Weather: low 75 degrees, high 90 degrees, partly cloudy skies, scattered showers
In last yesterday's post, I said I was going to try to get out today and do something. By something, I meant different from yesterday, when we were more or less trapped at home because it was so rainy. So, did I get out and do something? I would say so.
I needed to be downtown today, and I happened to see this impressionistic horse in front of city hall. I don't know about everybody else, but some of these statues don't do much for me.
Over the years, we have passed the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing many times. The museum is located south of Ocala at the intersection of I-75 and county road 484. I never went to tour the museum because I knew that it was something that Carolyn probably wouldn't care to do. Today, I decided to go to the museum by myself.
Don Garlits is probably considered the father of drag racing, and he has built a museum that displays not only what he accomplished during his career, but the accomplishments of many other great drag racers. He was the first drag racer to officially go faster than 170, 180, 200, 240, 250, 260, and 270 miles per hour in the quarter mile.
The drag racing museum is chock full of drag racers and memorabilia from Garlits' career, as well as other famous racers. Here's a few examples of the drag racers on exhibit at the museum.
As can be seen, there are all kinds of drag racers here in the museum, including this one that looks more like an old wrecker than a drag racer.
In addition to being nicknamed Big Daddy, Don Garlits was also known as The Swamp Rat because of being from Florida. Several of his drag racers used variations of The Swamp Rat as their names. Like many people who are good at what they do and like it, Don has retired several times, only to come back to competition. His last race was last year when he drove a 2009 Dodge Challenger in the stock eliminator class at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Not bad for someone that is 78 years old.
I'm not much of a fan of racing, but I do appreciate the achievements that these great racers of the past were able to do. Going to the museum was worth the time and effort.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - East Fishkill, New York: A Great Place To Live
Not all who wander are lost.
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