Drag Racing Icons Return to Ocala
Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney met fans at the museum's 39th annual car show, raising funds for a children's hospital.
By Kevin Iyer ·
Fans of all ages waited in long lines on November 7 and 8 to shake hands with two drag racing legends. The event took place on the grounds of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in southwest Marion County. It was the 39th annual Mopars with Big Daddy car show and swap meet. The two-day gathering served as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Don Garlits, 94, and Shirley Muldowney were the main attractions. Both signed autographs and spoke with visitors throughout the weekend. Garlits, known as Big Daddy, hosted fans in a building called Don's Garage. The structure displays several hot rods, dragsters, and project engines. He shared stories and signed photos for a steady stream of people who visited the museum.
Garlits and Muldowney are known for their competitive history. The Competition Plus website notes that they raced against each other many times from the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s. High fuel costs eventually made those match races impossible. Garlits described Muldowney as a fierce competitor who took no prisoners during her career. He has held 17 racing championships and eight U.S. Nationals wins.
Garlits promoted his book, Don Garlits: The Official Auto biography, during the event. The book is available through the museum website. He is a founding member of the NHRA Hall of Fame. A Swamp Rat dragster he built is enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History. He also developed the safer rear-mounted engine dragster.
Muldowney greeted guests under a canopy on the museum grounds. She is a Vermont native who was raised in Schenectady, New York, and now lives in North Carolina. She was the first woman licensed by the NHRA to drive Top Fuel dragsters. Her career spanned from the 1970s to the 2000s. She earned three NHRA Championships and an AHRA championship. Her shirt advertised Shirley's Kids, a nonprofit that helps children in need.
A 1963 Chevrolet Corvette with a 327 cubic inch V-8 engine was on display. Muldowney used this car to start her racing career at tracks like Fonda Speedway in New York. A friend of Muldowney's trailered the vehicle to the show. Signage next to the car detailed its history. Muldowney signed photos for visitors, including one taken of her in the mid-1960s wearing tall boots.
Car enthusiasts displayed various vehicles during the show. Sean Haning brought a 1972 Plymouth Duster with a Twister Performance package. John Morrow of Evansville, Indiana, trailered a 1972 Plymouth Demon with a 340 cubic inch V-8 engine. Alex Karas noted a vintage Plymouth outfitted as a Highway Patrol cruiser with an emergency light bar. Ken Edwards of Saint Cloud waited in the line to meet Garlits, a racer he followed as a teenager. Edwards called the meeting an honor.
The museum has operated since 1976. Garlits joked on Sunday that some people said it would not last two years. The complex preserves the history of drag racing. The event brought together decades of racing history in one location for fans and collectors.
