So, you’re wondering about Don Garlits’ new wife, right? The “Big Daddy” of drag racing, a man who pushed hot rods past 300 miles per hour back when bell-bottoms were cool. He’s got a trophy wife now, and everyone wants the juicy math: how old is she? Well, buckle up, because the numbers are wilder than a top-fuel burnout at 6,000 horsepower.
The Simple Answer (But It’s Not That Simple)
Don Garlits married Pat Perkins in January 2024. He was 92 years young. She was… well, let’s say she’s got a few miles on the odometer herself, just not as many as Big Daddy’s famous “Swamp Rat” cars. Pat is 71 years old. Yes, you read that right: a 21-year age gap.
That’s a big gap, but not in the “gold-digging hottie” way you might expect. Pat is a retired schoolteacher and a former drag racer herself. She’s not some young thing who thinks a Hemi is a kind of sandwich. She’s a car-loving, gear-shifting woman who can probably tell you the difference between a blower and a turbo—while beating you at a light.
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Why This Isn’t Your Grandfather’s May-December Romance
Let’s get real: Don Garlits has been through the ringer. He divorced his wife of 66 years, Pat Garlits (yes, same first name—confusing, I know), in 2021. Then he roared off into the sunset with this new Pat. It’s like he found a model that’s pre-aged to his specific specs.
The jokes write themselves: “How old is his new wife?” Old enough to remember when 200 mph seemed impossible. Old enough to have real Social Security benefits. Pat Perkins is young enough to still drive, but old enough to know not to loan him the car keys. It’s the perfect sweet spot for a man who’s spent his life rebuilding engines: he found a partner who won’t need a new transmission every five years.
NHRA legends Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney go head to head in
Surprising Facts to Impress Your Friends
Here’s the kicker: Pat is actually three years older than Don’s daughter. Think about that at the next family barbecue. “Hey, this is my wife, and also my daughter’s big sister!” The Garlits family tree doesn’t just have branches—it has a whole second trunk growing out of it.
And get this: Pat worked as a nurse and a real estate agent before racing. So she’s got her own cash, her own career, and her own car. Don didn’t marry a pit crew member; he married a co-pilot. Honestly, the real question isn’t “How old is she?” It’s “How did he land a 71-year-old who actually likes his hobby?” Most 92-year-old men are lucky to find a partner who doesn’t want to throw away their vinyl records. Don found one who’ll help him mount slicks.
Big Daddy Don Garlits Is Getting Married, and You Can Go to the Wedding
The Verdict: Age is Just a Number (and a Funny One)
So, is it weird? Absolutely. It’s weird in the best possible way, like a dragster with a tiny front wheel. But Don Garlits never did anything normal. He raced fiberglass cars when everyone said it was dangerous. He broke the sound barrier on the ground. Marrying a woman 21 years his junior who also races? That’s just another victory lap.
Let’s be honest: if you’re 92 and you can still charm a sharp, 71-year-old former racer into saying “I do,” you’ve won more than the NHRA championship. You’ve won life. Pat Perkins isn’t a “young” wife. She’s a perfectly-preserved classic. And for Big Daddy, that’s the only kind of car—or woman—worth taking out of the garage.
So remember: Don Garlits’ new wife is 71. He’s 92. They’re both still faster than your Honda Civic. And that, my friends, is the most surprising fact of all.
