Don prudhomme snake mongoose book

Massey went on to win the 2009 nhra rookie of the year award. And when i would say don the snake prudhomme, you would get people that were c. Prudhomme won four nhra funny car championships during his 35year career, and was also the first drag racer to exceed 250 mph. Tom mcewen january 14, 1937 june 11, 2018 was an american drag racer who was a winner of the national hot rod association nhra u. While prudhomme said he didnt know that the snake and mongoose film was in the works while he was restoring the haulers, he couldnt not let the producers use the trucks. Ask even the most casual of motor sports fans who the biggest name in drag racing is and you are almost always sure to hear one name don the snake. Now, reprinted for the first time in nearly 40 years, six seconds to glory makes its read the full article. These two men still hold two of the most hallowed nicknames in drag racing history, the snake and the mongoose. I was the lucky guy who grew up playing with the hot wheels cars of don prudhomme and tom mcewen and today can pick up the phone and call either of them on a. This book tells of behind the scenes stories of how the mattel hot wheels sponsorship changed the lives and careers of don prudhomme and tom mcewen, as well as the business of the sport of drag racing.

Master writer hal higdon spent the race weekend shadowing prudhomme during a race that was the turning point in the snakes dominating funny car racing career. One of mcewens top funnycar rivals was don prudhomme, a lanky driver from. Mcewen had earlier pitched the idea of a snake and mongoose hot wheels set. Like everyone else in california, prudhommes under a stayathome order during the coronavirus pandemic the damndest thing ive ever seen out here but the winner of 49 nhra national events and. Don prudhomme, snake and mongoose, nhra drag racing, auto racing, top fuel dragster, drag bike. Winter rod show to feature snakemongoose movie writer. Motorbooks international also published tom madigans book mongoose vs. This is the official facebook page for don prudhomme snake racing. Written by tom madigan, 160 pages and published in 2009. It is the inspiring tale of two revolutionaries whose battles on the track stood in stark contrast to deep and profound friendship. Don prudhomme, on the other hand, was a big winner. Drag racing has enjoyed some colorful personalities over the decades but few can rival the aura of don the snake prudhomme. How a rivalry changed drag racing forever, written by tom madigan.

Back in 1969 thru 1971 i worked part time at capitol raceway in md. But for all the hooplah about african american history and digging up dozens of people that i mi. Don prudhommes pepsi challenger 1982 pontiac firebird trans am funny car. Don and co have gone to the trouble of completely recreating their. Author hal higdons exciting account of the 1973 nhra u. Yknow, i thought i was one of the biggest snake and mongoose fans in. Ok lets continue on with our visit to don prudhommes snake racing hq. Why is don the snake prudhomme the most famous drag. Starting as an ownerdriver, he received the nickname the mongoose in 1964 from engine. Prudhommes brilliant reaction times had earned him the nickname the snake, so mcewen. Born in 1941, californian don the snake prudhomme earned the best win record in the nhra with his greerblackprudhomme top fuel dragster. New don the snake prudhomme snake and mongoose xl large logo tshirt hot wheels. New don the snake prudhomme snake and mongoose xl large logo t shirt hot wheels. Snake and mongoose the untold story of how southern california drag racers, don the snake prudhomme and tom the mongoose mcewen combined with corporate giants to change the face of sports and ultimately became the most famous rivalry in racing history.

But it wasnt until toymaker mattel entered the picture and made the snake and mongoose funny car rivalry a hot wheels promotion that drag racing became a multimilliondollar business. Get the best deals on don prudhomme nhra fan apparel and souvenirs when you shop the largest online selection at. Prudhomme also teamed up with carroll shelby as shelby autos announced the limited production of the shelby super snake prudhomme edition gt 500. Prudhomme secured sponsorship support from wynns for the 1969 season and again set out on his. Described by mecum as one of the most historically significant automobiles in nhra history, the pepsi challenger holds the distinction of being the first funny car to top 250 mph in the quartermile and the first to make a pass in less than 5. A storied rivalry put drag racing on the map the new. Don the snake prudhommes birthday is next week, april 6. Alan paradise produced a documentary about legendary drag racing stars don prudhomme the snake and tom mcewen the mongoose for mattel, wrote a book about them and. Ethnic background is not something that is usually recorded when discussing participants in this activity. Nationals, shadowing don the snake prudhomme all the way to the winner,s circle, became not only a mustread but a mustown book for any diehard fan of drag racing. Don the snake prudhomme movie tamrazs parts 800 442. Tom the mongoose mcewen and don the snake prudhomme are retired american drag racers who had one of the most interesting rivalries in the history of the sport. Car builder don prudhommes snakes nest pt2 speedhunters. Along with his rival and friend, don prudhomme, mcewen convinced mattel to sponsor them as a drag racing team, where they became known as the snake and the mongoose, respectively.

These guys put the underground sport of drag racing on the map when they teamed up in 1969 with mattels then new hot wheels toy line. The book covers the 1973 nationals held in indianapolis, a race in which prudhomme was battling for his first funny car season. In nature, the snake and mongoose are the deadliest of enemiesgenetically encoded to eternally fight to the death without mercy. The film also discusses how both drivers brought drag racing into mainstream with the mattel hot wheels sponsorship. Tom mongoose mcewen upsets don the snake prudhomme in the final to win his first u. Don prudhomme nicknamed the snake, is an american drag racer. Prudhomme has logged 45 seasons in drag racing, as a team owner. With jesse williams, richard blake, ashley hinshaw, kim shaw. Hot wheels redline club release limited edition numbered 05506 of 0 hall of fame the snake vs the mongoose tom mcewen don prudhomme funny car set. For orders to canada and other international locations, please contact don prudhomme racing for shipping options via phone. Don snake prudhomme hot wheels top fuel dragster 8x10 nhra. Don prudhomme s early career is documented in the book, six seconds to glory by hal higdon.

Tom the mongoose mcewen, 19372018 news car and driver. I was near the safety crew at the time so jumped in the back of the safety. Its more than that, though, its a book about how drag racing went from an. Mongoose how a rivalry changed drag racing forever. Original snake and mongoose haulers head to auction. In the 1960s, drag racers don the snake prudhomme and tom the mongoose mcewen were the biggest stars in a sport that was virtually unknown. A storied rivalry put drag racing on the map the new york times. Racing champions 1973 plymouth cuda funny car the snake iii don prudhomme black limited edition to 3, 200piece worldwide 164 diecast model car 1. This book tells of behind the scenes stories of how the mattel hot wheels sponsorship changed the lives and careers of don prudhomme and tom mcewen. Prudhommes start and his mattelhotwheels partnership with tom the mongoose. I grew up wanting the mongoose and snake drag race set, and finally got a way overpriced one in the 90s which is in my garage, and the remake version. Tracing the careers of the drag racers don prudhomme and tom mcewen known to fans as snake and mongoose a new film spans the early days of the sport and how a major sponsorship changed it.

They developed an offtrack friendship and an ontrack rivalry. Don the snake prudhomme is heartbroken following the death sunday of best friend, business partner and racing rival tom the mongoose mcewen. Madigans book not only details drag racing in california during 60s from match racing to. See more ideas about snake and mongoose, car humor and funny car drag racing. They probably could have done the movie without the dodges, but the trucks were a big part of the hot wheels days, prudhomme said. Prudhomme and mcewen were veterans of the west coast drag racing scene in the mid1960s.

Beginning in the 1960s, the nature of that dynamic was. The snake and mongoose prudhomme and mcewen fed off each other, they really did. Don the snake prudhommes birthday is next week, april 6 like everyone else in california, prudhommes under a stayathome order during the coronavirus pandemic the damndest thing ive ever seen out here but the winner of 49 nhra national events and four titles is far from inactive. One high bid would have been enough to take home the original transporters used by don the snake prudhomme and tom the mongoose mcewan, along with prudhommes original rapid transit 1970 plymouth cuda and a reproduction of mcewans. The untold story of how southern california drag racers, don the snake prudhomme and tom the mongoose mcewen combined with corporate giants to change the face of sports and ultimately became the most famous rivalry in racing history. The snake and the mongoose the american society of. It would take teamwork between these rivals and a canny corporate partner to put drag racing on the map.

Don prudhomme nhra fan apparel and souvenirs for sale ebay. Weve already looked in detail at most of the funny cars in the shop, so lets check out this special vintage cartruck race setup and parts of dons memorabilia collection. Don the snake prudhomme is heartbroken following the death sunday of best friend, business partner and racing rival tom the mongoose. By almost anyones definition, it was an ambitious lot. Snake and mongoose is an inspirational and heartwarming film about don the snake prudhomme and tom the mongoose mcewen, the greatest rivalry and friendship in drag racing history. Snake and mongoose haulers and funny cars dont meet. According to mittendorf, the book is about 50 pages and tells a story. Rivalry that helped turn pastime into a profession the. How a rivalry changed drag racing forever tom madigan isbn. Tom the mongoose mcewen and don the snake prudhomme.

Don the snake prudhomme retires after nearly 50 years in. He is ranked at number 16 on a list of the 50 most significant drivers of nhras first 50 years. Don prudhommes early career is documented in the book, six seconds to glory by hal higdon. Book don prudhommes early career is documented in the book, six seconds to glory by hal higdon. Don prudhomme snake racing, 1232 distribution way, vista. The snake and mongoose prudhomme and mcewen fed off each. Tom mongoose mcewen, left, and don snake prudhomme first met in 1958 and were lifelong friends from that point until mcewens death on sunday at the age of 81. During the late 1960s, they revolutionized the nhra drag racing circuit as well as entertainment sports marketing when they attracted mattels hot wheels division to sponsor them. The early career of don prudhomme is captured in this spinetingling account of the 1973 nationals at indianapolis raceway park. You might know prudhomme from the 1970s hot wheelssponsored snake and mongoose funny car rivalry that pitted his yellow hemi.