Which driver is known as 'Big Daddy' in drag racing?

The drag-racing driver known as “Big Daddy” is Don Garlits. The Florida racer is widely regarded as one of the sport’s foundational figures and is especially celebrated for transforming Top Fuel dragster design.

Garlits became famous both for his performance and for his engineering work. After a 1970 crash severely injured his foot, he developed the rear-engine dragster layout that placed the driver ahead of the engine, transmission, and much of the rotating hardware. His Swamp Rat XIV helped prove the arrangement could be competitive, and rear-engine dragsters eventually became standard.

His career included three NHRA Top Fuel championships, in 1975, 1985, and 1986, along with championships in other sanctioning organizations. He also won 144 national events. The nickname “Big Daddy” refers to his stature in drag racing’s history and his larger-than-life reputation, not to a separate racing class or a particular car.

Another nickname associated with Garlits is “Swamp Rat,” which he used for successive dragster designs. That name belongs to his cars, while “Big Daddy” identifies the driver himself. His museum in Ocala, Florida, preserves many of those machines and artifacts.