Volume II, Issue 12, Page 10
(Above) A magnificent collection of classic front-engine dragsters, most sporting early Chrysler Hemis between their taut frame rails, enjoys a center-stage presentation at the museum. Among those represented are Don Prudhomme, Connie Swingle, Chris Karamesines, Pete Robinson, John Wiebe and Connie Kalitta.

Words and photos by Ian Tocher - 12/03/07

If you’ve ever traveled through Florida via I-75, you’ve no doubt noticed Don Garlits’ Museum of Drag Racing, hard beside the Interstate at the southern edge of Ocala. From the exterior it’s just another flat, nondescript, commercial-looking structure, but venture inside and there’s a treasure trove of drag racing oddities, trivia, failures, breakthroughs, losers and winners to discover. For anyone with even the slightest interest in straightline racing history, Garlits’ museum is a “must-see” attraction in the Sunshine State, ranking right up there with Disney World, airboat swamp rides, Cape Canaveral and glass bottom boats.


Robert Peters built this unique front-engined rail in 1954, starting with a Model T frame welded to metal tubing. A 1951 vintage 331 c.i. Chrysler Hemi provided the motive power after being boosted by a front-mounted GMC 6-71 supercharger, all cobbled together by Peters at his Denver, CO, garage.

Of course, Garlits is “Big Daddy,” arguably the best-known drag racer in history, the man who changed the face of the sport by making rear-engined dragsters competitive. His racing accomplishments are far too extensive to list here, but career totals include 17 world championships, 144 national-event wins, eight U.S. Nationals Top Fuel titles and  in 2001 he was voted number one on NHRA’s Top-50 Greatest Drivers list.


A shining example of willingness in the past to experiment is Swamp Rat XXVII, jointly built in 1981 by Garlits and SCS Gearbox in Bellevue, OH. The idea behind mounting the blown 454 c.i. Hemi “Sidewinder” style was to take advantage of the engine’s torque to aid in traction. The car ran a best time of 6.20 seconds and top speed of 230 mph.

That Garlits was long-time sponsored by Dodge, extending even after he hung up the helmet, just makes the museum that much more relevant and special for Mopar diehards. If a complaint could be made, it would be that there’s just too much to see in what is a significantly large show space—but that just leaves something new to discover on subsequent visits.