Don Prudhomme

Donald Ray Prudhomme (born April 6, 1941, in San Fernando, California), nicknamed "the Snake", is an American drag racer. He won the NHRA FC championship four times across a 35-year career.

Prudhomme was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1991.

Racing career

Early career Prudhomme crewed for "TV Tommy" Ivo on Ivo's twin-engined slingshot in 1960. In 1962, Prudhomme was a partner in the Greer-Black-Prudhomme fuel digger, which earned the best win record in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) history, before switching to Funny Car.

After trouble getting the "vaunted" Gilmore Engineering-chassied Donovan Engineering Special dragster sorted out, Tom McEwen quit, and was replaced by Prudhomme, then owner-driver in the B&M Tork Master-sponsored car. In 1965, Prudhomme faced Hot Wheels teammate McEwen at the Hot Rod Magazine Championship Drag Races, held at Riverside, "one of the most significant drag racing events" of that era; ultimately, Top Fuel Eliminator (TFE) went to Jim Warren.

Around 1972, motorsports promoter Bob Kachler arranged a sponsorship deal with the U.S. Army for Prudhomme's Funny Car, reasoning that a popular racer could help the Army reach young recruits. Artist Kenny Youngblood redesigned the "Snake" logo in red, white, and blue for the Army cars. The arrangement ran through the most productive stretch of Prudhomme's career.

Team ownership Prudhomme retired in 1994 to manage his own racing team. With driver Larry Dixon, Prudhomme's team won the Top Fuel championship in 2002 and 2003. In 2009, Dixon signed to drive the Al-Anabi Top Fuel Dragster, and Spencer Massey took over Prudhomme's car. At the end of the 2009 racing season, sponsorship went away and Prudhomme retired from active racing.

In 2019, Prudhomme sponsored and built the Montana Brand / John Force Racing Top Fuel dragster driven by Austin Prock in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Legacy Accolades Prudhomme was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1991.

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