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It was
November 28, 1895 when 6 cars lined up
 and
started their engines for what is believed to be the first USA auto
race. The 54 mile course from Chicago to Evanston, Illinois was covered
in ten hours. The Duryea brothers, with an average speed of 5 miles per
hour, eventually crossed the finish line first, to collect the top prize
of $2000.
 Auto
racing has come a long way since their early days, and you can learn
many other fascinating stories about racing when you visit Don Garlit’s
Museum of Drag Racing. It is located just off I-75 at Exit 341 in Ocala,
and it offers a look back at a large collection of drag racing vehicles,
classic cars, and racing memorabilia.
 The
first building of the museum features over 150 drag racing vehicles,
including a large collection of Garlits Swamp Rat Cars. Don Garlits used
many of these vehicles during the years that he accumulated 17 World
Champion Titles, 8 U.S. National Champion-ships and a total of 144
National Event Wins. The walls are filled with photos, newspaper
articles and many other types of memorabilia that illustrate how drag
racing has evolved over the last fifty-plus years. The vehicles
themselves are kept in tip-top condition, and they seem to represent
every style and color you could imagine. Each vehicle has its own story
to tell, as documented by the descriptions and photographs that are
displayed around them.
 Another building displays Don Garlits’ Classic Car Collection. This
20,000 square foot building houses about 75 automobiles that cruised the
highways of days gone by. All throughout this area, there are banners,
antique service station signs, and gasoline pumps that were used years
ago.
Just
inside the museum entrance is a complete 1940 living room setting - this
Parlor adds even more nostalgia to the setting. Garlits has assembled a
classic display of Early Fords, Hot rods, and “muscle” cars of thirty
and forty years ago.
 The Cars range from the early 1900s to the 1970s,
and they include a 1926 Model T, a ‘32 and ’34 Coupe, and a ‘36 Ford
Roadster with its original “Washington Blue” color. “Big Daddy’s” (Garlits
nickname) 1950 two-tone Mercury once appeared in the TV series “Happy
Days”, and his 1922 Buick was used in the movie “Cross Creek”. He also
has several 1966 Mustangs and a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona. Older
vehicles include, a 1925 Chevrolet Truck and a 1917 Locomobile.
This
is also the home of the Inter-national Drag Racing Hall of Fame, into
which ten people are inducted each year. Included on the list of
inductees, are Bob and Eileen Daniels of Royal Highlands. They began
Drag Racing in 1955 and still attend reunions, and many other
activities.
Finally, a quarter-mile, brick-lined Walk of Fame displays the names of
some of the museum’s most avid supporters.
To
learn more about the museum, visit their website at
www.Garlits.com
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