"Big Daddy" Don Garlits

[R. Pare]

Interesting story about this drag racing legend:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...ger-srt-demon/

[cliff]

He is one tough old bird! Cool story!

[R. Pare]

Got to see him many times up in Maine at Sanford, and NH in Epping back in the 60's and 70's. You never knew just what new thing he would show up with to smoke everyone else.

A couple articles about Sanford ( 5 miles from my home back then):

http://www.fosters.com/article/20090...ts03/708209886

http://www.fosters.com/article/20090...TS03/708279923

Really fun stuff going on back then.

[Hardingfv32]

We were ready for him when he came to the West Coast.

Yes, those were good times. Checking out his new creations in 'Hot Rod'. So little information available with no Internet. A few pages in magazines was all you had.

Brian

[veeten]

We just visited his Museum in Ocala Fla. on the way back from West Palm.
Amazing collection with very knowledgeable staff to answer Questions.
Our third trip
Sherman

[Purple Frog]

Early 60s.

Big Daddy ran an event at the old Masters Field in Miami.
It was a de-commissioned WW2 air base with concrete runways. (think Sebring expansion strips)
All the spectators just parked nose in on each side of the runway and sat on their fenders to watch.
I believe he had maybe just broken the 200 barrier a few weeks earlier on a real track.

The Swamp Rat did a 188 leaving two black tracks all the way through the clocks.

Holy smokes! A life changing moment.

Miami-Dade College North Campus has since been built on top of the site.

After a bit the city fathers thought drag races were too noisy and shut down the events at Masters Field.
So guys just took the timing equipment and set it up late every Thursday night out on Krome Ave.
Krome Ave was remote, flat, and miles long in the everglades with no side roads. Only took CB radios at each end to warn that the cops were coming.
Finally one night the cops borrowed helicopters and came in low over the sawgrass. Impounded a lot of cars. Many of us escaped out through the grass. But, car owners or their parents were basically had.

Not long after, Moroso thought maybe we would support a drag strip up in Palm Beach County out on the edge of the glades on US98. They built it. We went. Later they added a road course, and the rest is history.

[veeten]

Lots of stories about Big Daddy.
We had racing friends out at Lakehurst Air base, got a call Big Daddy brought over his Rail from Englishtown
to Drag Race a Navy Jet off the Land based catapult !! Pretty even race but the plane won due
track length and traction.
BTW. Lakehurst had a shock Dyno back in the 50s, local racers at Wall stadium were miles ahead
of everyone on Shocks, Seems some ot the spares made it out the back door.
When Wally Dallenbach got his Indy ride he made them speak to his Owner , Dick Barney at Wall
Stadium about his shock package, seems they were head and shoulders above
the Gabriel Shocks !!

[mikey]

He still shows up at our local car meets sometimes! Still loves to talk cars and hang out.

[GraemeD]

Early 60s.

Big Daddy ran an event at the old Masters Field in Miami.
It was a de-commissioned WW2 air base with concrete runways. (think Sebring expansion strips)
All the spectators just parked nose in on each side of the runway and sat on their fenders to watch.
I believe he had maybe just broken the 200 barrier a few weeks earlier on a real track.

The Swamp Rat did a 188 leaving two black tracks all the way through the clocks.

Holy smokes! A life changing moment.

Miami-Dade College North Campus has since been built on top of the site.

After a bit the city fathers thought drag races were too noisy and shut down the events at Masters Field.
So guys just took the timing equipment and set it up late every Thursday night out on Krome Ave.
Krome Ave was remote, flat, and miles long in the everglades with no side roads. Only took CB radios at each end to warn that the cops were coming.
Finally one night the cops borrowed helicopters and came in low over the sawgrass. Impounded a lot of cars. Many of us escaped out through the grass. But, car owners or their parents were basically had.

Not long after, Moroso thought maybe we would support a drag strip up in Palm Beach County out on the edge of the glades on US98. They built it. We went. Later they added a road course, and the rest is history.

Then there was "Miami Hollywood" drag strip, I saw Big Daddy there many times.

[gt250]

From my family's summer vacation to the '65 U.S. Nationals.

[R. Pare]

For those who have never heard it, there is an old album ( and now available as a CD) called "Sounds of Sanford" that is simply the sounds of all the cars at a big meet back there in 1962. Now a collectors item, but can occasionally still be found on Ebay.

I'll be damned - someone made it available to listen to or record:

The first thing you hear is the Green Monster making a run:

http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/PY/Sounds_...ford-Side1.mp3

http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/PY/sounds_...ford_side2.mp3

[Steve Demeter]

Bib Daddy was at the local strip a few years back. Our region had rented the field between the strip and the road and waas running a rallycorss. Unfortunately the dust was really bad and the owners asked if we could come back the next day and gave everyone free tickets and introductions to the man. He was most gracious and accommodating for pics and autographs.

[Dave Cutchins]

For those who have never heard it, there is an old album ( and now available as a CD) called "Sounds of Sanford" that is simply the sounds of all the cars at a big meet back there in 1962. Now a collectors item, but can occasionally still be found on Ebay.

I'll be damned - someone made it available to listen to or record:

The first thing you hear is the Green Monster making a run:

http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/PY/Sounds_...ford-Side1.mp3

http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/PY/sounds_...ford_side2.mp3

Back in the mid-sixties I had a 6 cylinder Mustang coupe with an eight track tape player the size of a bread box. I had a tape that was very similar without the commentary or crowd noise, It was called "Big Sounds of the Drags".
On one occasion while stopped for a traffic light, a '55 Chevy pulled up along side gunning his engine as if to challenge me to a race. I rolled down the windows and cranked up that tape player as loud as it would go. T

he Chevy revved up it's engine and burned rubber as t

he light turned green and I slowly and leisurely pulled away. Apparently, he had not noticed the unmarked police car behind him.