" Blazin Hot Wheels"
Limited-Edition Print of 350 (13x19) signed and numbered by the Artist.
When "Big Daddy" Garlets blew his car in half at Lions in 1970 nearly severing his right foot, his long stay in the Hospital was made a little easier with daily visits from old friend Tom McEwen. The "Goose" would stop by daily to visit "Big" bringing him Sci-Fi Magazines to read, and even staying to watch "Star Trek" reruns on TV.
"Big" was already crafting his return to Drag Racing by envisioning a working Rear-Engined Dragster, making sure that future explosions would be all behind him...
Connie Swingle who actually built the car would say "It's not a Rear-Engine car, the engine is where it always was, we just located the driver in front of it."
So everyone by now knows the story of "Big Daddy's" trial and tribulations trying to make the new set-up work properly. What is a less known fact is, that after "Big" perfected the new R.E.D. chassis the next one he built was sold to the "Goose." McEwen could see the writing on the wall, knowing that if "Big" figured out how the make the new R.E.D. combination work, that would be the new wave in Drag Racing.
So sure enough, McEwen received the "Sister" car the "Big Daddy's" ride, he took it to Bakersfield and promptly Won the 72 "March Meet."
The car seen here in it's "Hot Wheels" livery had a ground clearance of 6 inches. The car was built this way to be able to perform across the country at Drag Strips that didn't have Pit areas as nice as the tracks in California. The car had to be able to clear bumps, pot holes and train tracks without bottoming out.
McEwen ran this same car for the next few years, next as the Red "Carefree" Gum car, and then as Revell's "Navy" car, with the wings and nose updated as needed.
It was certainly a well built sturdy car that saw more than it's fair share of Drag Races. After Tom parted company with the old steed, it vanished into the fog of lost race cars, never to be seen again...
