1969 Swamp Rat XIII

During a match race, the frame on SR 12-B was damaged. Don Garlits and TC Lemons rushed back to Seffner, Florida, to build a new car, Swamp Rat 13. As they pulled in, Connie Swingle (the team's ace welder) was leaving. They explained the problem, but Swingle said that he couldn't help out this time as the 'King fish were running!'

Don & TC tried to build a car in a few days for the 1969 NHRA Springnationals but ran out of time. Swamp Rat 13 was a good car, it won the 1969 Smokers US Fuel and Gas Championship at New York National Speedway. It was there that TC and Don decided to install a two-speed transmission. At Long Beach, CA, for the 1970 AHRA Grand American, in the final against Richard Tharpe, the transmission exploded, cutting the car in two and severing Garlits'right foot. Garlits sold the wreckage to TC and Connie Swingle, who repaired the car. They took #13 on tour, and Don joined them at Bristol, TN, for the AHRA Spring Nationals. He made one run in the car for them, setting Top Time and Low ET in the process. Garlits had returned. He drove for TC for the rest of the year on percentage. During the fall of 1970, TC sold the car. Garlits spied the car at Bradenton a few years later, purchased it. He and TC restored the old girl back to 'the way she was' in 1970, the day of the 'Accident.'