Garlits horrible accident Lions Drag Strip incredible 1970 wreck

Horrific drag racing accident involving "Big Daddy" Don Garlits at Lions Drag Strip (March 8, 1970) is graphically depicted in this segment from Part 3 of the historical documentary (DVD) "Lions - The Greatest Drag Strip". Incredible footage shows the legendary top fuel driver's "Swamp Rat 13" explode its transmission just off the starting line during the final round. As a result, Garlits lost part of his right foot, plus a spectator was also injured. While recuperating in nearby Pacific Hospital (Long Beach, Calif.) Garlits conceived of a machine which placed the driver ahead of the engine, and the rest was history.

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[Tarten46]

There were rear engined top fuel cars B4 but they didnt work. Garlits made it work.

[3jbf]

this accident sucked but because of it the modern dragster was born!!!

[thevmanvj]

It was later determined that the explosion was caused by a a sprag failure...and caused some of the internal parts of the transmission to spin to over 25,000 rpm.....that caused a chain reaction, and the explosion..

[thevmanvj]

@DoubleVisionandco The man with the cowboy hat is Starter Larry Sutton. Sutton also served as Chief Starter at Orange County International Raceway..in Irvine, CA. Larry was a great starter, and a very well respected Top Fuel Driver on the West Coast.

[grapeknutz]

I was there, it also injured some spectators in the stands as the shrapnel from the trans hit some of them,

[ohytr12]

I did not know there was footage of this thanks for posting.

[LHSxBASEBALL]

The man with the cowboy hat was the track's official starter, Larry Sutton.

[DoubleVisionandco]

Pause at 1:09, is that Smokey Yunick in the middle? If not it sure looks like him. He`s the only one I remember that wore the cowboy hat like that. Cept I never knew him to hang around at drag tracks.

[jaded16340]

I hate this 500 character block crap, People started sueing tracks a lot so they just shut down, again, wasn't worth the risk to stay in buisness. My home track required racers and spectators sign a wavior that they enter at their own risk and can't sue the track if injured. But that doesn't mean you can't sue, just makes it harder to win. convince one asshole judge that the track didn't properly tech a car and they win, even though they signed the waiver. Bullshit

[jaded16340]

continued...back then EVERYONE knew that the spectators at any race, drag or round or road race, enter at their own risk. early one the only spectators, for the most part, were other racers waiting to run LOL. as the stands filled the chance of getting injured increased. But at some point everyone forgot they crash, blow up for fly into the stands. People would sue the track if they got hurt and so many old tracks just closed up, wasn't worth the risk.