Funny car’s golden era in the 60s and 70s was largely fueled by the big money that Mattel brought into the sport because of the Hot Wheels brand. No two stars burned brighter then Snake (Don Prudhomme) and Mongoose Tom McEwen. The on track rivalry was fueled by the off track dollars of Mattel and their playset titled Snake and Mongoose which featured a Cuda and Duster drag racing head to head.
The story was so good that there will be a film on the subject. Many feel this era changed sports marketing forever bringing the stars you saw at the sporting events to your living room in collectibles, toys, and other products.
The movie is a small production but it sounds like they have worked hard to make it accurate and exciting for us race fans. Production has wrapped up and while no release date has been given yet, you can be sure we will let you know when that happens.
News Source: NYT via autoblog
Photosource: Snake and Mongoose on Facebook