Don Garlits with Art Malone driving… Hello, Another time, another place, same characters… Don Garlits and Art Malone. We were two hours away from our home dragstrip, Lion’s Dragstrip. The drive out to Riverside Raceway in December of 1959 was well worth the 4 a.m. wake up call and on the road at 6. Gibbs Photo Back on the West Coast at Riverside Raceway in December 1959 Three months later, in March, 1960, we were on the road at 5 am for another long drive up to Bakersfield, CA. It was for the 2nd annual Smokers March Meet. Most of the top compe***ors in drag racing were in attendance and it was like a giant party of racers and their sleek race cars. "Don returned to Bakersfield for the March Meet again in 1960, with Art driving. As was commonplace for Art and Don, they ran top speed of the meet. In doing so, they also set a new Standard 1320 record of 185.56 mph, beating their own Standard 1320 record held since August of 1959 of 183.66 mph set at Sanford, Maine." Art Malone in Don Garlits’ FED at Bakersfield 1960. Jnaki Bakersfield Smokers March Meet 1960
Glen Stokey Lion's Dragstrip Hello, What would a record setting B/Dragster motor do in an A/Altered Fiat Coupe? Those Reath Automotive sponsored racers swapped motors, just to see what would happen. The Bixby Knolls racers had a powerful A/A Fiat Coupe that we saw at the huge 1959 Riverside Raceway East vs West drag race event. It was fast, looked great and had ties to the local speed shop, Reath Automotive. Bruce Rasner, Tom McEwen and Reath Automotive A/A FUEL ALTERED 1959 1959 Riverside Raceway Glen Stokey 1959 Lion’s Dragstrip Glen Stokely B/Gas Dragster Cl*** Jnaki Together, the power of the 671 supercharged motor in the lightweight Fiat Coupe body made perfect sense to set records at Lion’s Dragstrip.
This car has been reproduced by the son of the original builder. He's been hitting most of the SoCal drag races with it. It even runs. It's flat head Ford powered, sitting sideways, in case anyone's interested. Hope to see it and him at the Antique Drags today in Irwindale. Mike
The Jalopy Journal
