Bid Daddy Don Garlits

[bigun]

Ok so how did he get the nickname Big Daddy?

And I am a little jelly as well. Big Daddy is a legend for sure..

I can't remember where the Big Daddy came from, but Swamp Rat was a name given to him by the west coast racers who said he was a fake when some of his times were published because they hadn't been done on west coast tracks, so he loaded up the car the wife and the kids and went to the west coast and kicked their butts

 

[Wades_76_cj7]

Looks like he got the nickname from dominating the sport in the 60s?

He May Be 53, but Don Garlits Is Big Daddy of Nation's Drag Strips

Big Daddy Don Garlits, at age 53, is enjoying the most fabulous segment of his drag racing career.

www.latimes.com

“Big Daddy,” who acquired his nickname because he was the biggest name in drag racing during the 1960s, confesses he is surprised at his current success.

 

[bigun]

Looks like he got the nickname from dominating the sport in the 60s?

He May Be 53, but Don Garlits Is Big Daddy of Nation's Drag Strips

Big Daddy Don Garlits, at age 53, is enjoying the most fabulous segment of his drag racing career.

www.latimes.com

“Big Daddy,” who acquired his nickname because he was the biggest name in drag racing during the 1960s, confesses he is surprised at his current success.

He was always an innovator He added a larger lower chasis leg so he could run a larger fuel line back to the engine

 

[giles45shop]

As he told it to us: He was at a race and everyone was kidding around and calling him "Daddy" because he had his daughters with him at the track. Connie Kallita was at the race with a new car and asked Don to drive it since it had a strange vibration and they were trying to troubleshoot the problem, so Connie wanted to be able to observe the run. Don made the pass and set a record time. The track announcer said something like "I guess now we'll have to call him "Big Daddy", and thought how it all started. The pic in my original post is Connie's dragster that Don drove that day.

 

[Rttoys]

So he’s getting into the electric game?

 

[Leadfoot21]

I might swing by the museum next week I’ll be in the area

 

[Texas97]

So he’s getting into the electric game?

Why not just life sized slot cars? What's the difference?

 

[Rugby]

So he’s getting into the electric game?

He's been in the electric game for 5+ years now. He was trying to be the first electric dragster to break 200mph

 

[giles45shop]

He's been in the electric game for 5+ years now. He was trying to be the first electric dragster to break 200mph

Yep, we got to see them working on this car at the garage behind the museum when we visited late last year. He was putting in a new electric motor that was supposed to have a lot more power so that he could retake the current record of 201 mph, which beat his old record of 189 mph/7.235 sec. He was definitely focused/driven to regain that crown.

 

[LeadfootCJ7]

He's a cool guy. I got to watch him race some in the early 90's at Texas Motorplex. I got to meet him once and chat briefly. He was really nice to all of the fans even though he was busy with a race weekend. During the years I would go to the Motorplex was when he started having detached retina problems. I hated that since he seemed like a genuinely nice person. I need to add his place as one to visit if I make it to the area.

 

[jhama78]

That museum is worth every cent. Should be on every gearheads bucket list regardless of what you are into.

 

[plym49.2]

Him and Jim Hall. My heroes growing up.

 

[bigun]