Big Daddy warming up AB Top Fueler

[DixonFan]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=316041879052718

 

[Cliff]

Ya know, if the Greek can still drive one of these things,,,,,,,, Would love to see Garlits and Snake make some passes. Oh yeah!

 

[flapjack]

Bid Daddy has a detached retina (or retinas), so her can't drive a TF at their current performance. I think the same is true of Joe Amato. But I agree, Cliff, would be cool to see them make some runs,

 

[SoCal Racer]

.... Would be a whole lot cooler than the "Unfinished Business" Camrys

 

[Nick Name]

Heard it was the chutes that were causing the rentna issues

 

[nwspeedshots]

Seems I remember Garlits driving after the retina issues.

 

[LoPony]

He did drive after retina detachment. SwampRat 34 I think, at ATL. Sometime in the mid 90’sl

 

[.]

He did drive after retina detachment. SwampRat 34 I think, at ATL. Sometime in the mid 90’sl

Big Daddy drove Swamp Rat 34 in 2002 at the US Nationals (If I'm not mistaken. I was there but years get blurry in my memory) and he went over 300 in a Swamp Rat for the first time only to be bumped from the show by Yuichi Oyama in the very next pair. (again, If I'm not mistaken)

He also drove Gary Clapshaw's car at Indy in either 2000 or 2001 (again, years are blurry in my memory) and went over 300 MPH for the first time ever in his career. (I believe that chassis was later totaled in Australia)

He also had a 4 race season scheduled for 2003 (Shirley's last year). That is all the NHRA would allow because of the fuel line.... or lack of a dedicated fuel line, I should say in Swamp Rat 34. Even though the car did not meet current safety rules they made an exception for Big Daddy that year. He ran the fuel through the frame rails instead of a dedicated fuel line.

All of this happened long after the initial "detached retina" diagnosis.

 

[LoPony]

Even with a dedicated fuel line, I wonder if NHRA would pass the car. Didn’t it have a single element rear wing support and ultra-narrow rear end? Would that be legal?

(edit) this is something I have wondered more than once. SR34 was gorgeous, maybe not so much as the cars that had the swoopy front end that led to his blow over, but would a single element rear wing support and ultra-narrow axle be allowable today? I’m guessing not.