{"id":12930,"date":"2010-10-14T22:28:53","date_gmt":"2010-10-15T05:28:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/?p=12930"},"modified":"2013-06-10T00:32:56","modified_gmt":"2013-06-10T07:32:56","slug":"drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/","title":{"rendered":"Drag Racing Legend Tribute: Don The Snake Prudhomme"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mr_social_sharing_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- Social Sharing Toolkit v2.2 --><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myrideisme.com%2FBlog%2Fdrag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myrideisme.com%2FBlog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F10%2FMongoose-funny-car.jpg&amp;description=Drag+Racing+Legend+Tribute%3A+Don+The+Snake+Prudhomme\" class=\"pin-it-button\" count-layout=\"none\" rel=\"lightbox[12930]\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/images\/PinExt.png\" title=\"Pin It\" \/><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><fb:share-button type=\"button_count\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\"><\/fb:share-button><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-count=\"horizontal\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\" data-via=\"myrideisme\" data-text=\"Drag Racing Legend Tribute: Don The Snake Prudhomme\"><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><div class=\"g-plusone\" data-size=\"medium\" data-annotation=\"none\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\"><\/div><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a class=\"mr_social_share_email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Drag Racing Legend Tribute: Don The Snake Prudhomme&amp;body=https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-sharing-toolkit\/images\/icons_small\/email.png\" class=\"nopin\" alt=\"Email\" title=\"Email\"\/><span class=\"mr_small_icon\">Email<\/span><\/a><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"linksalpha_button linksalpha_link\" href=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/social\/mobile\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\" data-text=\"Drag Racing Legend Tribute: Don The Snake Prudhomme\" data-desc=\"Drag Racing Legends Maybe before cats and dogs started their bitter rivalry, there was Snake vs Mongoose. I'm not talking about Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, I mean two of the best known drag racers ever to lay it all on the starting line: Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen. Back before corporate sponsorship made\" data-image=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Mongoose-funny-car.jpg\" data-button=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/images\/social_share_button.png\" alt=\"Share\" class=\"linksalpha_image\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/scripts\/loader_iconbox.js?v=2.4\"><\/script><\/span><\/div><h3>Drag Racing Legends<\/h3>\n<p>Maybe before cats and dogs started their bitter rivalry, there was Snake vs Mongoose. I&#8217;m not talking about Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, I mean two of the best known drag racers ever to lay it all on the starting line: Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen. Back before corporate sponsorship made some racers professionals, drag racers were innovators and possibly daredevils who no doubt, <strong>did it for love<\/strong> and a heaping dose of quarter mile glory. Why else would Snake and Mongoose travel the country for &#8220;grudge matches&#8221; that paid not much more than gas and beer money? It wasn&#8217;t until McEwen convinced Mattel (the first non-automotive drag racing sponsor) that &#8220;Wildlife Racing&#8221; and this &#8220;bitter&#8221; rivalry (actually between friends) would sell scores of Hot Wheels that drag racing became both lucrative and a common household discussion.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/barracuda_funny_car.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[12930]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12934\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 4px;\" title=\"Snake Prudhomme's Barracuda funny car\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/barracuda_funny_car.jpg\" alt=\"Snake, Don Prudhomme, Barracuda, funny car\" width=\"301\" height=\"216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/barracuda_funny_car.jpg 301w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/barracuda_funny_car-150x107.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/barracuda_funny_car-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><\/a><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Mongoose-funny-car.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[12930]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12936\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 4px;\" title=\"Tom &quot;The Mongoose&quot; McEwen\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Mongoose-funny-car.jpg\" alt=\"Mongoose, vintage, funny car\" width=\"260\" height=\"161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Mongoose-funny-car.jpg 260w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/Mongoose-funny-car-150x92.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 260px) 100vw, 260px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>But that&#8217;s just part of the story!\u00a0 Head down to the Peterson Automotive Museum for their <strong>NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder<\/strong> where Don &#8220;The Snake&#8221; Prudhomme will be joined by Tom &#8220;The Mongoose&#8221; McEwen, Roland Leong (Hawaiian funny car fame), &#8220;TV&#8221; Tommy Ivo (Actor and racer of some nasty multi-engined hot rods), Carroll Shelby (needs no intro!) and Ed Pink (engine builder for Snake and just about every winning racer back then). A once in a lifetime experience for $150 on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010.<\/p>\n<p>Details of who, what, where below are courtesy of the Petersen Automotive Museum:<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"highslide\" onclick=\"return vz.expand(this)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/match-race-snake-mongoose.png\" rel=\"lightbox[12930]\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12935\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 4px;\" title=\"Event info for the &quot;Match Race&quot; between Snake and Mongoose\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/match-race-snake-mongoose.png\" alt=\"Petersen Museum, Event,Snake, Mongoose\" width=\"575\" height=\"744\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/match-race-snake-mongoose.png 575w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/match-race-snake-mongoose-115x150.png 115w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/match-race-snake-mongoose-231x300.png 231w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/match-race-snake-mongoose-400x517.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>(LOS ANGELES, October 1, 2010)<\/strong> Petersen Automotive Museum is celebrating the opening of the exciting new exhibit, NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder by paying tribute to one of the sport\u2019s most iconic figures \u2013 Don \u201cThe Snake\u201d Prudhomme \u2013 during their annual Tribute Night on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Match Race Madness Panel Discussion<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The day will begin with the 2 p.m. panel discussion, Match Race Madness, featuring drag racing\u2019s greatest rivalry: Snake vs. Mongoose. Prudhomme will be joined by arch-rival Tom \u201cThe Mongoose\u201d McEwen to tell the tales of their days of traveling the United States from race track to race track, their much-publicized grudge matches, the business partnership they formed called, \u201cWildlife Racing,\u201d and their pioneering work in non-automotive sponsorship with Mattel\u2019s Hot Wheels.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>An Evening with Don \u201cThe Snake\u201d Prudhomme<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>At 5:30 p.m., An Evening with Don \u201cThe Snake\u201d Prudhomme will begin. A cocktail hour with Prudhomme, McEwen, and honored guests Roland Leong, Tommy Ivo, Carroll Shelby, Ed Pink and many others will be followed by a fabulous dinner buffet. Special guest Dave McClelland, the Voice of the NHRA and longtime friend of Don Prudhomme, will be the Master of Ceremonies. The evening will continue with a short film featuring The Snake\u2019s history and several other drag racing icons will share their stories of the legend. A live auction of amazing racing memorabilia will follow with proceeds going to the Petersen\u2019s educational programs. Guests will also be able to preview the items that will be in the Bonham\u2019s and Butterfield\u2019s Motorcycles and Memorabilia auction on Saturday, Nov. 13.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>If that\u2019s not enough, guests will also be the first to see Petersen Automotive Museum\u2019s newest exhibit, NHRA: Sixty Years of Thunder. This exciting new exhibit will cover the history of the National Hot Rod Association, from its early creation as a way to get street racing off of the public highways and on to sanctioned drag strips, through six decades of nitro, tire smoke and thunder. Guests will have an experience rich with historic photography, exciting videos, interactive displays and of course, race cars with the combined power output of 50,000 horses! This exhibit opens at the gala and runs through May 29, 2011.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Tickets<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12937\" style=\"border: 2px solid black; margin: 4px;\" title=\"NHRA Tribute Night -buy tickets\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/NHRA-tribute-banner-buy-tickets.jpg\" alt=\"NHRA, petersen, NHRA, snake, mongoose\" width=\"575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/NHRA-tribute-banner-buy-tickets.jpg 582w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/NHRA-tribute-banner-buy-tickets-149x42.jpg 149w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/NHRA-tribute-banner-buy-tickets-299x84.jpg 299w, https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/NHRA-tribute-banner-buy-tickets-400x112.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 582px) 100vw, 582px\" \/><br \/>\nTickets for An Evening With Don \u201cThe Snake\u201d Prudhomme are $125 each. Tickets for the Match Race Madness panel discussion are $50 each. A combined ticket for both events is $150, a $25 savings. Special pricing is available for certain levels of Petersen Automotive Museum Membership. For more information call (323) 964-6325, or to buy your tickets on-line, go to <a title=\"Automotive Museum\" href=\"http:\/\/www.petersen.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.Peterson.org<\/a>. Event proceeds support the Petersen Automotive Museum\u2019s educational and cultural mission.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Honoree: Don \u201cThe Snake\u201d Prudhomme<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>In the early days of his drag racing career, Don Prudhomme worked as a crew member for drag racing icon \u201cT.V.\u201d Tommy Ivo. In 1962, Prudhomme achieved his first Top Fuel win at the Smoker\u2019s March Meet in Bakersfield, California.  From 1962 through 1964, Don teamed up with Tom Greer and legendary engine builder Keith Black, and built the famous Greer, Black &amp; Prudhomme Top Fueler (on display in NHRA: 60 Years of Thunder) which won nearly every west coast event. Prudhomme went on to drive Roland Leong&#8217;s &#8220;Hawaiian&#8221; Top Fuel dragster, and won his first NHRA race, the 1965 Winternationals in Pomona, California. He then switched to Funny Cars in the 1970s and won four straight NHRA Funny Car World Championships between 1975 and 1978 and had seven NHRA U.S. Nationals wins. He was the first Funny Car driver to go 5 seconds in the quarter mile and the first to top 250 mph.<\/p>\n<p>Don Prudhomme\u2019s quick reaction times earned him the nickname, \u201cThe Snake.\u201d He teamed up with his friend and rival, Tom \u201cThe Mongoose\u201d McEwen to form the team \u201cWildlife Racing,\u201d and they were hired by track owners to race each other in grudge matches around the country. But the real money came when they were sponsored by Mattel&#8217;s \u201cHot Wheels,\u201d the first non-automotive sponsor in NHRA history.<\/p>\n<p>The Snake last raced on his \u201cFinal Strike Tour\u201d in 1994, but stayed active in other areas of the sport. Until his retirement earlier this year, Don \u201cThe Snake\u201d Prudhomme was a car owner running a Top Fuel Dragster Team and two Funny Car teams. Prudhomme has 49 career wins as a driver, and 59 career wins as an owner.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>National Hot Rod Association<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Nestled in the quiet community of Glendora, Calif., just minutes east of downtown Los Angeles, is the world&#8217;s largest and loudest auto racing organization, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Since it was founded by Wally Parks in 1951, NHRA has been dedicated to safety while providing millions of racing fans with The Extreme Motorsport: the fastest and most spectacular form of entertainment on wheels.<br \/>\nWith 80,000 members and more than 35,000 licensed competitors, NHRA is a thriving leader in the world of motorsports. Parks initially started NHRA as a means of getting hot rodders off the streets and on to legal drag strips. Since those early days, NHRA has evolved into the largest promoter of professional drag racing in the world. Today, with more than 300 dedicated employees, NHRA offers drag racing opportunities for hot rod enthusiasts of all levels, from kids ages 8-17 in the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League all the way up to the top of the Professional ranks with the organization&#8217;s NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.<\/p>\n<p>NHRA is moving just as fast in popularity with auto racing fans. Second to only NASCAR in terms of attendance, fan appeal, and sponsorship commitment, NHRA is moving quickly into mainstream America.<\/p>\n<p>NHRA is all about diversity. With more than 20 categories of competition, including Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle at the Professional level, to a multicultural array of high-octane personalities it calls world champions; NHRA thrives on unique competitors accomplishing unique achievements. For example, in 2008, Hispanic racer Cruz Pedregon won the NHRA Funny Car world championship, and Ashley Force Hood and Melanie Troxel became the first female winners in the Funny Car class.<\/p>\n<p>Participation on and off the track has made the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series one of the most popular forms of racing, reaching thousands of fans, members, and sponsors a quarter-mile at a time.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Petersen Automotive Museum<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. The Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles.  Admission prices are $10 for general admission adults, $5 for seniors and students with ID, and $3 for children ages 5 to 12. Museum members and children under five are admitted free. Covered parking is available for $2 per half hour with an $8 maximum for Museum visitors. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm. For general Museum information, call 323\/930-CARS or visit the Museum\u2019s Web site at: <a title=\"Automotive Museum\" href=\"http:\/\/www.petersen.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.Peterson.org<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mr_social_sharing_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<!-- Social Sharing Toolkit v2.2 --><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"http:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.myrideisme.com%2FBlog%2Fdrag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme%2F&amp;media=&amp;description=Drag+Racing+Legend+Tribute%3A+Don+The+Snake+Prudhomme\" class=\"pin-it-button\" count-layout=\"none\"><img border=\"0\" src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/images\/PinExt.png\" title=\"Pin It\" \/><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><fb:share-button type=\"button_count\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\"><\/fb:share-button><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-count=\"horizontal\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\" data-via=\"myrideisme\" data-text=\"Drag Racing Legend Tribute: Don The Snake Prudhomme\"><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><div class=\"g-plusone\" data-size=\"medium\" data-annotation=\"none\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\"><\/div><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a class=\"mr_social_share_email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Drag Racing Legend Tribute: Don The Snake Prudhomme&amp;body=https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/social-sharing-toolkit\/images\/icons_small\/email.png\" class=\"nopin\" alt=\"Email\" title=\"Email\"\/><span class=\"mr_small_icon\">Email<\/span><\/a><\/a><\/span><span class=\"mr_social_sharing\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"linksalpha_button linksalpha_link\" href=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/social\/mobile\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/drag-racing-legend-tribute-don-the-snake-prudhomme\/\" data-text=\"Drag Racing Legend Tribute: Don The Snake Prudhomme\" data-desc=\"Drag Racing Legends Maybe before cats and dogs started their bitter rivalry, there was Snake vs Mongoose. I'm not talking about Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, I mean two of the best known drag racers ever to lay it all on the starting line: Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen. Back before corporate sponsorship made\" data-image=\"\" data-button=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/images\/social_share_button.png\" alt=\"Share\" class=\"linksalpha_image\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/www.linksalpha.com\/scripts\/loader_iconbox.js?v=2.4\"><\/script><\/span><\/div><p>Email Drag Racing Legends Maybe before cats and dogs started their bitter rivalry, there was Snake vs Mongoose. I&#8217;m not talking about Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, I mean two of the best known drag racers ever to lay it all on the starting line: Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen. Back before corporate sponsorship made some racers professionals, drag [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[384,19,378],"tags":[446,286],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12930"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12930"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23978,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12930\/revisions\/23978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myrideisme.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}