Author Archives: stevecole

Don Garlits to be inducted into British Drag Racing Hall of Fame

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Don Garlits 100dpiBritish Drag Racing Hall of Fame logo 100 dpi

Don Garlits will be winging his way to England in mid-November to be honored by the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame as a member of the 2014 class of inductees.  Don will be joined by his daughters Donna and GayLyn, and the grandchildren (Sarah, Rodney, and Anna) at the Gala Awards Dinner at the famed Savill Court Hotel at Windsor Great Park, near Windsor, Surrey, and west of London on November 22.  Also a part of the group will be Lisa Crigar, the Museum’s photographer and FACEBOOK content manager.

The occasion marks the 50th Anniversary of the first “British International Drag Racing Festival,” (often referred to as the “DragFests”) organized by the late Sydney Allard, the British industrialist/automaker who built the first dragster in Britain.  Don and the “Swamp Rat 6B” participated in that first series of races held at several Royal Air Force airfields across Britain in September and October, 1964.  He raced his friend and rival Tommy (“TV Tommy”) Ivo in the series of match races and won the “People’s Challenge Trophy” for the best aggregate performance – with a string of low eight second passes at 190+ mph. 

Don’s participation in that first series of events encouraged other established U.S. drag racers to follow behind him, and helped launch the sport in Great Britain, as well as the European continent.  He returned to Britain to race in 1976 and 1977, driving the “Swamp Rat 21” at the now famed Santa Pod Raceway, Britain’s first, special built drag strip.  He set the British track record at 232+ mph in 1977.

In addition to Don’s contributions to the growth of drag racing in Great Britain, he is also being honored for his overall performance record, and his significant contributions to the sport’s technological and safety advances. 

In introducing Garlits in the Class of 2014, the Hall of Fame said, “By most measures, Don ‘Big Daddy’ Garlits is the greatest and most successful drag racer ever.  But as well as being the result of his worldwide leading role as the sport’s most innovative drag racing technician, his influence on British drag racing has been more specific – as part of the wildly successful American team to visit Britain for the 1964 DragFests and subsequently racing at Santa Pod in 1976 and 1977.”

The selection committee also noted Garlits’ passion for protecting the history of the sport through The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Fla., his own International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, and his continued passion for pushing on the performance envelope with the electric-powered Swamp Rat 37, which he is seeking to break the 200 mph barrier in 2014, the 50th anniversary of his record breaking 201 mph pass in August 1964 with Swamp Rat 6-B.

 

 

IT’S SHOW TIME!! Where we will be — Summer 2014

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The Quarter Mile Foundation will be participating at several major racing and car shows this summer.

Here is the schedule of events:

JUNE 6 & 7 – Gasser Reunion – Thompson Raceway Park – Thompson, Ohio (8233 Sidley Road)

JUNE 10 – 20th HOT ROD POWER TOUR Presented by CHEVROLET – Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park – Norwalk, Ohio (1300 Ohio 18 & Ohio 601)

JULY 11 & 12 – York/U.S. 30 REUNION – York Expo Center & Fairgrounds – York, Pennsylvania

AUGUST 9 – Night Under Fire – Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park – Norwalk, Ohio (1300 Ohio 18 & Ohio 601)

Come and see us – We’d love to see YOU!

John Mullin reviews PROJECT 1320 interviews; Sees strong content, validity for documentary

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Parma Heights, Ohio (June 3 2014) – The Quarter Mile Foundation (QMF) recently received an evaluation of a group of over 50 randomly selected interviews by John Mullin of the Mullin Production Group (MPG) of Westlake Village, Calif. Mullin, who has been selected by the Foundation to produce a pilot of the proposed documentary on the history of drag racing and the performance automotive aftermarket reviewed the materials for content and other critical factors needed for a high quality production. He is well known for producing television coverage of major national event drag races from the 1980s into the turn of the century.

The materials, which incorporated a wide range of racers, entrepreneurs, promoters, family members and friends, sanctioning body personnel, public address announcers, crew chiefs and crew members, visionaries, models and fans, left Mullin and his staff very pleased with the quality and the scope of the subjects covered.

In a summary letter to Traci Hrudka, Chairman of the Foundation, Mullin stated, “Clearly, those
interviews represent an immense undertaking, and one that goes a long way toward permanently preserving the oral history of the sport of drag racing, the development of associated business models (of the performance aftermarket), and the very unique set of personalities that drove the sport forward.”

“We got a very clear picture from John and his team about the interviews we have accumulated to this point,” said Hrudka. “The Board of Directors and I got a very clear picture, from a professional outside source, of the breadth, depth and quality of these materials, which provided us with a sense of accomplishment with the raw materials for John and his team to work with.

“We also received a deep look at the production processes which lie ahead to weave the materials in the interviews into a documentary pilot which will both entertain and educate the viewers, and leave them wanting more.”
The MPG team addressed major points, and laid out a strategy, as well as creating a foundation for a general action plan for the overall documentary after the completion of the pilot. Mullin and his team also looked forward, past the completion of the documentary itself, and speculated about how the interviews and other materials could benefit historians and other research in the future.

“I do not think it can be over emphasized that what you, as an organization, undertook was a critical effort to reinforce the historical roots of a sport that has meant so much to so many,” said Mullin. “Your vision has included the full range of participants, which allows those who might be doing research in the future to better understand the complexity of the rise of straight-line racing. The stories that were told, the ‘putting a face’ to the narrative were superb, and the impact of such a treasure of memories will not be fully appreciated for years, perhaps decades, to come.

“At the same time, you employed the wisdom of a researcher, not allowing the ‘big name’ personalities to drive the parade, rather, seeking out a remarkably diverse range of characters, all of whom were important to the fabric of the overall story. By doing that, you created the opportunity to capsulize many different subject areas found within drag racing.”
“John and his team diligently reviewed the footage, and returned to the Board with an excellent evaluation of where we are, and the direction we need to take to complete the documentary phase of this effort. The MPG team confirmed the areas we had some concerns about, and gave us a road map to address them,” said Ms. Hrudka.

“More importantly, we know what needs to be done, and have an expert team in place to execute this next phase.
“We will be continuing to film interviews of the pioneers of the sport and the aftermarket. As the years keep flying by, there will be more pioneers that will rise to the status of ‘Legend.’ For the generations of today and tomorrow, there must always be a time to continue to ‘pass the torch’ of history forward.”