2009, 02:17 PM
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I'm not aware of this car (Dodge Challenger Drag Pak). Is this something that the average Joe public can buy?????????
Tom Parsons
Tom Parsons
09-02-2009, 02:29 PM
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Race Director
Saw him many times in the 60s along with lots of other greats when I was writing for Drag News. Although cars are much quicker today, it was more exciting back then money didn't rule the game.
09-02-2009, 02:29 PM
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09-02-2009, 02:29 PM
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Le Mans Master
09-02-2009, 04:05 PM
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A couple of years ago (or was it 4yrs), I was at the Ennis, TX strip and there were numerous early day cars there. One in particular that I remember was a FULL STEEL/INERIOR, 56 Nomad with a "built" std bore 265. He built the 265 from a 327 block and sleeved all 8 holes to 3.75in!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was running correct matching 2x4 WCFBs, but on a fabricated, tall 2x4 intake. The car had a 6-series rear gear and ran (as I recall) about 116mph. GOD, it was screaming at the lights!!!!!!!!
Oh ya, and I USED to enjoy NASCAR!
Tom Parsons
09-02-2009, 04:20 PM
#9
Melting Slicks
That Drag Pak Dodge sounds awesome. To bad it can't be made streetable
I used to Love going to E-Town backin the day with my older brother to watch those guys do battle.
Front engined dragsters, Super Stock cars, A/FX cars. Garlits, Muldownny, Sox+Martin. Dick Landy, Bill Jenkins, Arnie Beswick, Holman Mood, just to name a few. Boy Those were the Days!
There was a SS Hemi Cuda owner/driver that lived 2 houses away from a friend of mine. Jack Werst. He used to let us hang around when he was working on the car. And when he fired that Hemi up OMG, our young hearts used to go WILD.
Rick
I used to Love going to E-Town backin the day with my older brother to watch those guys do battle.
Front engined dragsters, Super Stock cars, A/FX cars. Garlits, Muldownny, Sox+Martin. Dick Landy, Bill Jenkins, Arnie Beswick, Holman Mood, just to name a few. Boy Those were the Days!
There was a SS Hemi Cuda owner/driver that lived 2 houses away from a friend of mine. Jack Werst. He used to let us hang around when he was working on the car. And when he fired that Hemi up OMG, our young hearts used to go WILD.
Rick
Last edited by 65convt; 09-02-2009 at 04:27 PM.
09-02-2009, 04:33 PM
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I just called my local, long time Dodge dealer. They have no knowledge, so I fed him all the information plus the 888 Hotline number.
Oh ya, the kid NEVER heard of Don Garlits!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom Parsons
Oh ya, the kid NEVER heard of Don Garlits!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom Parsons
