It was late November 1970 and “Gang Garlits” - Don Garlits, Connie Swingle and T.C. Lemons - were now almost two months into secretly building a revolutionary rear engine top fuel dragster, Swamp Rat #14, and were facing the biggest problem yet. They could not get the car to make a pass down the track successfully and were ready to just abandon the project. The three of them were reflecting on the situation one late afternoon in the shop.
This was a bad day like so many before.
