"Big Daddy" Don Garlits breaks 270 mph barrier; 1986 Gatornationals

[KingCuda440]

I remember watching that race with my dad. That brought back a lot of good memories. Thanks for posting.

[yugrbugr]

Big Daddy?? How about Big Innovator. Man that guy was always years ahead of everyone.

[dozer3955]

R.I.P Herb. No doubt he was a great help to Big through-out his career.

[TwoEyeCyclops]

Same lane Kenny went over 300 in I think.....

[redracer1985]

@TwoEyeCyclops Bernstien ran the 300 in the lane Pastorini was in.

[JCSVINDUSTRIES]

hemi

[snaproll94e]

Thanks for the video, great memories of a race I was fortunate to be at. What you didn't see and those of us at the top end did get to see was the front end was skipping down the track. The wheels would touch and then be 2-3 inches in the air for 20-30 feet before they touched down again. It was the most hair raising thing I'd ever seen. It was also a sign of his pending blow-over. The front down force was being exceeded by the rear wing. Big was a true innovator.

[racingformusic]

@snaproll94e No question about it. The only think I wish on Today's Dragsters, whether it's Top Fuel, Alcohol Dragsters, Comp Eliminator, Super Comp, Top Dragster, etc. Is that they'd bring back the canopy over the drivers cockpit. That would be ultra cool on Today' s dragsters.

[thevmanvj]

"Big " was struggling with those V-belts all weekend. In fact, in the Final Round against Dick LaHaie, SR-XXX threw the belts again, tore up the nose-cone, and allegedly a piece of Kevlar from the nose-cone flew into the injector scoop on LaHaie's car and sneezed the blower. The V-belts were replaced with miniature aircraft tires (ultra-lite type).He stayed with those little wheels with SR-30, 31, and 32 (as well as the enclosed canopy) There's only 3 words for Drag Racing...Donald Glenn Garlits

[racingformusic]

@thevmanvj Amen to that. He will always be the King of Drag Racing.

[thevmanvj]

@racingformusic "Big" was a man that "did it all'',playing so many roles in the operation. There was "Don, the Chassis Builder","The Engine Builder","The Tuner", and 'The Driver". The man is a genius, and Drag Racing's greatest innovator. From the early days, with "The Chester Fire" in 1959, thru the 60's, the adversity of the horrible accident @ Lion's on 3-8-70 in SR-13,blowing off half of his right foot, and the triumph of SR-14,his 1st rear-engine car. He was, and is the best...BAR NONE.

[seekhim777]

Amazing Man and a Great !! Driver

[Polybun]

get a capture card asshole.

[racingformusic]

@Polybun this was before I got my DVD ripper, and knew how to use it, then, I was just experimenting on putting videos up.

[chipsyl]

he had a full head of hair before starting that run...

[CannTankerous]

Big and Evans. Most feel drag racing's golden era ended in the '70's. But some would argue that it was a long sunset, and this moment just preceded the twilight. It is hard to think that for the most part, Garlits' crash that next year effectively brought his competitive career to a close. Damn near a quarter of a century ago. The old man is still doing his thing-inhaling that sweet, acrid scent of nitro, but the days of battle in the front line become memories. His campaigns will forever shine.

[racingformusic]

@CannTankerous Absolutely, I think Drag Racing's Golden years ended after the mid 90's. (around '96)

But I always say that legends like Garlits, Force, Prudhomme, Bernstien, Glidden, etc, never die.

[CannTankerous]

@racingformusic Yeah,, you know I grew up in So. Cal. in the '60's being born in '61, so I'm accumulating a few years myself. Some day I want to write about all those days and nights with my dad at O.C.I.R., Lions, Irwindale, Pomona, Ontario and Bakersfield-God-Bakersfield. No matter what else happens, I must always think myself a lucky man. I didn't have the pedal-but I was there at ground zero, and it was a hell of a ride bro! From '68 to '89 when I moved away-the things we saw! Better days.

[racingformusic]

@CannTankerous I'd say it was a ride. I was born in 1985, and my Dad got me into Drag Racing back in around 1989 or 1990 somewhere in that era. And have been hooked on the sport since, I got a lot of races on DVD, most of which were from the 1984-1996 era.

[DougCameraMan]

I can't even imagine what it's like to be in a dragster at 272 MPH in six seconds! That has to be the ultimate acceleration rush!

[DougCameraMan]

Make that 5.4 seconds!

[jfrockon]

From the first time I saw Garlits run in 1967... he has been my hero.

[cnycarnut]

how come no one runs an enclosed front end or cockpt anymore did they outlaw this setup for a top fuel car?

[racingformusic]

It was not outlawed by any means, The main problem was the additions such as Garlits' spoonlike front end, or Ormsby's Indy Car lookalike dragster was too much weight for the cars, so by mid 1987 a lot of the teams who used streamlining counterparts, were all stripped off the cars, and the canopy was used until 1988.

I think it would be cool here in 2009 that we would see the return of the canopy over the drivers compartments on ALL Dragsters, whether Nitro, Alcohol, Comp Eliminator, etc.

[NHmadman1]

Garlits was and still is my favorite...His book was great too

[chrijens]

Hell Yeah Big Daddy Rulez!