T.C. Garlits operates the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing on the grounds of his home in Ocala, Florida. Shirley, the Snake, the Mongoose and Force are all here along with Don's garage and Smokey Yunick's replica shop. That made it easy when Don, T.C. On a recent Florida road trip, we, once again, drove by the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing. Garlits was unhurt, the car only was surprisingly mildly bent. Make sure you budget at least 3 hours of time otherwise you'l regret having to rush out as we did. Garlits suffered two broken ribs and injured his back and didnt drive a fuel dragster again until 1992. Then Garlits old pal and partner, Art Malone, came calling with the offer of new parts for a run at another U.S. Nationals title, a race that Garlits had not won since 1978. When the car hooked, it headed back uptrack a few hundred feet before Garlits cut the power. Garlits won the round and decided to stay in the car and ended up winning the Low 32 eliminations for the right to face Saturdays winner, which was, of course, Garlits. The museums named after Don Big Daddy Garlits is synonymous with Drag Racing back to Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Pomona, CA 90062 909-622-2133. From their website under contact us: If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The museum is full of race and street cars adding to its appeal. A must see if you like drag racing or even just a car enthusiast. 4 qualifier James Warren, who also advised him on a good clutch setup for the tires. The 2023 Mopars with Big Daddy. The iconic cars of Dean Moon, the Mooneyes gas dragsterand the Moonbeam sports car are on display. Not one to be embarrassed by misfortune, in this display Garlits readily addresses the highly publicized transmission failure at Lions that severed part of his right foot, and could have ended his life. The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing has released the names of the individuals to be inducted into the museums International Drag Racing Hall of Fame on March 10. Donald Glenn Garlits, also known as Big Daddy, was the hands-down No. After years of passing the Don Garlits museum on I75, we finally planned a trip. Don Garlits Yes you may take photos at the Museumwe are also pet friendly as long as your pet is on a leash. He did this by educating and telling great stories about the sport. Incredibly, that car, too, went over backwards, this time at the finish line at an AHRA event in Spokane, Wash., on Aug. 21. And if you have AAA it's a 10% Discount off of a REGULAR priced admission. Light Em Up: Drag Racing, the HOT ROD Power Tour Way, What Is a Vista Cruiser? Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Tickets ($110) and Tables ($1,100) are available for purchase by calling the museum. My husband is a big drag racing enthusiast. Garlits qualified 10th in the 32-car Winternationals field with a 6.84 and then mowed his way to victory with times in the low 6.70s. With construction of a 24,000-square-foot main building completed in March 1983, Don set about transporting the many cars, displays, and parts from Seffner to the new Ocala location. Florida The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing is located at 13700 SW 16th Ave, Ocala, Florida, just off Interstate 75. Dont miss it. 1 with a 6.23, well ahead of Clayton Harris in Jack McKays national record-holding New Dimension fueler (6.31) and Tom the Mongoose McEwen (6.32). The 2023 raffle proceeds will go to MCSOF which raises funds necessary to help operate the volunteer and outreach programs. 13700 SW 16th Avenue This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Attebury cars were known for being notoriously safe and he was known for his great attention to detail when building cars. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing announces 2023 Hall of Fame inductees. This led to Linda becoming the CFO of not only the IHRA, but the Bristol Dragway and Bristol NASCAR track as well. 4 driver on the ANDRA Top 10 drivers list. Visit the website of Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, FL to view our monuments to the history of drag racing. He raced his last car, a Gas Modified roadster in Bonneville in 2012. Easy parking and a great gift shop with autographed memorabilia, too. The bug had bitten, and she dedicated herself to quarter-mile competition. It was also the car that Garlits drove during the 1964 NHRA tour of England in late 1964. Messner, born in Los Angeles on, Aug. 1, 1941, as Herman R. Messner, would soon go by the nickname, Sonny. At the age of 15, he began his career in automobiles, working for Jr. Thompson, building racecars. In 1987, he took it and the reputation of the sport to Washington, D.C., for the cars installation at the Smithsonian Institution. Through it all, Don's had a sentimental side. This Florida museumrelated article is a stub. Bob Sullivan's Pandemonium III dragster ran on fuel (nitro) from 1957-61 even though Wally Parks (NHRA honcho) banned the stuff. The run itself was not bettered for more than five years, until Jeb Allen ran 5.61 at the 1981 Gatornationals, but he was not able to back it up for the national record. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing announces 2023 Hall of Fame inductees. I said, 'You would sell the Silver Bullet, the car that beat me 26 straight times?' Garlits qualified 10th in the 32-car Winternationals field with a 6.84 and then mowed his way to victory with times in the low 6.70s. The record, however, would not be bettered for more than six years and nine months from Oct. 11, 1975, until July 17, 1982 when Mark Oswald broke it with a backed-up 5.62 at the Summernationals. Some 90 racing cars can be seen in the Drag Race building, while a In the meantime, Sonny would have the car as if it were his very own. He personally recreated the famed Jr. Thompson A/Gas, 1940 Studebaker sedan in 1960 for Thompson, and it was correct in every detail. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals photo gallery | NHRA Learn more. Since Dodge division was sponsoring Don at the time, pressure was exerted to ditch the "obsolete" 392 Chrysler FirePower Hemi. This un-restored '32 Ford cabriolet (sans top) was built by Houston Eggleston Jr. of Texas who retired it from drag race duty in 1954. Met Don and got a photo of him in front of his museum with us. All of a sudden, he was building cars for the likes of Gary Beck, James Warren, Roger Coburn, and Dennis Baca. The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing and International Drag Racing Hall of Fame is open every day from 9am-5pm. Drag Racing Museum This is a replica of Garlits' first dragster from 1954. Garlits is not just the greatest drag racing legend, he is also a great story teller. 2023 will be the 36th year of Mopars with Big Daddy. NHRA pioneer Paula Murphy honored by Women in Motorsports North America, Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing announces 2023 Hall of Fame inductees. We also lost out on a replica of Tommy Ivo's four engine dragster. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ted and Linda in all would own four drag strips, including one they build from the ground up in Van Wert Ohio. Opened in 1984,it chronicles the history of the sport of drag racing. The fee charged for the autograph goes back into the museum for the maintenance and preservation of the museum and the sport of drag racing. We have just fewer than 300 cars between 2 buildings. He hadnt even run in the sixes as many of his peers had when he came to the U.S. Nationals that year with a new car, Swamp Rat XI, and vowed not to shave until hed run in the sixes. [Insider:The Clapshaw Effect: How Don Garlits finally made his first 300-mph pass]. Of all the races that Don Garlits won over the years, none were as impressive as his two-day total domination of the fabled Bakersfield March Meet, also known as the U.S. Fuel and Gas Championships, in 1965. Clapshaws dragster had previously gone as quick as 4.68 and had run well over 300 mph on numerous occasions, so the car was definitely there, and within days Matco Tools stepped in and provided additional funding. He had failed to qualify at both the Winternationals and Springnationals, struggling with a car that was too old and too heavy. I've got three Arduns that I'm putting together, one is going to be bone stockthe way it was originally designed for the '48 Ford truck (with tandem-mount one-barrel carbs), one is being built as a street version for installation in a '27 T roadster and the third is a full race version that'll be displayed in the museum under glass. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Our exhibit can be booked for private tours consisting of 1015 persons. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing It's packed with about 100 antique and classic cars because Don loves American motoring history as much as drag racing and "the local folks from the surrounding towns didn't seem to understand or appreciate the drag racing history on display. Tour on Drag Racing. It all happened aboard Swamp Rat XIII, shown here after restoration. [From the pages of National Dragster:Garlits takes first Gators crown]. Trucks Invade the 2023 HOT ROD Power TourMega Gallery! The greatest drag racing legend, Don Garlits, has created an amazing monument. The museum is well laid out and even my wife who likes cars but not really into frag racing liked it. It was so exciting to see all the racing history and the cars themselves. Hundreds of displays with amazing cars, engines, uniforms, even trophies, all with detailed stories, histories and explanations that will entertain anyone with a driver's license. On top of all he has done for Drag Racing, Sonny is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Contact The Summernationlas grew in popularity with the racers and fans due to the cooler springtime weather. Contact Heres Everything You Need to Know. 1 vote, finishing ahead of John Force by a wide margin. If you love cars and Motors this is a must. Don Garlits is a legend of drag racing and a highly talented race car driver. Don Garlits A semi-serious look at the points battles heading to Pomona, T.V. Don is always looking for artifacts and meaningful cars to restore at this facility. We are a museum celebrating the notable history of drag racing and the career of Don Garlits. ", Was it sheer luck or divine intervention? You can contact the museum for his email. Initially located in a 6,000-square-foot building on the Garlits family plot in Seffner, Floridawhich his mother and father hacked out of the woods in 1927the first museum was opened in the fall of 1976 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Drag racing at Raceway Park ceased in 2018 after 53 years of exciting professional and amateur drag racing. Plan a trip to this museum. The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing and International Drag Racing Hall of Fame is open daily from 9am-5pm, closed only for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Don likes to think it was a lot of both. Force was the first drag racer to earn Driver of the Year recognition for all American Motor Racing (1996); being voted No. Early Days of Drag Racing: 1950-1970 In 1995 he won the Australian Top Fuel championship. Don Garlits After losing part of his foot in a racing accident, Garlits innovated the rear-engine dragster design design. All of the drag racing cars and Don Garlits history was very interesting to him. By this time, the transition to rear-engine configurations was on, and the last NHRA national event victory by a front-engine Top Fueler came in the summer of 1972. Regardless, the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing stands as the ultimate tangible manifestation of Don's farsighted belief that last year's race car is worthy of rememberingand saving. Overwhelming ! Having been there for several years, I made the suggestion of checking it out. I went to Florida with a friend back in 1982 before this museum was officially opened to the public. Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum Of Drag Racing Like most young men in the 60s, Frey wanted to go drag racing. 96% of travelers recommend this experience. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing primary objective is to preserve the history of Drag Racing for our sport. A few years later, she switched to Top Fuel dragsters, where she not only drove the car but also worked on it. As I got to the south boundary I spotted a tiny For Sale sign under a tree. The original '58 Bobby Langley Scorpion II dragster was destroyed in a crash at Caddo Mills, TX, so the Garlits museum had Ross Fabricating of Dallas faithfully recreate this dragster in 2006. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing All logos and images are reserved. Bradleys 1976 NHRA Winternationals Top Fuel win kickstarted Atteburys car building and the demand for an Attebury car was on. Glass Bottom Kayak Guided Tour in Silver springs, 1-Hour "Sky High" Zip Line Adventure Tour with 3 Zip Line Flights Included, Clear Kayak Adventures through Silver Springs, Snorkel Or Dive The Amazing Rainbow River Florida, Treetop Express Zip Line Tour with 5 Zip Line Flights & 2 Sky Bridges Included, Manatee Wildlife Clear Kayak or Clear Paddleboard Adventure Tour. We will then build a state-of-the-art museum; a world class building to house the collection under one roof. Garlits qualified 10th in the 32-car Winternationals field with a 6.84 and then mowed his way to victory with times in the low 6.70s. Garlits operates the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing on the grounds of his home in Ocala, Florida. Force got his first victory at the age of 38 in 1987 at the Grandnational in Montreal with Austin Coil as his crew chief. Next to me was a good looking guy in a well worn Daddy Don tee shirt, a pair of jeans and a baseball cap. Even if you are nor a drag racing fan, you will be in jaw-dropping awe when you pass through the door. She got her nickname Bunny from working briefly as a hostess in a Baltimore Playboy Club. The Museum of Drag Racings primary objective is to preserve the history of Drag Racing for our sport and future generations and to present this history to Drag Racing enthusiasts and the general public in an accurate and informative format. Pomona, CA 90062 909-622-2133. College Students $15.00 Garlits qualified 10th in the 32-car Winternationals field with a 6.84 and then mowed his way to victory with times in the low 6.70s. By 1976 he'd been running circles around his Top Fuel opponents for 20 years and building a reputation as the racer's racer. Garlits backed up his 5.63 run with a 5.65 to make it an official NHRA national record, which was mind-boggling because it was more than a tenth and a half quicker than his own NHRA Top Fuel record of 5.784 seconds, set two years earlier at the same event. There is one in a museum in Italy. Season 1 Episode 4: Welcome to Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, join Neida as she give you a full walking tour of the main drag cars, funny cars and engines rooms. 100% of travelers recommend this experience. Events [Read more:Garlits 1986 interview with National Dragster]. The Museum of Drag Racings primary objective is to preserve the history of Drag Racing for our sport and future generations and to present this history to Drag Racing enthusiasts and the general public in an accurate and informative format. This Shirley turned out to be a real estate agent by the name of Shirley Spires and as Don says, "This will blow your mind, on the bottom of the property map was a note from the seller that read; '$80,000, cash only'exactly all I had to spend! The original was completely stripped of parts for use on Swamp Rat I in 1956, then unceremoniously junked. 13700 SW 16th Ave, Ocala, FL, United States. Events In the early 2000s, Attebury was bitten by the driving bug again. 582-Inch Big-Block Chevy Puts Down 1,460 HP at 7,400 RPM. She began her career in the mid-1960s and from the start she was a huge fan attraction. The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing is located at 13700 SW 16th Ave, Ocala, Florida, just off Interstate 75. He also started John Force Racing, which is not just a racing team but also a machine shop for parts, fabrications and paint shop, chassis shop, decal shop, and a museum housing historic racecars. Don's Garage: 5,000 square foot workshop dedicated to restoring race cars and Don's future projects such as several Flathead engines one for his '42 Ford. Group Admission 2023 Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing. But the owner wanted a big down payment, which Ted did not have. While in Top Fuel she won four national events and set a speed record in 1996 that stood for several years. Garlits won his first organized drag race in 1955. It was like walking through a NHRA time warp of history from the beginning to the present amazing cars and so fun being able to see the transformation of drag racing technology. This led to Cowin moving into nitro Funny Car and Top Fuel racing in Australia and the U.S. Finally, Don and his wife, Pat, noticed a perfect plot of land in Ocala adjoining I-75. I said; 'Mr. Note how the end exhaust ports short circuit the factory routing for better flow. Lemons helped with loading and Don had a small crew in Ocala to assist with unloading. Don Garlits 1986 championship was not without challenges as Big Daddy wrecked Swamp Rat XXX in an over-backwards blowover wheelstand at the Summernationals that year. Assisted-living facilities $7 Her racing career path went from being a local racer to becoming a regular on national tours in the United States and Canada. Some 90 racing cars can be seen in the Drag Race building, while a further 50 vehicles are in the Antique Car building. With 934 cubes this one went 8.69 and 173.74 with Tommy Ivo, Ron Pelligrini, and Billy Herndon at the controls. He took a chance and applied for the job and got it. Inductees include Art Arfons, Sydney Allard, Zora Arkus-Duntov, Ray Godman, Raymond Beadle, Shirley Muldowney, Kenny Bernstein, Don Schumacher, and Connie Glen Swingle. The museums named after Don Big Daddy Garlits is synonymous with Drag Racing back to What Makes This 1949 Buick Sacramentos Best Custom of 2023? Don Garlits His excuse was he was making the tractor lighter so it would go faster. One of Florida's outstanding attractions, a MUST for any race fan. I walked from the north boundary to the south boundary and did the math and it came up to 16 acres. Inside Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing - Ocala, Florida "We're always looking for artifacts that are meaningful. Garlits went through many Swamp Rats over the years, but none captivated Messners interest as much as the Swamp Rat III that won the Riverside event in 1961. Every display has a detailed story and history. ", When asked about the antique car display, Don says, "My wife and I have a nice collection of early Ford Flathead cars. Events Typically based around 2,000hp war surplus Allison V-12 piston engines, the best known is Jim Lytle's '64 Big Al II (in background). [From the pages of National Dragster:Garlits' Indy comeback nets big win]. Literally everything I know about drag racing comes from the movie "Heart Like A Wheel" about Shirley Muldowney, Connie Colletta & Don Garlits. In 1973 he won the Bakersfield WCS, the WCS finals at Sears Point, and was named the Most Improved Pro Driver in Division 7. NHRA Motorsports Museum. These programs are not, We are open Monday - Sunday, 9am - 5pm.Closed Thanksgiving & Christmas. The car stood straight up, twirled a half-turn, and miraculously landed back on all fours in a cloud of smoke as its momentum carried the car almost to the finish line with the rear tires still churning forward. She began as a crew member for her fathers team by cleaning parts and working on the car. Your pet is invited to join the tour if they are on a leash or in a stroller. Shop our products. I said, "YOU are Daddy Don Garlits?" If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Over 85,000 fans jammed Raceway Park for that first NHRA Summernationals. Don Garlits The nice thing is how many of them take in the dragster collection after seeing the vintage cars and come away with a new appreciation for all of the cars they see. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing By that point in his 10-year Top Fuel career, Don Garlits had won virtually every NHRA national event on the schedule, except the one in his own backyard, which had debuted two years earlier. 2023 OCALA/MARION COUNTY VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU, 2023 OCALA/MARION COUNTY VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU. The museum has an autograph policy as a result of fans who choose to make a profit selling Dons autograph online or at swap meets. Garlits qualified third, then, to the roar of the crowd, blasted past Shannon Stuart, Howard Haight, and Larry Minor to meet up with longtime rival Connie Kalitta in the final. In the early 2000s, she moved into the Pro Mod series, where she continued to be competitive. The original Swamp Rat VIII was the first Garlits car to run a new 426 Hemi. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing 3.7K views 2 years ago. She went on to win her first NHRA world championship in that car. But when Garlits teammate, Marvin Schwartz, developed tuning problems, Garlits jumped into the cockpit for Sundays first round to diagnose the situation. I looked at him. 20-14 Drag Racing History. Adults $12 Below, we present 10 of Garlits most memorable racing moments. Always at the forefront of driver safety, in the wake of Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta nitromethane to methanol ratio. The inductees will be honored at the 33rd annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Banquet, to be held on Thursday, March 9, at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center in Gainesville, Fla. NHRA announcer Joe Castello will serve as the emcee. Opened in 1984,it chronicles the history of the sport of drag racing. Meticulous docs and detailed explanations and offcourse the machines themselves make this outstanding day trip. She also had two subsequent battles with cancer, but these misfortunes did not defeat her, and she continued racing until 2015. It was Daddy! Don Garlits is a legend of drag racing and a highly talented race car driver. Here's a look at 10 magical moments from the career of "Big Daddy.". See photo highlights from Beech Bend Raceway Park of the racing action, swap meet, and the legendary Don Garlits himself. Opened in 1984, it chronicles the history of the sport of drag racing. Spurred on by Muldowney recovering from her nasty Montreal wreck who implored him to Go up there and kick their butts,. Since then, Don says the museum averages between 60,000 and 65,000 visitors per year. Many observers agree that Tharp red-lit (and say they saw the red bulb) but shrapnel cut power to the timing equipment so Tharp was awarded the points, contingency bonuses, cash, and AHRA trophy. Inside Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing - Ocala, Florida I hope this helps! 1, Funny Car icon Bruce Larson: NHRA's original triple-threat Pro driver, Frank Mancuso: Some good trips and some bad ones for the 'Travel Agent' driver. Adults $20 Early Days of Drag Racing: 1950-1970 I rather like the format, which I will reprise later this year when I do the same for Don Prudhomme, who will be the grand marshal at the Bakersfield event, and may also incorporate this style in other Insider columns this season, picking top great moments from the careers of heroes like Shirley Mudlwoney, Raymond Beadle, Kenny Bernstein, Tom Mcewen, and others. The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing is located at 13700 SW 16th Ave, Ocala, Florida, just off Interstate 75. Pomona, CA 90062 909-622-2133. This could have been due to the fact that in Johns first 10 seasons in drag racing competition, he did not have any wins, only made nine final-round appearances, and was on fire quite a bit. I said"Really, or are you just teasing me?" The track caught the attention of NHRA, which held the Springnationals at Raceway Park in 1968. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing is open: Hotels near Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing: Restaurants near Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing: The Museum of Drag racing displays an extensive collection of drag racing cars and associated, Great museum to see the History of Drag Racing, NHRA, and The. He built and raced his first car at the age of 20. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sonny has lived his entire adult life dedicated to the sport of Drag Racing. Imagine with today's modern Flathead equipment what this dragster could turn in a quarter-mile. (Don't believe it for a minute, today at nearly 80 years young, Don has the wits, drive, and ambition of a man half his yearschat with him some time and you'll agree.) It wasn't open to the public; Don simply enjoyed giving an occasional guided tour to friends and fellow racers, all the while knowing he was preserving history in his own little way. But Don Garlits is different. Again, it was headed here but a wealthy collector got it. Initially constructed in 1956 with a Ford Flathead, Swamp Rat I was restored to its approximate 1959 configuration (pre-supercharger) by Garlits and partner T.C.