Don Garlits to run electric powered dragster in Bradenton this weekend

[TBI]

The biggest name in the history of professional drag racing -- "Big Daddy" Don Garlits -- is headed to Bradenton (Florida) Motorsports park to test his record-breaking electric-powered dragster on Friday morning, during the first day of the annual IHRA Nitro Jam Southern Nationals. The Bradenton strip is Garlits' home track.

The 83-year-old drag racing legend came out of retirement one year ago to break the existing national speed record for electric-powered cars of 7.956 seconds/158.85 mph with a run of 7.53 seconds at 178.42 miles per hour. On his final pass, his near-silent dragster streaked the quarter-mile at 184 miles per hour.

The car is named SR37. SR stands for Swamp Rat, a nickname Garlits picked up in the early days of the sport when he traveled west from his home in Seffner, Florida, to take on the biggest names in southern California. The car is powered by six GE electric motors and is rated at 1,500 kilowatts (nearly 2,000 horsepower).

Over a career that spans nearly seven decades, Garlits has won 17 national championships (including four IHRA world championship titles) and 144 events. While today's Top Fuel Dragsters routinely top 300 miles per hour, Garlits was the pacesetter in the 1960s by becoming the first driver to reach 200 miles per hour in the quarter mile in 1964, a speed mark that was thought to be unattainable.

 

[RitcheyRch]

Very cool and glad he is the one doing it. :tbi

 

[HALLETT BOY]

That's really cool , and jet engines are too , but you absolutely cannot beat the sound of a Top Fueler !

 

[prosthogod]

Sorry that's gay. Drag racing is horsepower that sounds like it. This is just more PUSSIFICATION of america. Get off your electric hybrid california bullshit and burn some fossil fuel. This is a boating website where we burn Petrol, not kilowats. rant over, carry on.

 

[Waterheater]

Just watched a couple of youtube video's on it. It's crazy, you hear the people talking and the brakes being applied. Then all of a sudden it's gone! It definitely doesn't seem right.

 

[TBI]

Sorry that's gay. Drag racing is horsepower that sounds like it. This is just more PUSSIFICATION of america. Get off your electric hybrid california bullshit and burn some fossil fuel. This is a boating website where we burn Petrol, not kilowats. rant over, carry on.

Settle down Turbo....

 

[YoPengo]

Should name the car BlueBalls... Watching (especially listening to) electric drag cars is... Very anticlimactic. :yikes

 

[Skyskier]

Settle down Turbo....

yo Bilgie,................not to jack your thread, BUT, I saw this electric flat track bike run last nite.Except for the lack of noise, it gets with the program !!!

 

[Ziggy]

He's a Petty?

 

[500bbc]

That's it, the terrorists have won.

 

[TBI]

He's a Petty?

The fact that he'wearing blue shop coveralls instead of leathers....I'm gonna say no

 

[H20-ski]

That's it, the terrorists have won.

I'm on the it's stupid band wagon on this one.

People are caving in to the going green.

 

[TBI]

I'm on the it's stupid band wagon on this one.

People are caving in to the going green.

For the record, I hate that shit too. I just thought it was cool to see Garlits still shoeing a car at 83yrs old

 

[Wombat]

Very innovative guy the old Don Garlits, this is the forerunner to the next Generation electric pensioner / mobility scooters doing 1/4 mile runs :yikes

 

[Skyskier]

The fact that he'wearing blue shop coveralls instead of leathers....I'm gonna say no

apparently those blue overall ARE his racing leathers

[video=youtube;E1xc9LFohlI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1xc9LFohlI[/video]

 

[Wheeler]

yo Bilgie,................not to jack your thread, BUT, I saw this electric flat track bike run last nite.Except for the lack of noise, it gets with the program !!!

I've been to that track! :thumbup::thumbup: