Don Prudhomme

When you meet Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme in person, he exudes a calm, composed and warm vibe with no indication of what he did for a living.

The reality is he is one of the fastest men alive, with four NHRA FC Championships to his name, as well as being the first Funny Car driver to exceed 250mph!

Global recognition came not just to Don, but to Drag racing in general, when he and Hot Wheels team-mate Tom McEwen became the Snake and Mongoose rivals. The toy versions of their race cars were equally as coveted by a whole generation of young fans, and no doubt propelled everyone involved to fame and fortune.

I arranged to meet Don at our mutual friend Bruce Meyers garage in Beverly Hills, as Bruce owns one of the significant cars from his career, and we thought it would be a great backdrop for the portrait. As it happens, Bruce joined in the conversation which made it only better!

Admittedly I know little about this form of motorsport, but my respect for people that push the limits of speed is immense and to have lived life on that fine line makes Don a real hero to me.

Now I want to have a go….!

JB