Grand Marshal Don Garlits at Detroit Dragway Reunion in Milan, Michigan Saturday. Be There or Be Square

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Swamp Rat 1 was built in 1956, endlessly modified, but arguably was at its best in the fall of 1958 beating the best of the Californians at Houston and then that December setting a new world record at 180.00 mph. SR I in February of 1959 was at Bakersfield, CA for its last competition run in a naturally aspirated configuration.

This weekend in Milan, Michigan, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits will be the Grand Marshal at a tribute to the long defunct Detroit Dragway, a once famous – or infamous – shrine dedicated to a uniquely American passion. “Sunday, Sunday, Sunday” … “be there or be square.” Well, actually it’s Saturday 17 May, but aficionados of the 1/4 mile know what I’m parodying.

Part of Garlits’ legacy, including the record breaking, “Swamp Rat XXX,” is on view at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, as is his fabulous collection of cars, notable in my view for his pre-war Fords at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag racing in Ocala, Florida.

Garlits began racing in 1950. He took his first major victory in 1955, and famously a NHRA win for Top Fuel at the 1963 Winternationals in Pomona, California. Garlits has won the U.S. NHRA Nationals a record eight times.

Garlits, a fierce competitor remains a class act. Here he is on Shirley Muldowney who woan a record breaking three NHRA Top Fuel world championships in 1977, 1980, and 1982, “Now, if you ask who do I have the most respect for, I’d say Shirley Muldowney. She went against all odds. They didn’t want her to race Top Fuel, the association, the racers, nobody…Just Shirley.”

Milan Dragway gates open for the May 17 event, at 9 am with Time Trials starting at 10 am. For tickets and more information, call 734.439.7368 or email info@milandragway.com.

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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2 Responses to Grand Marshal Don Garlits at Detroit Dragway Reunion in Milan, Michigan Saturday. Be There or Be Square

  1. Pingback: Riding the Rails. Jim McCraw On Swamp Rat and Big Daddy | AutoInformedAutoInformed

  2. Garlits was actually one of Shirley’s earliest detractors, but made up for that (somewhat) by signing off on her first competition license.

    Check my blog from last week for insight into what Garlits is up to today. Still innovating. I’ve had some dealings with him over the years… Whatever you think of him, you have to respect his efforts to move the sport “forward” (depending on your perspective) in myriad ways. And he isn’t done yet. His current efforts are doubly impressive, given he’s still grieving his late wife and business partner, Pat (who saved his butt countless times).

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