This Big Daddy Don Garlits autographed and numbered Limited Edition dragster is in excellent condition. This was made by Michael Ricker (now deceased) as part of a special set of Don Garlits dragsters. There were 3 separate pewter dragsters made by Ricker to replicate the early versions of the special Swamp Rat dragster that came to be identified as the Garlits dragsters, that were so influential on drag racing designs. This auction is for the first Dragster in the series and is a version of his swamp rat series. The dragster sits on a wooden beveled block that includes Big Daddy's Signature on a framed metal plate in bold black Sharpie pen with a nice bold signature- Big Daddy Don Garlits. On the back of the block is a small black plate with the printed name and Ricker logo and hand engraved with the number 97/650. Ricker also signed it on the back wheel with his name and date produced. There were 4 pieces all together in the Limited Edition, Signature Series made to commemorate Big Daddy Don Garlits and his dragsters. This one measures 19 ½” x 5 ½” x 5 ½”. A little history: Donald Glenn Garlits (born January 14, 1932, Tampa, Florida) is an American race car driver and automotive engineer. Considered the father of drag racing, he is known as "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. A pioneer in the field of drag racing, he perfected the rear-engine Top Fuel dragster, an innovation motivated by the loss of part of his foot in a dragster accident. Garlits was the first drag racer to officially surpass the 170, 180, 200,[citation needed] 240, 250, and 270 mile-per-hour marks in the quarter mile; he was also the first to top 200 mph (320 km/h) in the 1⁄8 mi (0.20 km). He has been inducted into several Halls of Fame and has won many awards during his career. Garlits has won ten American Hot Rod Association championships, four International Hot Rod Association championships, and three National Hot Rod Association championships, a total of 17. He was age 54 when he won the last. He won a total of 144 national events. On October 20, 1987, his dragster Swamp Rat XXX, the sport's only successful streamlined fueler, was enshrined in National Museum of American History, a branch of The Smithsonian museum in Washington, DC.

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