Drag racing

[stephenPE]

Lots of visitors in Gainesville as the 50th Gatornationals cranked up today. My brothers loved that event when they were younger. Don Garlits will be there against Shirley Muldowney I hear. The Snake Prudhome and other old timers.......

To celebrate the 50th year of this iconic event, NHRA’s most beloved figures from the early days of drag racing are coming together for the completion of the NHRA Legends Tour and one colossal blowout. Never before have so many NHRA legends been gathered in one place. Among the drivers expected to attend are “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Kenny Bernstein, Joe Amato, Ed “The Ace” McCulloch, “The Bounty Hunter” Connie Kalitta, and “Big” Jim Dunn.

 

[MADGator]

Lots of visitors in Gainesville as the 50th Gatornationals cranked up today. My brothers loved that event when they were younger. Don Garlits will be there against Shirley Muldowney I hear. The Snake Prudhome and other old timers.......

When I was a kid my daddy and I were regulars at Gatornationals. I collected autographs and stickers. Those drivers mentioned were the big time. Shirley was my favorite in her pink dragster.

 

[Ray Finkle]

 

[bradgator2]

For those who haven’t been to the Don Garlits musuem just south of Ocala on I-75.... I’d highly recommend it. Its WAY, WAY more than just drag racing stuff.

 

[stephenPE]

I gotta get there with my son one day soon.

 

[78]

Was there with Norm Froscher working the 11th and 12th annuals. If you haven't been to an NHRA event, you haven't heard loud. Standing next to a commercial jet is probably a quieter experience.

 

[bradgator2]

I gotta get there with my son one day soon.

Plan on half a day. There is a decent Sonnys BBQ at the exit.

 

[MADGator]

Was there with Norm Froscher working the 11th and 12th annuals. If you haven't been to an NHRA event, you haven't heard loud. Standing next to a commercial jet is probably a quieter experience.

Got there one year just as the dragsters were about to go off; I hurried up to the fence and right before I got there the tree turned green, and I was not prepared. It felt and sounded like the earth was being torn apart. I ran away.

 

[destingator]

I once saw a drag queen drag race

 

[Ray Finkle]

Anyone can tuck and roll. Few can tuck and run.

 

[deuce]

Anyone can tuck and roll. Few can tuck and run.

That's weird but true.......

 

[Thick&ThinG8r]

Lived in the area all my life and had never been until last year, when I received free tickets from marathon which included melloyello pitt passes. They take you right down to the track to a little yellow trailer that turns into two rows of seats literally a few feet from the crew and their posse of hot women. It was awesome and I thought I knew what to expect and was wearing expensive earmuffs.

We were watching the the semifinals from there and the first funny car race the muffs almost rattled off my head and had to hold them on the rest of the time I was down there. The second funny car race one of the cars blew an engine and the body of the car went straight up probably a hundred feet, I really thought the guy was dead, but all the damage was just to the fiberglass body.
It was a hell of an experience and made it real hard to turn down a single ticket last night, but couldn't see attending by myself.

 

[TheDouglas78]

while in high school in the area we got to go on the Thursday before the action and see some prelims and tour the garages and see how it is organized. It was an enjoyable event every year. I was at my family's property on Friday, and you could hear the races which were roughly 10 miles away.

 

[jeeping8r]

Used to live in a little house that was in the area of where Garlits home is now, Believe the slab is still there somewhere. This was in 69. Back then the only building at the 484 exit (exit 341) was a Stuckeys, Building is still there but is now a souvenir shop. Now that area is a %$##$% mess to drive through.
It's the one just before you turn onto the NB lanes off 484
Folks still live about 5 miles from museum.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Which color is SAS and which is Slev?