Don "Big Daddy" Garlits
Florida Dragstrip Riot 3 & 4 Grand Marshal
What more can be said about the man. Each of this year’s Marshals had something to say about Garlits as a driving force in their careers. In 1967, Brock Yates wrote a book "King of the Dragsters" that immortalized Big’s career up until that time. Since then, his story has become larger then life.
Some of his career mile stones
First to 170MPH 1957.
First to 180MPH 1958.
First to 200MPH 1964.
First to debut and win with a Front Engine Dragster 1971.
First to 240MPH 1968.
First to 250MPH 1975.
In 1986, Garlits was the first to break the 270MPH barrier with a 271.08 MPH.
Winner of 144 National Events.
First to use a bike wheel on the front of a dragster.
Debuts the first winning rear engine dragster in 1971. Changing Drag Racing as we knew it and saving countless lives in the process.
Voted Number 1 Drag Racer in the first 50 years by NHRA's 50year anniversary celebration in 2001.
Harold "Bo" Laws
Florida Dragstrip Riot 4 Grand Marshal
BLP Xtreme Product: our event sponsor. The original Parts and Machine shop on 1015 West Church Street is now a carburetor manufacturer and fuel management parts supplier. The building and the team has been responsible for building some pretty potent cars in the last 6 decades.
Bo started his career racing in a Modified Production 1957 Chevy equipped with a Tunnel Rammed 327. In his own words, the Black and Gold paint scheme was inspired by another legend: Smoky Yunick.
First car in a stable of seven to wear the Bo Laws badge was the 55 Chevy of Roger Vinci's Hilborn Injected 302 4-speed D/Altered class winner.
Most recognizable would be the 1967 Corvette Modified Production originally owned by Bruce Behrens, originally purchased in Goodwood green, the car won a couple national events, the power plant was a factory 390hp 427 backed with a Muncie 4-speed trans, the car held numerous records before NHRA killed off the Sports Production class.
In 1969, Bruce sold the corvette to Bo. That year, the Division 2 crown went to Bo along with a runner-up at the World Finals. In 1970, a 1969 Camaro was built to compete in the ProStock wars. He won his share of Division races and still gets a kick out of trailer-ing the Sox and Martin entry at Hollywood Florida Dragway.
On the license plate of the 69 Camaro read ‘Chrysler Test Car” which was pun to Chrysler early dominance in the Prostock wars and Chevrolet’s emerging success.
In 1983, Bo was elected into the inaugural Southeastern Division 2 NHRA Hall of Fame.
Scotty Mclendon
Florida Dragstrip Riot 4 Grand Marshal
When Scotty Mclendon was 9 or 10 years old, he saw Don "Big Daddy" Garlit's dragster on display at the arcade building in Sulphur Springs, Florida. At that show, the dragster would win a set of gold plated wrenches which Don would display in the front window of his Nebraska Ave. Speed Shop. Scotty’s grandfather always took the long route so Scotty could admire those wrenches through the car window. His grandparents would have lunch regularly at the Goody Goody burger stand next to Massy Motors, where Big’s Super Stock/Automatic Max Wedge was on display. So to say that Scotty was influenced by a legend to become legend himself is an understatement.
Over his teen years, Scotty read Hot Rod Magazine monthly, bragging in high school how he'd be a racer after he graduated. He got his driver license in late August of ‘65 and won his first trophy at the Golden Triangle DragStrip in Oct of ’65.
On any given Saturday or Sunday in Oldsmar's Golden Trangle Dragstrip, you could find the likes of Hubert Platt, Wild Willie Borsch, Big Daddy or Art Malone sitting in the lanes waiting for a pass. His first real race combination was a Modified Production 283 with a Carter AFB Carb with a Duntov cam. Scotty's dad was a real inspiration in his life, helping him build and maintain his first real purposely built race car. Together with his dad, and parts from Bob Tucker’s on West Church St. in Orlando, they would build and imagine many cutting edge performance enhancements.
One of Scotty's greatest memories comes from besting Bo Laws at Sunshine Speedway in the first match up together of their many final rounds through Division 2 over the next couple of decades. Today, he still considers Bo one of his best friends and professional colleagues.
Scotty’s resume includes a US (Big Go) National's win, A 1972 Winternational's E/modified win, 6 National records, East Coast Drag Time Hall of Fame class of 2007, NHRA Southeastern Division 2 Hall of Fame 2016.
Roger Vinci
Florida Dragstrip Riot 4 Grand Marshal
The car was a 1956 Austin Healey 100/4 Roadster. We literally dug it out of a ditch in a field in Apopka. We named it the “Budget Buster” after it drained my bank account. I had just gone into business for myself at Vinci High Performance after a terrific partnership with Bo Laws. Bo taught me so much; I will always be indebted to him for his guidance and confidence in me.
Most people, including track officials, thought the car was a Cobra because of the large fender flairs, built to house the wide slicks. The late Wade Nicholson was instrumental in many of the concepts Vinci High Performance used in the construction. It was truly a product of innovation as it was years ahead of its time.
Bo Laws coined the engine “The Farmall” because of its unusual appearance and very strange sound. A fifty pound clutch/ flywheel combination and 7000 rpm launches supplied the wheel stands which occurred in the first three gears.
After several instances where the doors would pop open on the power shifts, the chassis was strengthened and tubed, which helped to absorb the frequent harsh landings. On one occasion the car stood straight up, all four wheels off the ground, shoving the push bar into the trunk which destroyed much of the front suspension and fenders when it fell. Most gassers at the time had the front ends raised high in the air to raise the center of gravity. Instead of raising the body, we raised the engine 23 inches from the center of the
Richard Stetson
Florida Dragstrip Riot 4 Grand Marshal
I couldn't wait for the track to open in 1966, I believe it was June, on the weekends while the track was being built, a couple friends and I would check the progress out each weekend, and then I would start racing my daily driver in Sportsman.
Carl Weisinger was the track manager at the time and I always told him if he needed any help, I was available. One Saturday, the fella that worked the starting line did not show up and Carl asked me to work. The same thing happened the following week and by the third week, I was the new guy on the starting line.
This was 1980, running around, looking for water, oil, and miscellaneous items on the track, making sure the cars are off the top end and had their safety equipment on.
I enjoy every minute on that starting line. I have met racers and spectators from around the country who come to Orlando Speed World. And I still enjoy working the starting line as if it were my first day there.