rocketman
Nitro Member
I was at Spokane when Garlits did the blowover that ended his career as a full time NHRA touring professional. I put together a story with pictures from that day on my web site CapRacing Home Page .
Don Garlits Spokane Blowover Story (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter rocketman
- Start date
.
Nitro Member
Great story Rich, thanks for the link.
I think you forgot one thing though.... Driving Clapshaw's car wasn't his last time in a car. He drove his own car, Swamp Rat 34 at INDY in 2002. He went 4.763/318.54 to become #16 only to be bumped out by Yuichi Oyama on the next pass. I remember the goal that weekend was for BIG to run under 5 seconds, over 300mph in his OWN car. He'd already ran it in Clapshaw's car but never in one of his own cars. He finally did it on his 5th (last) qualifying session! TC Tom Lemons let me behind the ropes to get a close look at the car. It was the first time I'd ever seen a Swamp Rat in person which was pretty cool....... and I got to watch BIG drive it too! TC told me they knew the car was capable of their goal because the week before when they were in Cordova the car was on a good pass but BIG clicked it early.
The NHRA gave him permission to run SW 34 at a few races that year, even with the fuel running in the frame rails. I know he ran Gainesville and Indy and possibly one or two more.
Anyway, I just thought I'd mention it.
Brian.
I think you forgot one thing though.... Driving Clapshaw's car wasn't his last time in a car. He drove his own car, Swamp Rat 34 at INDY in 2002. He went 4.763/318.54 to become #16 only to be bumped out by Yuichi Oyama on the next pass. I remember the goal that weekend was for BIG to run under 5 seconds, over 300mph in his OWN car. He'd already ran it in Clapshaw's car but never in one of his own cars. He finally did it on his 5th (last) qualifying session! TC Tom Lemons let me behind the ropes to get a close look at the car. It was the first time I'd ever seen a Swamp Rat in person which was pretty cool....... and I got to watch BIG drive it too! TC told me they knew the car was capable of their goal because the week before when they were in Cordova the car was on a good pass but BIG clicked it early.
The NHRA gave him permission to run SW 34 at a few races that year, even with the fuel running in the frame rails. I know he ran Gainesville and Indy and possibly one or two more.
Anyway, I just thought I'd mention it.
Brian.
Last edited:
PiPPi
Nitro Member
Nice work. For any Garlits fan, check out this pretty extraordinary photo page from the UK at The Acceleration Archives at The Roger Phillips Collection - Page 1
(Almost forgot, Spokane Raceway Park is Google Mapped here
)Regards
PiPPi
http://HarleyDrags.com
The Swegian
Nitro Member
Great story and pictures. Didn't the crash happen exactly one week before Indy, not two weeks as mentioned in the article? Back then, the Brainerd NHRA event was held two weeks prior to Indy so I would figure that the crash would have occurred on the weekend between Brainerd and Indy. That's probably splitting hairs so I apologize. Hard to believe it was nearly 20 years ago already.
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Pretty good story. Several erors in time line and some data, but other then that, ok.
The crash was in 87
Bigs comeback indy win was 1984, not 1986
Garlits and Bruce Larson ran the monostruts in NHRA competition.
There were 2 different Monostrut cars, 33 and 34
Garlits was going for 3 titles in a row, he already did back to back titles in 85 and 86.
Garlits was not really in the points chase. After winning Pomona, he had a pretty difficult stretch, DNQ'd in E-Town and did not go to Denver, and lost to Darrell Gwynn in the first round at Brainerd, which was the only race SW 31ever ran at.
The crash was in 87
Bigs comeback indy win was 1984, not 1986
Garlits and Bruce Larson ran the monostruts in NHRA competition.
There were 2 different Monostrut cars, 33 and 34
Garlits was going for 3 titles in a row, he already did back to back titles in 85 and 86.
Garlits was not really in the points chase. After winning Pomona, he had a pretty difficult stretch, DNQ'd in E-Town and did not go to Denver, and lost to Darrell Gwynn in the first round at Brainerd, which was the only race SW 31ever ran at.
Great story Rich. One more nit-picky thing, by the time Big retired, he had already established the museum. Not sure when it opened, but I remember flying down to the Gators in '85 (which rained out BTW) and visiting the museum. I happened to be at the last race Big ever entered with that Mono-strut car before the detached retinas sidelined him, it was the Atlanta race in '92. I also remember that car had an ultra-narrow rearend, the only other car in modern times to have such a narrow rear was I believe driven by the late Richard Holcomb.
handsome
Nitro Member
i went to garlits' museam while in florida for the PRI show, and the car he flipped at spokane sits against one of the walls in the condition from after the flip. it was wild to look at it. he also had the last swamp rat sitting there next to Shirley's last car. if you ever get the chance, you have to go!
rocketman
Nitro Member
Thanks for the input guys, I'll make some more changes. I stand corrected on the time line and a few of the important details such as the back-back championships. I saw all of those old photos in one of my photo albums and was just going to make a photo gallery but then thought it might make a good story. My journalism integrity is limited but it came out pretty good.
Last edited:
Richard Holcomb's crew chief was the late Clayton Harris, Clayton was the first to have a narrow rear with his yellow and red car in the seventies. (Not to be confused with the yellow "new dimension" sponsored car he had) The frame rails tucked around the tires like the thorax of an insect
DrRocket
Nitro Member
IIRC, he fabbed his own injector hats partly because of money, and mostly because he likes to do things HIS WAY.
Just Paul
Nitro Member
This is one of the only photos I have ever seen with a Garlits car with the traditional styled 3 hole injector.
Very rare, but he did use one in 87, and actually SW30 that was put into the smithsonian also has a 3 hole on it right now.
ProStockJunkie
Nitro Member
Nice article, Rich. Have you sent it to Don? If not, would you mind if I do?
Wes
Nitro Member
One of Big's sponsors (or maybe Large Father himself) took that wrecked car on a PR tour in 1988. I recall seeing it at Milan Dragway at the IHRA Northern Nationals (my first IHRA national event as a driver, btw) that summer pretty much in the same condition it was in the photos on Rich's website. Somewhere I have some photos of it...somewhere.
rocketman
Nitro Member
Absolutely, go right ahead. Just be sure and use the one that's up now as it has the corrections made that were pointed out this morning. I'm a big fan of his to this day. It's kind of nice to rekindle this man's history.
Sandy
Nitro Member
I love the way they have everything in a period time capsule
rollingthunder
Nitro Member
I have been to both muesums. I would recommend Big's muesum over NHRA muesum. Don has alot more cars than NHRA.
