Washington state drag racing legend Walt Austin passes away at 84
Washington state drag racing legend Walt Austin passed away Monday, Sept. 18. He was 84.
Walt took over his father’s business, Walt’s Radiator, at a young age after his father passed away unexpectedly. He grew the business into the hugely successful Walt’s Radiator, Muffler, and Brakes with 34 retail locations in Washington and 12 wholesale warehouses across the country. Walt was an incredible entrepreneur and businessman.
As the founder of Walt Austin Racing, he accumulated 78 NHRA national event wins and hundreds of NHRA Divisional wins with sons Pat and Mike and four Top Alcohol Funny Car world championships with Pat, and then had a huge hand in helping his grandson, Drew, win championships and race in NHRA’s Hot Rod Heritage Series.
Austin was well known for many of his technological advances in the sport, including the nitro Ford engine that powers Drew today.
Austin will be inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame next March.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sharon, and his three children, Debi Hoberg (Pete), Mike Austin, and Pat Austin (Keila), 6 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren with two more on the way and by siblings Dee, Jan, and Dennis (Bucky).
