But Gerry launched the build that allowed Gwynn to drive a scale-model dragster equipped with a joystick-like device (which Garlits referred to as a wobblestick) for steering, one similar to what Gwynn uses to guide his wheelchair. Always at the forefront of driver safety, in the wake of Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta's fatal crash and numerous other engine explosions and resultant fires, occurring in the last 300 feet of the quarter mile, Garlits declared "I am 100 percent in favor of it", regarding NHRA's proposal to trim the race distance for Top Fuel and Funny Car from the traditional quarter-mile to 1,000 feet, also suggesting that he would support a ban on rev limiters and a return to a 70/30 nitromethane to methanol ratio. A forum community dedicated to hot rod owners and enthusiasts. She was 95. Sometimes its easy to forget that, but I think were doing a good job here. Staffing has been a top priority at Arrow McLaren for Ward, who says he initially was nave to how hard it is to recruit for talent right now in this sport. Since 1987 he has been in semi-retirement, racing occasionally, but most recently he has set another record, registering a 184 mph speed record in an EV dragster, which is a battery powered car. Truly inspiring. And he was on the team that invented the electric iron and the electric fan. I think weve got a very good tribe of people here, and part of that includes just diversity of humans in general, Gundlach said. 4: There doesn't seem to be any significant structural damage. She was the girl of my dreams," he said. Don had two sons with first wife, Dolores. 5 Autoweek Racing on TV: January 30-February 5. . May great stories and a few laughs. Don Garlits 2007. I feel like its been so hard to find people in all departments. February 9, 2023 The RacingJunk Editors Drag Racing, News, press releases, Racing 1. Feb 17, 2022. Gwynn made an inspiring pass in the car at Indianapolis, at the 2011 U.S. Nationals that was part of the NHRAs 60th anniversary celebration. So much Garlits, so much goodness. 21, 2014: Ivo, McCulloch, McEwen, Bernstein, Prudhomme, Garlits, and Muldowney share some Pomona memories, Front to back: The rear-engine transition, Part 2Feb. At 87 years old, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits is looking in the rearview mirror - not to reminisce, but at the drivers . Although the engineering marvel didn't pan out, it was still vintage Garlits to even try it. Over the past year, the team has received tens of thousands of resumes sometimes hundreds specifically for an open position while transforming its staff. When you invest in software, you invest in the efficiency of a lot of your people. We'll send you the most interesting Street Muscle articles, news, car features, and videos every week. Donald Glenn Garlits (born January 14, 1932, Tampa, Florida) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. Garlits has been working on electric dragsters for about four years now, and he's just as competitive now as he was back in his hey-day. Garlits, the man they call "Big Daddy," is the greatest drag racer in history. We. That car, made up of parts from a 1927 Ford Model "T" Roadster, a 1948. His career has been active since the mid- 1950s. His expansive Rolodex comes in handy but hasnt been key in expanding to a third car. We started from a team that had always been competitive and hungry to find the very last bit, and that is still the backbone here that came from the small, really hungry team. She was at dads side through every win, loss, crash, you name it, she was there.. That comes from a focus on the culture of the team. When I visited Bigs museum in Ocala last month, on a video screen in the corner, they were playing a memorial tribute video from Pats funeral and still had some of the flowers from the funeral a week prior. She died at the couples home in Ocala, Fla., near the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, following a lengthy battle with Parkinsons disease and dementia, the newspaper reported. When the NHRANational Dragster staff compiled a list of interviews for an issue we called "Most Intriguing People," Garlits was naturally on our list. [10], In 1977, Ed Donovan persuaded Garlits to switch from the 426 hemi he had been using for the last thirteen years to the Donovan 417cuin (6,830cc), offering (in Garlits' words) "an engine deal I couldnt refuse". At Age 90, 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits Still Plugged Into Electric Dragster NHRA legend came up just short in quest to be first to blast a battery-powered dragster down the quarter-mile at 200 mph.. They plan to marry 25 July 2015 at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida. More a legend now, indeed. Mar 20, 2014Brian Lohnes1320 Spotlight, 1320 Videos, BangShift 132011. The measure of a man is not how quickly he traverses a quarter mile but rather how hes able to set aside his own ambitions and wants to serve a loved one in their time of need. Donald Glenn Garlits is drag racing's truest outlier; his innovative spirit, mechanical expertise, character, talent and work ethic combined to make him the most transcendent figure the drag strip has ever known. For our money, Don Garlits--chassis builder, engine builder, tuner, and driver extraordinaire--remains the greatest drag racer of all time. It has been estimated from authoritative sources that the total size of Dons net worth is over $15 million, which has been accumulated largely through his successful career as a professional drag car racer. Category: Richest Athletes Race Car Drivers. "My dear wife of nearly 61 years left this world and went over to the other side," Don told us. Your Garlits stories and photosMarch 29, 2011:Just like the headline says Remembering Tommy "T.C." Your email address will not be published. This video highlights some of his greatest moments at this. 14, 2012:A Who's Who of drag racing roasts "Big Daddy" Don Garlits in Pomona for his 80th birthday, Top Fuel blowovers, Part 1May 11, 2012:Don Garlits, Jimmy King, Jack Martin, and Paul Logenecker, Pat Garlits: The Great Woman behind The ManAug. The cars were later auctioned at Barrett-Jackson for another charitable quarter-million dollars, Garlits said. After starting last season with 61 employees, the Arrow McLaren payroll mushroomed in the offseason. Prayers and and well wishes for both of them. I got the honor of interviewing him, and we covered everything from the origination of his nickname to his rivalry with Muldowney to his belief in UFOs and the grief he's taken from fellow racers for those beliefs. Don Garlits, far left, with his wife Patricia and the rest of the Don's Speed Shop crew at a 1958 race in Texas. Rosenqvist, driver of the No. He makes an effort to keep everyone up to date from top to bottom as to where things are, what the current objectives are and whats the future look like. Don Garlits, being from Florida, was something of an outsider. With passions that span clean and fast Corvettes all the way to down and dirty off-road vehicles (just ask him about his dream Jurassic Park Explorer), David's eclectic tastes lend well to his multiple automotive writing passions. 1: The CV axle came off after the lower control arm was bent and it hit a whole bunch of lower engine components (oil pan, oil filter base). Family affair: Grandfather a drag racing legend, his grandson the future of the sport MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- 25-year-old Rodney Garlits was born with a need for speed. "We were married 61 years," Garlits said. The version I heard was that Don's wife, Pat, has Alzheimer's and Dementia, and that he has been taking care of her for some time now-. You have to experience it to appreciate every day and every challenge. Copyright 2023 BangShift LLC. Don Garlits, Godfather of American Drag Racing 70 years behind the wheel of supercharged engines March 8, 1970- Don Garlits shown sitting between the tires the moment the engine of his dragster exploded, splitting the car in half and blowing off his right foot. I think we want people who want to be with the team, so its not so much about trying to headhunt people, he said. Im excited to see how it goes.. Just before midnight May 14, 2020, at Jim Hughes Tucson Dragway deep in the Arizona desert, Huff clocked a 201.07-mph history-making speed in his own Current Technology Dragster. JUPITER Father Time has nothing on the father of drag racing. The video was made by the ESPN crew and Gary Gerould serves as the voice on the footage. Though rivals such as Penske, Ganassi and Andretti Autosport hold pretty tight to their total rewards packages, Scott said Arrow McLaren annually surveys its employees about benefits. At age 90, Big Daddy Don Garlits has thrown down the gauntlet. The Arrow McLaren organizational hierarchy was restructured with last years departure of Taylor Kiel (who left to become team manager for Ganassi). Though staffing up still was very difficult, Rossi credited attracting talent to McLarens high-performance reputation (the company also is known for its sleek street cars). No ones ever going to say weve got everything figured out. Tommy Ivo and the five-second Top Fuel run that ignited a controversy, Wheelie neat! Thanks to Don and our prayers for Pat. This is very sad. 1 racer in NHRA history back in 2000, Force was second, and even though he had more wins, Force didnt argue with the call. Copyright 1996-2023, NHRA. Pat Garlits passed away from complications of Parkinson's disease in 2014. After a long and valiant battle with Alzheimer's disease, we are sad to report tonight that Pat Garlits, the wife of the greatest drag racer ever, Don Garlits has died. I saw Don and Pat at the SEMA show a few years ago, she was in a wheel chair but I didn't know the circumstances. Ocala - Patricia Louise Bieger Garlits, wife of Legendary Drag Racer, "Big Daddy" Don Garlits for nearly 61 years, left this world and went over to the other side to . He is a mentor of current NHRA Top Fuel racer and fellow Ocala, Florida resident, Josh Hart (racer). Both lovers had their eyes on each other in 2015 specifically, Val's Day. Estimated Net Worth in 2021. Whether its grabbing a badass mechanic out of World of Outlaws and introducing them to IndyCar. 2022 Hall of Fame inductees include Tim Richards, Scotty Cannon, Rick Stewart, Stu Bradbury, Jack Moss, and Jack Ewell. Instead, he built Swamp Rat 38 EV dragster (ditching the original 37 that Mike Gerry designed and chassis-builder Brad Hadman crafted for him) and is planning a series of match races against Huff and his own EV. But there are teams in this paddock that have been investing in software heavily for a decade, and now you want to play catch up in a year. 27, 2021:The most epic burndown in NHRA history happened in the Top Fuel final 50 years ago at the 1971 NHRA U.S. Nationals between Steve Carbone and "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. In an interview by Florida Trend, Garlits said this of the incident: "In 1970, the transmission exploded in my dragster on the final run, and it cut my foot off and cut the car in two. 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