History Project 1320

In light of losing TC Lemons, I thought it might be a good idea to try to get some support for the efforts of Traci Hrudaka and Linda Vaughn,They are working on a series of interviews with the pioneers of drag racing,Known as the 1320 Project. The powers that be may delete this if they like,I just thought I would put this out there for anyone interested,The goal is to preserve the history of drag racing by those who were there.

www.project1320.com

 

Wow!! Thanks for post. click on "Featured Video" and will make you want to stand up and salute the great Men and Women of racing. might shed a tear or two.

 

Thanks for the reply Jalopy Joker I guess Don found Tommy iI’m so sad to report that Thomas C. Lemons, AKA “TC”, “Top Cat” and beloved “Tommy”, passed this morning around 11 AM January 11th, 2012. This marked the passing of one of the sport’s great as this man was there and did it all! The work that he performed on the development of the Rear Engine Dragster cannot be overstated! Tom Lemons, Connie Swingle and myself did the work and each one of us deserve equal credit. I first met TC in 1968, when he showed up at Seffner with Swingle returning from Bixby OK from the Christmas holidays. Soon after, he was my Crew Chief and remained so for many years. For all practical purposes he has been here since that date with exceptions of a few “vacations” now and then over the span of 4 decades. TC was also very instrumental in the start-up of the Drag Racing Museum in Seffner Florida, as many of the older restorations are TC’s work and he spent years helping build the exhibits that we all enjoy today. He spent the last 5 years here on the Museum grounds, living in the “Cabin”, fighting Cancer and winning. However the radiation treatments had got to his heart and it was a massive heart attack that got him in the end. Just yesterday we toured Ocala, saving all the world’s economic and social problems! TC and I are just a little right of Attila the Hun! Today we were to travel to Stuart Florida for a TV Show we were doing tomorrow with Master’s Entertainment. We were to leave at 2 PM and I called over to the Cabin around 1:45 to see if he was ready, no answer, I called again, still no answer! I sensed something was wrong as TC is so punctual! I went to the Cabin, knocked on the door, still no answer, I knew then to expect the worst and there he was, dead in his favorite easy chair! TC is in a better place now as he was suffering tremendously during the last couple of months. TC is survived by his older Sister Wanda Kannady, who lives in MO. He had never been married, nor did he have any Children. God speed, TC Rest in Pease!

Don Garlitsn the "cabin"