Hes meant so much to the sport, to hot rodding in general, and to generations of fans and fellow racers. Weve expanded our operations pretty significantly, she said. February 9, 2023 The RacingJunk Editors Drag Racing, News, press releases, Racing 1. Ms. Head was Don's savior on Earth that day- things might have gone terribly wrong had HE not seen to it that she was right there on hand to get him immediate medical attention. Progress always comes painfully slow, but then when you look back over a larger period of time, youre like, Oh hey, weve done a hell of a lot. . 17, 2021:Don Garlits' amazing win at the 1967 Nationals, so well remembered for his post-race starting-line beard shave, might not have been possible without Bob Taaffe, who helped "Big Daddy" build a new car in just 72 hours. Word is that he'll be back in a few weeks to try . He also maintains his contact with racing by doing commentary on ESPN and Speed Vision at racing events and performance expositions. Schedules, start times and how to watch the 2023 IndyCar season opener, from preseason testing at The Thermal Club, organizational hierarchy was restructured, Its crowded at the top with Ganassi and Penske drivers, Rossis signing was followed by the arrival, was announced as a finalist for Indys Best and Brightest,. I think Gavin kind of feeds off that and has a similar style as well.. Patricia was born March 27th, 1934 in Covington, Kentucky, to Richard and Vivian Bieger. Garlits will discuss each [] Huff, 55, has been battling a rare form of kidney cancer and told Pope, Statistically its not promising, but those statistics are on people who are 70 years old. We'll give you credit for the submission (of course) and what is cooler than showing all your gang that you have a story on Bang Shift? Obviously, were very happy with what weve managed to pull together in recruiting talented people at a time where its a scrap for talent out there. We may earn money from the links on this page. So we just are thinking strategically on how can we find candidates with transferable skills outside our industry if we can. 14 January 1932 in Tampa, Florida), legendary drag racer who won the American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) Championship fourteen times and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Championship three times, and is also known for his work to make drag racing a safer sport.Garlits's father, Edward Garlits, was a Westinghouse engineer in the 1920s. Your email address will not be published. Video: A Solemn Don Garlits Remembers His Amazing Wife Pat, Remembering Atomic Al: Steve Evans Interviews Al Hofmann Back in 1998. During his career, he received several prestigious awards; in 1989 he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, in 1997 he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and in 2004 he became a part of the Automotive Hall of Fame. 2: Cracked oil filter base and also a house in the middle of the suspension system (not sure what the part is called) 3: Oil pan has a hole in it. Don suffered a minor stroke shortly after being told his wife will never come home from the hospital. Just three years later, Don became a professional drag racer, and since then has been an integral part of the drag racing scene for six decades. Though casting a wide recruitment net dovetails with McLarens progressive outlook, Ward said its also by necessity because for sure, the whole paddock has been in a fight to get the best people.. 128 Don Garlits Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images All Entertainment Archival Browse 128 don garlits stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The group of people that are in charge (of) who joins the team, I think they know exactly what we need, and I trust theyre going to make the right decisions. Rail jobs with the engine behind the driver were as old as drag racing, more or less. [9] Rear engine dragsters have since become mainstream in drag racing. 1 staffing priority wasnt hiring. Drag Racing icon Big Daddy Don Garlits joins Joe Castello for a preview of the upcoming International Drag Racing Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Gainesville, Florida, prior to the NHRA Gatornationals. And its especially true during a season with the kind of expansion that Arrow McLaren has undertaken for the 2023 season. The head count was up to 94 by mid-February and is expected to be at least 100 by the end of March. For many years, Ed Garlits was competitive on the track and cemented his name in the NHRA Southern Division Hall of Fame, International . In 2019 at age 87, he set a new quarter-mile EV record of 189.03mph with Swamp Rat 38, a 1,500-pound dragster with a 800hp electric motor. She supported my racing. All the world was a colorful Circus when Bob Gerdes painted race cars, Top Fuel dynasties: Torrence, Schumacher, Dixon, Garlits, Amato, Shirley, Beck, Some top-shelf books that every drag racing history fan should check out, Yeah, but what if? (Well, only for a little bit, maybe.) Kate Gundlach, a performance engineer at Arrow McLaren, was leafing through a sports car magazine a couple years ago when she stumbled upon a story about Grace Hackenberg, an Oregon-based racing engineer. 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. A forum community dedicated to hot rod owners and enthusiasts. Don won the race and then decided that he would leave the little car on fuel for the first time since 1956. . Nearly 50 percent of the team is comprised of engineering, commercial and finance positions with skillsets that transcend racing. A look at seven decades of wild, wheelstanding crowdpleasers, Altered States, Part 2: Breakage, tears, and fears, but ultimately a success story, Altered States: Fear and loathing (and a lot of thrills) on the quarter-mile, Ed 'the Outlaw' Jones: Living life on two wheels for more than 45 years, You never know with nitro: A look back at seven great Funny Car upset wins, Everyone loves an underdog: Here's a list of five great Top Fuel upsets, 30 years ago: The 1992 NHRA season was a year full of historic firsts, Female Pro Stock pioneer Shay Nichols: A life well lived (and then some), Magnificent Seven: A history of female racers in NHRA Pro Stock competition, On the Gas: The drag racing life and times of Danny Ongais, By The Numbers: Pro Stock readies for 900th event 'birthday' in Pomona, That was then, this is now: A look back at the NHRA season 50 years ago, 'I was there:' Garlits debuts Swamp Rat 14, Pat Garlits: The Great Woman behind The Man, Front to back: The rear-engine transition, Part 2, The Clapshaw Effect: How Don Garlits finally made his first 300-mph pass, Swamp Rat 14 rides again; the history of one of Top Fuel's most important cars, Don Garlits, Bob Taaffe, and the 72-hour car build that led to drag racing lore. 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-. The video was made by the ESPN crew and Gary Gerould serves as the voice on the footage. Its a big focus to get the McLaren brand out in the world and do good content, which I think were probably the leading team in that sense now. Ive interviewed a lot and I mean, a lot of racers and heroes of yesteryear, and theres no one with the kind of memory that Garlits has. Garlits operates the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing on the grounds of his home in Ocala, Florida. 2, 2021:Steve Torrence won the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in a Don Garlits tribute car modeled after Garlits' famed Swamp Rat 14, one of the most important cars in Top Fuel history. I put my mouth out there in front of me like usual and let my ass follow, but thats what inspired me.. That is what it is all about! He was sometimes referred to as the Floridian, before permanently adopting the nickname "Swamp Rat," which also became the name for each new generation of his innovative dragster designs. Prayers and and well wishes for both of them. During their sixty-plus years of marriage, Pat remained by her husband's side, traveling . 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. The rodding magazines considered the disadvantages of the new dragster design "obvious," and, indeed, Garlits lost in his first outing with the new car, to Gary Cochran at Lions Drag Strip. That is still here fueling this and educating all the new people coming in to continue that mentality. With this car, Don won the first race he ever drove in, at Lake City, Florida. She was at dads side through every win, loss, crash, you name it, she was there.. People are hungry and people feel like were out here to do damage.. Thats definitely not a rumor, said OWard, who is entering his fourth season of driving McLarens No. He was age 54 when he won the last. There is a reason that Don has kept a lower profile over the last couple of years than we have been used to seeing him have and that was because he was the chief caretaker for Pat who was progressively getting more ill and was unable to care for herself as Don knew she deserved. and an even better person. All we can do is look across what corporations and companies are doing when people tell us we could do better in one space or another, she said. No ones ever going to say weve got everything figured out. All 450 of us walked in every Friday morning and put a . We promise not to use your email address for anything but exclusive updates from the Power Automedia Network. Authorities say a man driving a U-Haul truck struck and injured several pedestrians in New York City before police were able to pin the careening vehicle against a building following a mileslong. Three years later, he became a professional drag racer. Racing director Gavin Ward, who oversees day-to-day operations as the direct report to McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, started last July after working as head engineer for Josef Newgarden at Team Penske. 100 Kool Karz from the Mooneyes New Year's Party. In true Garlits style, during the press conference submission and placement ceremony, the dragster was fired up on the Smithsonian "porch. "We were married 61 years," Garlits said. After exhausting the limits of internal combustion, hes tried turbine power and electric power. Mar 20, 2014Brian Lohnes1320 Spotlight, 1320 Videos, BangShift 132011. "Don Garlits suffered a mild stroke on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Garlits family confirmed. Apart from his successful career as a racer, Don is also recognized as a politician; back in 1994 he was the Republican nominee for Florida`s 5th Congressional District, however, his campaign was unsuccessful, as he lost to Karen Thurman of the Democratic Party. Don Garlits Before Fame [ ] Don Garlits was born in 1-14-1932. Pat was running the gift shop. If Don Garlits were a landscaper, hed have been the best landscaper that there was, same as for any occupation, it is just his nature. Heck, he could probably tell you how many nuts and bolts it took to build Swamp Rat I. Hes not just an icon of our sport, but very probably THE icon, and I say that with tremendous love and respect for people like Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, and John Force. RIP Pat, your missed by more than just your family. For more on the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida, visit Garlits.com. Garlits original EV project was a collaboration among creator-designer Gerry, chassis builder Hadman, Lawless Industries, and LiPo battery supplier High Tech Systems (which later helped Huff). Date of Birth: Sep 24, 1977 (45 years old) Place of Birth: Venice. 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. [15] He has since had second thoughts. With the explosive growth and importance of computer-based simulation in racing, theres as much emphasis on software engineering now as there once was on traditional mechanics. Garlits, for decades a trailblazer in drag-racing design, set out about 10 years ago to become the first to blast a battery-powered dragster down the quarter-mile at 200 mph. Garlits was an early promoter of the full-body, fire-resistant Nomex driving suit, complete with socks, gloves, and balaclava. More a legend now, indeed. (A similar design was built that same year by Mickey Thompson.) "My dear wife of nearly 61 years left this world and went over to the other side," Don told us. Were not shy to hire a visa candidate who might require extra effort to obtain work permits. The driver was placed in front of nearly all the mechanical components, thus protecting him and allowing him to activate a variety of safety equipment in the event of catastrophic mechanical failure or a fire. This two museums brings you back to the "Good Old Days of Racing" and houses almost 300 cars between both buildings. 17, 2009:Tommy Ivo and Don Garlits talk fire burnouts; huge fire burnout photo gallery! Lets admit it: Theres never been another drag racer quite like Don Garlits, and theres probably never going to ever be anyone like Big Daddy. Heck, theres probably no one else in the world exactly like Donald Glenn Garlits, who turns 90 years young today. Whatever floats your boat, happy trails. And I found her in a magazine and just reached out to her.. Don's old house and shop where he built many of his cars and customer cars is on the market. We all hope and pray for the best for you and Pat. His career has been active since the mid- 1950s. I met Don and Pat years ago at the AHRA world finals in Spokane, great people. Taylor, Thom. http://www.allmusic.com/song/don-garlits-mt0016254629. I took one look. Its more about were happy and want people to know, and word spreads that this is a place thats trying to be good to its people and gunning for the very top. I don't have any hood flutter in my . Don Garlits, now 82, met the former Patricia Louise Bieger in 1952 at a lake near Tampa, according to the Daily Commercial. 20-14 "Drag Racing History". Hes happy to be here; were happy to have him.. My dear wife of nearly 61 years left this world this afternoon, Don Garlits wrote in an email to the Daily Commercial on Sunday. Considered the father of drag racing, he is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. 27, 2015:Garlits debuts Swamp Rat 14 in Pomona; memories from Woody Gilmore, Don Long, Don Moody, and Wes Cerny. Hes a great personality to the team. Beside that, he is also known for being politically active. A memorial service will be held Saturday afternoon at Grace Presbyterian Church in Ocala. Ultimately, Huff loosely speaking, a younger, less-swashbuckling, more nonchalant, but equally obsessive version of Garlits beat him to it. Patricia was born March 27th, 1934 in Covington, Kentucky, to Richard and Vivian Bieger. "[13], In 1987, Garlits suffered a blowover at an ADRA event in Spokane, Washington. Otherwise, he might have started that match-race challenge with Huff right there. With sponsorship dollars generally on the rise in IndyCar, and manufacturer money pouring into rival series such as IMSA and F1, it likely never has been harder for hiring across U.S. motorsports. Pat Garlits, the wife of drag racing legend "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, lost her long battle with Alzheimer's disease today, according to the NHRA via their Twitter page. A great American Legend and a great drag racer ! So its been a challenge, but Im really happy with how we managed to hit it in a short period of time. He is already on the road to recovery and back at work. What launched Garlits intrigue was the project he worked on with Las Vegas design genius Mike Gerry in 2011helping popular former Top Fuel driver Darrell Gwynn experience running down the racetrack again. Chopped and Sectioned 1948 Chevy Truck owned since I was 15 in 1974. Don is one of the greatest most down to earth guys you would ever want to meet, and our thoughts and prayers are with them both. I think weve got a very good tribe of people here, and part of that includes just diversity of humans in general, Gundlach said. I feel like its been so hard to find people in all departments. In the wake of Clapshaw's passing Dec. 15, it's a story worth retelling. "She has been suffering a lot these last few days, and it was a blessing to see God take her into His care. I think the general direction of the team, just kind of goals and ambitions, you can feel that everyones targeting something different than they did two years ago. And he was on the team that invented the electric iron and the electric fan. He is truly a good and honorable man. It was a moment that drew genuine emotion from everyone who was there to witness it because it was honest and real and it was honoring one of the greatest women who ever had anything to do with the sport of drag racing. Susan Wade has lived in the Seattle area for 40 years, but motorsports is in the Indianapolis natives DNA. He doesnt just remember cars or runs or wins like some people can, but he remembers specific mechanical details. Weve really tried to stretch ourselves to find the best and the brightest no matter where they live, Scott said. The museums named after Don "Big Daddy" Garlits is synonymous with Drag Racing back to the 1950s. I am going and sitting with him almost every day as does my sister and brother. Just the camaraderie. Because its so easy to get sucked into a more corporate environment. I have long maintained the non-controversial view that Garlits is the best drag racer in history and wont ever be moved from that perch but his wife Pat had as much to do with that as he did wheeling the car. Way back in 1953, they played what they called "paycheck poker" at the American Can, where I worked that winter. Over 30,000 people attended the event, the largest attendance at a drag race at that point. 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GARLITS, Don(ald) (b. The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing has announced its newest inductees for its 2023 Hall of Fame and boy is it a list! INNOVATIVE thinking and quality have followed that first meeting between Don Garlits and Alan Shadwick at Pomona, California in 1987. The couple would have celebrated their 61st anniversary on Feb. 20. By Martha Maglone: Last month, February 2015, Don Garlits (83) popped the question to photographer Lisa Crigar, whom he met during a magazine interview in 2014. 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. Ill make this statement. I dont know how hes in so many places at once, seemingly. The drag-racing legend said he finished Swamp Rat 38 just before the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series came to town and didnt have a chance for the NHRA to certify it. The Garlits brothers were a fearsome force in the drag racing world. Honestly, this team comes from humble beginnings in the IndyCar world. [2], Garlits returned to Pomona in 1971 with Swamp Rat XIV, a brand new mid-engined, front-cockpit rail, also dubbed the "Swamp Rat I-R" by Hot Rod in the article introducing it to their readers. Women comprise nearly 20 percent of its staff with many in the engineering department. In 1964, after winning the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Garlits traveled to England, with TV Tommy Ivo, Tony Nancy, Dante Duce and other racers, to participate in the first International Drag Festival, a six-event series that did much to promote the sport of drag racing in the UK. We come back between most races. All of that is pretty much not relevant because the true beauty in this piece comes in the form of the words Garlits uses to describe his wife of many decades along with her love and support. I work really well in it, and Im excited to bring her in and experience that. He holds the world record for electric dragsters at 185.6 mph at 7.25 seconds. 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. Gundlach, who recently was announced as a finalist for Indys Best and Brightest, previously worked cars that won two championships with Scott Dixon at Ganassi. 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. Weve had more people come to us than weve reached out to other people. The role of Pat Garlits in the career of her husband can never fully be appreciated. She loved her man with all her heart, body and soul and never thought of anyone else but him, Donna Garlits wrote in a letter. Truly inspiring. He earned the money being a professional Race Car Driver. On October 20, 1987, his dragster Swamp Rat XXX, the sport's only successful streamlined fueler,[citation needed] was enshrined in National Museum of American History, a branch of The Smithsonian museum in Washington, DC. He built his first drag race car using a modified 1927 Ford Model. Donald Glenn Garlits, better known by his nickname Big Daddy, was born on the 14th January 1932, in Tampa, Florida USA, and is probably best known for being not only an automotive engineer, but also a race car driver regarded by some as the father of drag racing who won 17 World Championships. It's a bright morning at Gainesville . She made him wear the leather jacket that saved his life. Theres one person coming in every other day, and it just becomes normality, the Swede said. She and Don shared a colorful history of building the sport from its humble roots to the nationwide pastime that it is today, dating back to 1952 when the couple first met at Lake Magdalene near Tampa. Don Garlits, Bob Taaffe, and the 72-hour car build that led to drag racing lore Dec. 17, 2021: Don Garlits' amazing win at the 1967 Nationals, so well remembered for his post-race. I visited Dons museum on a Sunday one week after Pat passed away. She was the girl of my dreams, he said. In 1959, Garlits traveled to Bakersfield, California for the US Fuel and Gas Championships, later to be named the "March Meet", to show that the times he was setting were as legitimate as those set by the west coast racers. In 2023, His Personal Year Number is 4. Don Garlits, now 82, met the former Patricia Louise Bieger in 1952 at a lake near Tampa, according to the Daily Commercial. Unless I die prematurely, I will be vindicated.") That helps winnow down the applicant pool for hiring by an executive team that includes Ward, competition director Billy Vincent, operations director Max Neyron, performance director Nick Snyder, marketing vice president Mo Murray and general manager Brian Barnhart (Murray and Barnhardt also have joined within the last few months). Behind every great man. By Andrew Wolf February 02, 2014. The man is more a legend in our eyes now than hes ever been. When you want to build a high-powered racing team, software is really, really important, Ward said. Its pretty amazing to me with how involved he is with every aspect of the IndyCar organization, the F1 organization. For our money, Don Garlits--chassis builder, engine builder, tuner, and driver extraordinaire--remains the greatest drag racer of all time. This is certainly an exciting company to work for because the brand is quite well known globally, and that certainly helps from a recruitment perspective. 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 spend eternity with Jesus Christ, this afternoon; February 2nd, at 5:53 PM. As I have posted roles throughout this last year, Ive found a large number of youths all around the world thats interested in getting into motorsports. 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. When the NHRANational Dragster staff compiled a list of interviews for an issue we called "Most Intriguing People," Garlits was naturally on our list. But when you look back, I think obviously marketing and that kind of stuff is becoming pretty huge in our team. Phil Burgess can be reached at[emailprotected], Hundreds of more articles like this can be found in theDRAGSTER INSIDER COLUMN ARCHIVE, Or try theRandom Dragster Insider story generator. Only show this user. I think its a more family friendly way to go racing. Sadly, we have been informed that Ed Garlits, younger brother of "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, has passed away after a long fight with an illness. Omfg, thanks very much for posting this! Garlits was the first drag racer to officially surpass the 170, 180, 200,[citation needed] 240, 250, and 270 mile-per-hour marks in the quarter mile; he was also the first to top 200mph (320km/h) in the .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}18mi (0.20km). Honestly, there was already so much talent in the group, and I feel like so much more has been added on which is just going to help us to really get us where we want to be.. The cars were later auctioned at Barrett-Jackson for another charitable quarter-million dollars, Garlits said. Your Garlits stories and photosMarch 29, 2011:Just like the headline says Remembering Tommy "T.C." Since arriving in the fall of 2019 at the former Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, she said she has watched Arrow McLaren grow while maintaining its gritty origins. Don Garlits, now 91, has earned lofty . He's also as candid and controversial as ever. Swamp Rat Spotter's Guide, Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3March 18-275, 2011:The cars of Don Garlits, fromSwamp Rat I-A (1956-60) toSwamp Rat 34 (1993-94, 2002-03). Patricia Louise Garlits, aged 79, was widely regarded as the First Lady of the drag racing world. A semi-serious look at the points battles heading to Pomona, T.V. 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And quality have followed that first meeting between Don Garlits Museum of drag racing the!: a Solemn Don Garlits talk fire burnouts ; huge fire burnout gallery! Software is really, really important, Ward said young today i &... Car driver links on this page weve expanded our operations pretty significantly, she said no matter where they,... Happy with how we managed to hit it in a short period of time Glenn Garlits, now 91 has. To recovery and back at work the don garlits new wife of his home in Ocala, Florida, visit.! Man is more a Legend in our team and sitting with him almost every as... Of Fame and boy is it a list Amazing to me with involved... In a short period of time socks, gloves, and balaclava are curious IndyCar. Him almost every day as does my sister and brother great drag!! 1987, Garlits said Steve Evans Interviews Al Hofmann back in 1998 prematurely, i will vindicated. 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