When did Don Garlits break 300 mph?

When did Don Garlits break 300 mph?

Thanks to a huge assist from fellow racer Gary Clapshaw, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits was able to race to his first 300-mph performance at the 2001 U.S. Nationals.

How did Don Garlits make his money?

Considered the father of drag racing, he is known as “Big Daddy” to drag racing fans around the world. A pioneer in the field of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of his foot in a dragster accident.

Did Don Garlits get married?

Pat Garlits, the wife of drag racing legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, lost her long battle with Alzheimer’s disease today, according to the NHRA via their Twitter page. The couple met in 1952 and were wed in 1953.

Why did Don Garlits retire?

Garlits was forced to retire from racing in 1992 – at the age of 60 – due to a detached retina in his eye. He made two brief comebacks in 1998 and again in 2003, attaining a personal best of 323 mph in 4.7 seconds (on a quarter-mile, before NHRA scaled back Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars to 1,000-foot lanes).