You are a man who appreciates the bye-gone days. I know I sure do. I will try to get Don to stand still long enough to tell me his personal perspective on that "Don Garbage" event in California. I'll try to get him to email it to me today. Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn't - it depends on how busy he is.
Understood, I'm sure he's an incredibly busy man and I sure wouldn't want to stir up any bad memories. From what I heard he kicked some california butt so those memories shouldn't be all bad, lol!
I went to the "No Billet" show on the grounds this past Saturday, too bad I couldn't have asked him then! He was busy firing up his recently restored hemi-powered air raid siren he picked up from the city of Miami. Man that thing was loud! Next he fired up antique Swamp Rat V on 90% pop for a bit of cackling. That was loud too! People went running for cover when he gave it a good blip and the nitro fumes got every ones eyes! I spent most of the time talking to Don's wife, Pat. She is such a sweetheart. She has huffed so much nitro over the years the Swamp Rat's fumes didn't seem to bother her at all. It is amazing that they still have all the dragsters they ever built except for maybe two. He even has the wrecked ones!
Hemi air raid siren?!?! Man, I love that guy!! What a thrill it must've been to hear the Swamp Rat V come alive again too.
It's so great to hear that Mr. Garlits and his wife Pat are still together after all these years. It's just seems such a rare thing these days.
Don recently acquired Shirley Muldowny's last dragster and restored it. It was basically the chassis with the front end and the rear with slicks. It had the wing but the rest was gone. Don has so many spare parts he was able to complete a correct engine, etc. Shirley was going through a nasty divorce with her engine tuner, the famous and popular Rahn Tobler. I'm sure she really needed the money or she would not have sold the car. It went cheap but I can't break the confidentiality Don asked me to keep. On the road we never listen to the radio so we get to talk a lot. He has told me so many interesting things and historical things but they are private and confidential.
Sorry to hear about Shirley. I'm old enough to remember her winning the nats.
I understand you being careful of Mr. Garlits privacy. The whole idea of having a good friend is having someone to confide in.
He did tell me his feelings about the failed PRO that he was a prime mover in promoting. NHRA was being really chincy with payouts so Don tried his hand at organizing the Top Fuel drivers to provide leverage in numbers with Wally Parks. It was saying, "If you want a Top Fuel Show, this is the payout we demand or no show." Well, ever the professional, Don got to virtually everyone and swore to support it and join - a sort of union but without dues. Don bankrolled the whole thing. When the chips were down, drivers backed out, lied, didn't show and left Don with egg on his face, a destroyed relationship with NHRA and a financial loss of about 100 grand. After that disaster in Tulsa (I was there with Ronnie Sox), Don had a hell of a time getting sponsors. You know the rest of the story...Big Daddy continued racing on his own nickle and won. To make matters worse, Don Moody won the Tulsa meet and he was one of the guys that pooped on Big! When Don talks about that PRO deal, he gets just as angry as the time it all happened! He gets so upset he uses the "F" word!
Wow! I can't believe that all these racers turned their back on Big Daddy! What the hell were they thinking? Here's a man who put his *** on the line for the benifit of all and they turned on him. Incredible!
Are there any old farts like me out there that were street racers? I have some tales to tell there for sure!! You guys let me know if you find this thread the wrong place for this.
Pat