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Don 'the Snake' Prudhomme Day
- Thread starter Bubba
- Start date
Gone Dead Train
Nitro Member
Ken, it was just a play-on-words, you know, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusememt.
Were you there on that Sunday in May of 1971. I was.
Prestaged
Nitro Member
Sorry for the bad information. I was told that was WC and was just repeating that. My bad! On the plus side, we got to see a nice pic of the W-C-M top fuel car.
Gone Dead Train
Nitro Member
Way to go Roger, you got us in trouble...LOL. But I thought it looked like a young WC. I just love the W-C-M digger.
Actually, I wasn't. Ratz.....
Jim, when you mentioned the W C M digger, I thought at first it was Warren-Coburn-Miller. That car was called WCM a lot. And, to this day, I am still blown away by Don Moody running that 5.91 at Ontario in 1972. I was there, drove back to Glendale in a state of shock.
No I wasn't, I would have missed it if I was
, made the 32 car show at PIR.This looks like the Zushhel & Fuller Top Fuel Car around 1964-65 (that's Kent Fuller working on the engine) Not sure if this is San Fernando or not? the background doesn't look right?
glofria
Nitro Member
It does if looking towards the ESE where Lake View Terrace/Hansen Dam area is. Of course, i was just a kid back then, but it sees this photo was taken down track and the car seems to be facing towards the starting line area. Can't tell how high the dirt berm is in the back ground though, so can't say for certain.
Here are a couple of shots from the early days at San Fernando Drag strip, showing the berm on the right side where the spectators' cars are parked.
I started riding my bike to San Fernando with a buddy of mine from North Hollywood around 1959-1960.
I loved that place with all its funkiness. Saw a lot of great cars run on Sundays back then.
Attachments
I'm thinking that shot has a Half Moon Bay look to it. Too much greenery in the hills to be San Fernando. Plus, everyone is wearing jackets. San Fernando could be cool in the winter, but probably not so in the middle of the day.
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Actually, I wasn't. Ratz.....
Jim, when you mentioned the W C M digger, I thought at first it was Warren-Coburn-Miller. That car was called WCM a lot. And, to this day, I am still blown away by Don Moody running that 5.91 at Ontario in 1972. I was there, drove back to Glendale in a state of shock.
Here are 2 shots I took of the Walton-Cerny-Moody Don Long car at the Nitro Revival a few years ago. I last saw the car in 2021.
Bubba
Nitro Member
Thanks for all the great contributions to the thread guys. I was a fan of 'the Snake' beginning in the late 60s when I was barely seven years-old. My first visit to a drag strip was in 1975 when Prudhomme came to Bison Dragways, east of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to match race the Mustang of Bill Schifsky. I will never forget that day. Watching him win Brainerd in 1994, during the Final Strike tour was magical.
BaldyLochs
Nitro Member
What a treasure he is. He also was one of the first people to use reflective decals and sponsor graphics on the race car (in drag cars anyway). When he and Ken B. jumped over to Top Fuel …. there was alot of hubbub about how when people took a photo of his car with a flash camera, the Skoal reflective graphics kind of jumped out at you in 3d. Very business-minded man…. and one of the greatest drivers to ever drag race.
I thought the photo was Fernando, cuz of the car parked on the berm (facing the track). I usta park there all the time. The photo did throw me a bit cuz of the angle, but I was more or less sure it was San Fernando.
OK, trot out ancient war story here. I got out of Air Force in July 1968, and was at Fernando pretty much every Sunday. Toward the end of the year, Prudhomme came out w/ brand new T/F car. Made a half pass, and that qualified him for Top Fuel. I think anything that ran 7.99 or quicker qualified, regardless of class. So, Rd 1, Snake VS Barry Kaplan in the Special K JR/F, small block Chevy. They get about half way down, Snake gets sideways and has to shut off. Kaplan wins! Boy, people talked about that race for weeks.
OK, trot out ancient war story here. I got out of Air Force in July 1968, and was at Fernando pretty much every Sunday. Toward the end of the year, Prudhomme came out w/ brand new T/F car. Made a half pass, and that qualified him for Top Fuel. I think anything that ran 7.99 or quicker qualified, regardless of class. So, Rd 1, Snake VS Barry Kaplan in the Special K JR/F, small block Chevy. They get about half way down, Snake gets sideways and has to shut off. Kaplan wins! Boy, people talked about that race for weeks.
SOB THAT'S A GREAT IDEA! IT JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE MY BIRTHDAY!!
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