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From Drag racing eye candy, and back to carnage. These pics represent damn near giving and arm and leg to win. Big Daddy Don Garlits gave part of his right foot with Swamp Rat 13 in March of 1970 from failure of a Sprag inside a 2 speed experimental early Lenco Trans. The drum from Hydrolic oil pressure surge spun the Trans drum backwards 3 times the speed @ 30,000 rpm exploding and cutting the dragster in two, taking part of Dons foot and almost severing a spectators arm in the grandstand. This horrific incident inspired Garlits to develop rear engine dragster technology. All thought he was going about it wrong. Little did they know it would become the De facto standard in drag racing no pun intended. This awful incident absolutely saved lives many top fuelers died using front engine dragsters from the debris and fire right in front of driver. I went to Garlits Huge museum to see Swamp rat 13 rebuilt with repaired engine & frame as a whole functioning car with all the period correct and all the artifacts that he never threw out making a great time piece display. If your ever in the area pack a lunch and plan a whole day you will need it. It’s big take in, he saved everything and bought a lot of other famous dragsters and artifacts. Many many displays to see. You might get lucky and even see him tinkering.
Oh and the 16 year old in grand stand that almost severed his arm recovered. Garlits tried to get NHRA to pick up the bill, no go, so he paid for Medical bill. The kid eventually wound up working odds and ends in Garlts pit crew. Last pic is more recent of Garlits in front of his Gen 2 426 Nirto menthane beast capable of several thousand horsepower for many 1/4 mile blasts. Take that and shove it Chevy and Furd.
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