Don "Big Daddy" Garlits sets EV Dragster Record
Despite missing his target of 200MPH in an all-electric dragster, the 87 year-old, drag-racing legend set a new world-record of 189MPH!
Friends and Fans,
Well we didn’t make the 200 MPH goal, as planned, but the test session was very successful! We made four very good runs, 160, 174, 183, and the final, 189.04 MPH, all without incident! During the process, we set new National Electric Drag Racing Association, World Records for Electric Dragsters, speed, 189.04 MPH, and Elapsed Time, 7,235 Seconds. Also, we gathered a tremendous amount of information about Swamp Rat 38 and Electric Dragsters in general!
I now know a lot more about this particular car concerning the wings, tire pressures and weight transfer.
However we had some battery issues and the 189.04 MPH was in fact set with two dead cells in the batteries!
When these cells were replaced, the car left the starting line like a rocket and was on another record-breaking run. But as the case is, with all new experimental equipment, the drive hub on the right rear wheel failed, allowing the left tire to spin, I felt the acceleration fall off and lifted off the go pedal immediately, aborting the run. Repairs could not be made at the strip, so we broke camp and headed home, to make the necessary repairs.
SR-38 is one great car, it turned 189 MPH with two dead battery cells, it will go over 200 MPH and very soon!
Don Garlits
