I was just finishing editing a piece on Don Garlits for the Gazette and had to share this photo. It's Bobby Phillips, Don Garlits, Pat Garlits and Ed Garlits with Swamp Rat 1 in Sebring, FL in 1957 at the Florida State Championships. Garlits had Top Time and low ET but broke the transmission in the final.
Check out the kid in the back to the right with a pack of smokes! or is it a can of Beer??? Cool picture.
Exactly. I have a pit p*** from Bakersfield from 1962. They were basically a parts tag with printing on them.
Is there a reason I can't see the photo? I love the Garlits Museum and seeing all the old photos, esp. ones from the Tampa area, I grew up just south of there.
Does that guy in the front and on the right ( in the pic) have a scar on his upper arm? If that's a scar there's probably a good story behind it. Neat picture, reminds me of the childhood I never had!!
In living color! Denise: I can post a few more tomorrow possibly. The others are no where near as cool.
Here is a shot of Garlits when I was the flagger at Golden Triangle Drag Strip in Florida. Look in the background and you see why they called him the swamp rat.
Origional Swamp Rat was Francis Marion. He'd pop up out of the swamp and kick *** then vanish again. Kinda like Garlits did.
The Jalopy Journal
