Learn about drag racing history with the first rear engine dragster in 1959, Swamp Rat 14. Don Garlits' insane story will leave you in awe of drag racing!
Don Garlits rear engine dragster first ran in 1971. He won top fuel at the Winter National in Pomona Cal. I was there. The car was developed because he lost half of his right food in a clutch/Garlitsdrive transmission explosion at Lyons drag strip in 1970. During his recovery his thoughts were to develop a safer dragster. After working out some steering issues he got the new rear engine car to work. Most racers at Pomona poo poo'd the new design but Garlits went through eliminations and took top fuel. The rest is history. The only blemish on the victory was that Kenny Stafford could not make the final run because of engine failure. Even at that Don gave it a full throttle pass for the crowd. Another note of interest is that tragicalley Sneaky Pete Robinson was killed when he lost down force on the front of his cammer Ford dragster. Right at the traps his car lifted slightly and veered to the right and hit the guard rail. A real tragedy.
I once helped a guy change his plugs between runs on his Chrysler powered dragster at San Fernando dragstrip. He then went out and recorded the first 200+ run at that strip. I joked abut being a good luck charm.
The Swamp Rat 1-R first tested at Sunshine Dragstrip in 1971, I was there, and actually got my first drag racing lesson from Don himself. ("Don's thundering-but-smokeless break-in pass down St. Petersburg, Florida’s, Sunshine Dragway;" Hot Rod mag.)
I'm so glad the man is still with us. How things have changed since the days of Big Daddy. As a boy, 11 years old in '68, the first book report I ever did was, "King of the Dragsters” by Don Garlits. I read how he and his brother, Alex started out working on bicycles. So I went out and starting working on my dad's Toro 7hp lawn tractor: it was the only lawnmower in the neighborhood that would pull a wheelie when I flipped the governor! It would rest back on the trailer hitch as it went down the road. (:^D
I watched him unload that car at Tri-Cities Dragway in Bay City, Michigan. All the big names ran their cars there, as the track was almost identical to the one at Indy. If a car ran good at Tri Cities, it was good to go... Swamp Rat 14 had no paint, and Garlits said it was going to get run for real for the first time that night. And, it was, although he said it needed a little work. I got to watch drag racing change forever that night...
I was told by a friend John Farley that he drag raced Don on the street Don had a flathead ford and later put that engine in his first rail job. Don't know it that's correct or not my memory not that good. Wonder if Don remembers the good Ole daz.
I heard that he showed up at Lyons drag strip for the first test of his rear engine design, They didn't realize who it was and were going to turn him away, not with that stupid looking car, until he stepped out of the car. Then they said OH, Mr. Garlits, of course come on in. (conversations probably not actual but you get the idea)
