Fun Time in Ocala, Fl.

toolman · 08-08-2006, 10:57 AM

Got stuck in Ocala weekend before last and decided to go to the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum-WOW! This place is unbelievable! There is so much drag racing history here that a true fan will have a hard time seeing it all in one day. I highly recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in drag racing, especially the early years. They have a large number of Don's 'Swamp Rats", Tommy Ivo's twin-engine dragster, A couple of Shirley Muldowney's cars including her old Mustang funny car body, and several streamliners. One of my favorites was Connie Kallita's Ford SOHC "Bounty Hunter". I remember watching many of these cars run when I was a kid. Another impressive sight is the car that Don flipped over backwards in the mid-eighties still in post-crash condition. I spent so much time in the Drag racing that I never made it to the antique car building. http://www.garlits.com/ :right:

Apollyon67 · 08-08-2006, 07:34 PM

Big Daddy, was one of my favorites when I was a kid. I may have to make a stop in there one of these days. Thanks for the tip!

toolman · 08-08-2006, 10:38 PM

It's money well spent. When I walked in, all of the hair stood up on my arms. (Lot of hair, BTW). The first thing you see when you walk in is the original Little Red Wagon wheelstander. There are also cars and bikes from several different types of racing including Bonneville, Karting, and Indy Car. Several little things caught my eye like the 2x4 "parking brakes" in several of the fuel cars (2x4's cut to hold the brake pedal down so the car wouldn't roll away), and the fuel catch can made out of an old military canteen on one of the Swamp Rats. All of this on a car that is an engineering marvel of it's time. Gotta go-I'm gettin' a woody!

.22guy · 08-08-2006, 11:01 PM

Recently got to hear Don Garlits tell some stories about the good old days. He is buddies with my grandfather-in-law who started something called Smoker's Inc. back in the day. It's a racing group from way back, they started a big race here in town called March Meets, at Famoso Raceway.

toolman · 08-10-2006, 09:13 PM

Don is a really cool guy. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking that he may live on the museum property. There is a house at the front of the property that has a total of 8 separate garage doors. One thing that i got a kick out of, was the twin tire tracks heading from the warehouse area towards the street. They looked suspiciously like tracks made by an early fuel car running vintage slicks!

08-08-2006, 10:57 AM	#1
toolman Mr. Fixit Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: abilene,tx Posts: 5,363 Trader Rating: (0)	Fun Time in Ocala, Fl. Got stuck in Ocala weekend before last and decided to go to the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum-WOW! This place is unbelievable! There is so much drag racing history here that a true fan will have a hard time seeing it all in one day. I highly recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in drag racing, especially the early years. They have a large number of Don's 'Swamp Rats", Tommy Ivo's twin-engine dragster, A couple of Shirley Muldowney's cars including her old Mustang funny car body, and several streamliners. One of my favorites was Connie Kallita's Ford SOHC "Bounty Hunter". I remember watching many of these cars run when I was a kid. Another impressive sight is the car that Don flipped over backwards in the mid-eighties still in post-crash condition. I spent so much time in the Drag racing that I never made it to the antique car building. http://www.garlits.com/ :right: __________________ Don't be messin' with my gun!

08-08-2006, 07:34 PM	#2
Apollyon67 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 2,230 Trader Rating: (0)	Big Daddy, was one of my favorites when I was a kid. I may have to make a stop in there one of these days. Thanks for the tip! __________________ "To err is human, to repent divine; to persist devilish." Ben Franklin

08-08-2006, 10:38 PM	#3
toolman Mr. Fixit Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: abilene,tx Posts: 5,363 Trader Rating: (0)	It's money well spent. When I walked in, all of the hair stood up on my arms. (Lot of hair, BTW). The first thing you see when you walk in is the original Little Red Wagon wheelstander. There are also cars and bikes from several different types of racing including Bonneville, Karting, and Indy Car. Several little things caught my eye like the 2x4 "parking brakes" in several of the fuel cars (2x4's cut to hold the brake pedal down so the car wouldn't roll away), and the fuel catch can made out of an old military canteen on one of the Swamp Rats. All of this on a car that is an engineering marvel of it's time. Gotta go-I'm gettin' a woody! __________________ Don't be messin' with my gun!

08-10-2006, 09:13 PM	#5
toolman Mr. Fixit Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: abilene,tx Posts: 5,363 Trader Rating: (0)	Don is a really cool guy. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking that he may live on the museum property. There is a house at the front of the property that has a total of 8 separate garage doors. One thing that i got a kick out of, was the twin tire tracks heading from the warehouse area towards the street. They looked suspiciously like tracks made by an early fuel car running vintage slicks! __________________ Don't be messin' with my gun!

08-08-2006, 11:01 PM	#4
.22guy Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 4,071 Trader Rating: (0)	Recently got to hear Don Garlits tell some stories about the good old days. He is buddies with my grandfather-in-law who started something called Smoker's Inc. back in the day. It's a racing group from way back, they started a big race here in town called March Meets, at Famoso Raceway.