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Big Daddy and I
By Todd Hutcheson
I never helped Don Garlits to win any races or championships. Never helped him in the pits or around the track. Never spent time with him away from the drag strip. I have only seen him race a dozen times.
I did buy his book, ‘King of the Dragsters’. And he did sign it, “To Todd Hutcheson, from Don Garlits.” And I actually spoke to him…twice, “Hi Mr. Garlits…” or so I remember.
But Big Daddy Don Garlits and I shared an historic moment that started the change in the design of future dragsters. I never told my Dad or my racing Uncle, George “The Stone Age Man” Hutcheson, anything about it. I would have gotten trouble for it.
I saw Big Daddy in the pits. Lots of people were hanging around his rail the ‘Wynns Charger’. For a great man he was very polite to the lookers and souvenir photographers. He answered all questions and kept working on his Swamp Rat. My Dad with the camera said, “Don…” and he looked up, smiled and the photo was ours. He went right back to work. He loved Drag racing, and the fans loved him, and Big Daddy understood this relationship with all the fans.
He was indeed the best. From his first big win in 1955, (I was 3 years old at the time), to this moment at Lions Drag Strip, California, March 1970. He wasn’t a Rock Star or a Hollywood celebrity type, no he was much better. He was alone in his craft. At the top. There are other great drivers and engine wizards like Jerry Ruth, Keith Black, Larry Dixon, Ed Pink, Jim Davis, Chris "The Greek" Karamesines, Don Prudhomme, James Warren, Roger Coburn and Chuck Holloway, Mickey Thompson, Tom McEwen; Beebe & Mulligan to name a few. All great men of timing and speed with exceptional skill. They were all a major part of the history of Drag Racing. But Don Garlits was and will always be King of the Dragsters. And I knew it.
Uncle George was there to race in this big meet at Lions Drag Strip. He was not driving his ‘Stone Age Man’ AA/FD. He was doing the driving for The Syndicate AA/FD. Garlits was there. Many others teams were there hoping to go head to head with Garlits. My Uncle is one of three of my personal heroes. My Mom & Dad and George. The three greatest people in my life. George overcame terrible odds in his youth and became a self-made winner. He is still my hero and friend.
Don Garlits was cool headed, family man, and a mixture of great courage and a humble attitude. A man in the history books. Wow! Kind’a like Neal Armstrong, first man on the Moon; or Charles Limburg, the aviator. At the top.
Where do Big Daddy and I share history? I was there when it happened. It was time for Garlits and his Swamp Rat. I was standing right next his lane choice. There was a spot at Lions Drag Strip where you could stand very close to the staging lights. Heavy boards stood about four feet high behind a chain-linked fence. That spot is where I stood. He was close. It was very loud. My Uncle taught me to open my mouth and breathe so my ears would not hurt standing so close to the monster engine at full scream. Why? Because to cover your ears was for little girls and wimps. I was neither.
Garlits did a full throttle burnout. It was wonderful! I was close enough to feel the heat from his headers as he passed by. Just before he did his final staging, Big Daddy looked at me and gave me the ‘V’ for victory sign. I waved back and smiled biggest. He may have been waving to the hundreds of fans on their feet behind me, but than again, maybe not. It was my moment with Don. But there was more to come.
I heard some guy behind me say, “Hey kid, you’d better get back.” No, not me. I’ll stay until Big Daddy is long gone. I wanted to be as close as I could get. This was Don Garlits. This was his drag racing. Whaaap! Rup! The Swamp Rat spoke loud and clear. Garlits was down to business. He rolled gently to the lights. I looked right into his facemask. Whaaap! The engine Rpm’s went up and the amber lights came down.
Whaaaaaap! Boom! The concussion from the blast hit me and hot oil splattered on my face and chest. Last thing that I saw was the Swamp Rat broke in half and the back end with Garlits in it flipped up and forward. The blast pushed me backwards and my fingers let go of the fence. I wasn’t hurt, just stunned. My ears rang and I did a mental check of my health. People rushed past me to see the spectacle of what had happened.
“Is he alive? What happened? Did you see that? My God, look at that! You OK Don?” These were the things I heard from the rushing crowd. There was no way I could fight my way back to the front to see for myself. There was oil on my arm and oil spots on my Pit Pass. I too was hurt, hurting for Don Garlits. Things happened fast. I worked my way back to the pits. I ran into my brother Jay and than my Dad.
“Did you see what happen to Garlits?” I looked up and said, “Yea, I saw, is Garlits OK?” The talk was more like nervous chitchat. Question with no answers, confusion and fear for Big Daddy Garlits. I was in shock and fearful that I might say, “Are you kidding, I was right there. I saw it all. I got hit with hot oil and stuff. Man-o-man it was like a bomb!” But I said nothing of my personal brush with Don Garlits. It was a horror of a time to think of. I could have been hurt. I had better not say anything. My Uncle came up and said Garlits was on his was to the hospital. He had hurt his foot really bad. George had the inside track information. He always did. He explained all that had happened and we headed back to our cars. For the long drive back to the Valley, I kept thinking about Don Garlits ‘V’ signal to me. For that short moment in time we connected. I never told anyone how close I was to Garlits terrible accident.
With his injury and time to recover, Don Garlits re-designed the classic behind-the-engine cockpit dragster into the much faster and safer forward cockpit racer of today. Garlits went on to bigger wins and be a thicker part of history. I wish I could have seen him again later in life, but I went on to my own few lines of history. That’s the thing about Big Daddy, he never gave up. He redesigned his rail and moved on. And every driver and pit crew benefited from it. That’s the way Don Garlits was. An evolutionary and revolutionary in one. All this from his hospital bed in Tampa Florida.
I have e-mailed this story to 74 year old George “The Stone Age Man” Hutcheson. It will be the first time he hears of my close encounter that warm afternoon March 1970 at Lions Drag Strip. Hope I don’t get in trouble…
Big Daddy and I
Part of Todd Hutcheson stories
In “The Time of My Life”
1995
Todd Hutcheson Photo-Graphics
Lynnwood WA
1 (425) 778-7578
hutchphoto@netzero.com
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