Swamp Rat

black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
edited October 14, 2016 in Other Cool Shots
The most revered name in all of drag racing, Don " Big Daddy " Garlits, built this car in 1956. His success with this car stunned the drag racing crowd. He dubbed this car " Swamp Rat 1 " and it was the first of many following cars to carry the Swamp Rat name. He personally told me when I visited his museum that it was his favorite racer of all time as it was the one that really put him on the map.

He was driving a similar car in 1970 when a new 2-speed transmission he was developing blew up.....cutting the car in half and relieving him of a big chunk of his right foot. During a prolonged rehab period, he conceived of and developed an entirely new dragster where the driver and engine swapped locations. He returned to racing in 1971 with this entirely new Swamp Rat and top fuel racing was off to unheralded heights.



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I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.

Comments

  • M38A1M38A1 Registered Users Posts: 1,317 Major grins
    edited September 28, 2016
    That's a nice story too!
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited September 29, 2016
    M38A1 wrote: »
    That's a nice story too!

    Thanks for looking in, Scott. Got any racing pictures you may have shot recently?

    Take care,

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • M38A1M38A1 Registered Users Posts: 1,317 Major grins
    edited September 29, 2016
    e3cf94cfc4816c0e0a1116397101dcb5.jpg

    Like this?
  • StumblebumStumblebum Registered Users Posts: 8,480 Major grins
    edited September 29, 2016
    Doesn't look very safe, but I bet it can fly!
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited September 29, 2016
    M38A1 wrote: »
    e3cf94cfc4816c0e0a1116397101dcb5.jpg

    Like this?

    Yeah. Nice shot. There's a bit of drama going on in the IMSA GT3 bunch now.
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited September 29, 2016
    Stumblebum wrote: »
    Doesn't look very safe, but I bet it can fly!

    To give you an idea of just how much the Top Fuel dragsters have progressed: they run the quarter mile, from a dead stop, in less than 4 seconds at a top speed at the end in excess of 320 miles per hour. Mercy.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • dspdsp Registered Users Posts: 19 Big grins
    edited October 5, 2016
    Since the death of Scott Kalitta in 2008, the distance was changed from the 1/4 mile (1320 feet) to 1000 feet. Unless you are in Australia, of course.
  • lfortierlfortier Registered Users Posts: 237 Major grins
    edited October 9, 2016
    Memories
    Thanks for the memories. The Swamp Rat brings back a lot of them.clap.gif
    Lee F

    www.leefortier.com
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited October 13, 2016
    dsp wrote: »
    Since the death of Scott Kalitta in 2008, the distance was changed from the 1/4 mile (1320 feet) to 1000 feet. Unless you are in Australia, of course.

    Thanks for commenting. I should have remembered that.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited October 13, 2016
    lfortier wrote: »
    Thanks for the memories. The Swamp Rat brings back a lot of them.clap.gif

    You're sure right about that. I remember seeing the original Swamp Rat run.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • Cygnus StudiosCygnus Studios Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited October 13, 2016
    Swamp Rat 13 (lucky number huh) was the one that almost killed him in addition to taking off a chunk of his foot. They just restored it not that long ago and it is now being displayed publicly.

    Big Daddy last month set new records with a new electric dragster - Swamp Rat 37.

    Such a legend and one of the most interesting guys in the world. If you ever get a chance to meet and talk with him, it is well worth the effort.
    Steve

    Website
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited October 14, 2016
    Cygnus Studios wrote: »
    Swamp Rat 13 (lucky number huh) was the one that almost killed him in addition to taking off a chunk of his foot. They just restored it not that long ago and it is now being displayed publicly.

    Big Daddy last month set new records with a new electric dragster - Swamp Rat 37.

    Such a legend and one of the most interesting guys in the world. If you ever get a chance to meet and talk with him, it is well worth the effort.

    Thanks for the visit and info. I did get to meet, and have a brief conversation, with him when I visited his museum near Ocala. I hear that they have recently enhanced the museum facilities so it's about time I moseyed over in that direction again.
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
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