Any good stories about watching or meeting a Famouse Mopar "God"

[Maxwedge]

Well any stories about Meeting Herb McCandless, Ronny Sox, Dick Landy or even a Tom Hoover, Richard Petty...anyone?

[tlh101]

Got to help Don Gartlits push his dragster onto a trailer in '70 or '71 .

[GaryS]

Got to share a urinal at the race track with Richard Petty. We talked a little racing while we took care of things. Yes, he goes like everyone else.

[Larry S.]

I went to Garlit's Drag Race Museum a few weeks ago. Big Daddy was gone to New England for the match race with Shirley Muldowney just my luck. :blast: We did get to meet Don's mom though, wonderful lady with some great stories about Big Daddy growing up!

[K Rich]

Talked to "Maverick" with the Lil Red Wagon A100 wheelstander at Carlisle once.

[Frank]

Met Don Garlets twice. Once at Englishtown, N.J. the day he flipped his dragster at the Summer Nationals, and a second time at the Museum in Ocala, Fl.

Got to chat briefly. He was very friendly, both times.

IMO, he's still THE MAN.

I also talked with Joe Amato at E'town for about 15 minutes. That was way back when he was still running alky. He was just plain friendly, too.

[PaulCampbell]

I used to go to Gulfport Dragway when I was a teenager in the late 70's. Garlits was one of the few who would stop what he was doing between rounds and awnser some of my freind and myself's stupid questions. Been to his museum in Ocala and he is still a nice guy. But I still wont buy one of his autographed burnt pistons,blower shrapnel or used slicks for $400 bucks.

[larrys dart]

I was at don's museun in july of this year . meet his mother also. super lady . don 's got a nice place too.

[Frank]

Originally posted by PaulCampbell
But I still wont buy one of his autographed burnt pistons,blower shrapnel or used slicks for $400 bucks. [/B]

Agreed, lol.

[SHO-ME]

I work @ Godman Hi-performance, the Tenneessee Bo-weevil is on the showroom floor. Gartlitts calls here alot to talk to the boss.

[turbododge]

My Dad (was a Chrysler parts manager) used to sell Tom Hoover his parts when he was running a 392 hemi, front engine dragster. The Hoover's owned a couple of local wheel alignment shops. Met Tom and his father George, many times at the dealership and at the wheel alignment shops. George was the engine builder and a very bright guy. Tom Hoover aligned my cars many times over the years, between race trips.

[prostock]

Wife and I hung out with Darrell in his trailer. Sat in Darrell's car in 97 when Dale Eicke had the deal. A friend of mine worked for Dale that year, so we had lots of access to everyone.

Also spent some time with Allen, Roy, and I can't remember his mother's name Johnson several years ago. All nice people.

[David D]

Got to talk to Garlits a couple of years ago for 30 minutes on the phone, and he callled me! The rest of the story is this. I was doing a little trade work for this wannabe speed shop owner, drag racer and liar. He had this old Garlits dragster chassis, a real museum piece, never updated front engined car with stamping on it of DG1968333. He'd tell everyone it was Swamp Rat XII and that he (the wannabe) was going to break Don Garlits speed record with it. Further, he'd carry on about how he used to make $10,000 a week end running it in NHRA & IHRA outlaw, and doing open grudge racing, and he and Don were great buddies. You get the idea. Well, he'd carry on and on but he was all mouth and no action so I'd thought see what if I could find the truth, I was looking to see if wannabe could tell the truth about anything. I e-mailed the web master of Garlits museum web site and told them about the the car, gave the serial number, and asked if they had ever heard of the wannabe. Included my name, E-mail address and phone number. A couple of weeks go by and one evening the wife and I are watching TV when the phone rings. Voice on the other end asks for me and I'm thinking great, a salesman, then his next words are,"This is Don Garlits." I about sh$t. Nice guy, asked all kinds of questions about the car and informed me that it was one of his chassis, a customer car with no significant history. That's my story.