The Snake: Don Prudhomme – Auto Racing

One of the first hot wheel cars that I remember owning was a replica of “The Snake” funny car. The real car was driven by Don “The Snake” Prudhomme the first man to ever pass the 250 M.P.H mark in a funny car. Now that my friends is fast. Faster than any of us would […]

One of the first hot wheel cars that I remember owning was a replica of “The Snake” funny car. The real car was driven by Don “The Snake” Prudhomme the first man to ever pass the 250 M.P.H mark in a funny car. Now that my friends is fast. Faster than any of us would every imagine trying to accomplish, but than “The Snake” is not us. He is truly a man that was built for speed.

At the age of twenty he started his >motor-sports racing career in Bakersfield California by winning his first top fuel race. Than almost thirty years later he passed the 300 M.P.H mark at the age of fifty-one in another top fuel car, becoming only the third person at that time do have done so.

In the seventies when I was collecting hot wheels and dreaming of driving as fast as my car would take me, an epic battle would take place on Wide World of Sports once a year. “The Snake” vs. “The Mongoose” (Tom McEwen) would become a race of immortals and legends for my young friends and I. In less than six seconds the race would be over, but we would reply the event on our neighborhood street until the moon rose. If I remember correctly, “The Snake” came away with the victory on most occasions.

Now at the age of 65 he is still involved with racing as owner of Don Prudhomme Racing and still racing champions. There are still times when I dream of racing against “The Snake”, but know that when the time came I would not hit the pedal as Mr. Prudhomme was so successful at accomplishing. My only regret is that I no longer have that Snake hot wheel car.