Don "The Snake" Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320

Don
Author: Elana Scherr
Publisher: CarTech Inc
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2020-10-16
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1613255187

Don "The Snake" Prudhomme reveals for the first time ever his incredible life and career on and off of the drag strip.

Imagine spending a year with Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, having coffee together and talking about his life, his racing, his friends, and his family. He’d tell you about how he rose from being a high school drop-out who was painting cars to a respected Top Fuel dragster driver and successful businessman. You’d hear how he toured the country with Tommy Ivo and "The Hawaiian" Roland Leong, racing all the legends from "Big Daddy" Don Garlits to "The Golden Greek" [Chris] Karamesines. He'd say how he met Tom McEwen and recall how they became the Snake and the Mongoose, leading to a career in Funny Cars that netted him four championships in a row. He'd talk about the thrill of first wins and owning his own teams but also the struggles of bad seasons, crashes and fires, broken parts, and broken contracts. Along the way, he’d speak about the people in his life, such as engine-builder Keith Black and NHRA president Wally Parks, and those who were killed in the wild and unpredictable sport of nitro racing. It wouldn’t be only racing, though. Prudhomme would share lessons he learned about business and life from such varied sources as a neighbor in Granada Hills to Ford GT40 driver Dan Gurney. He also would talk about the importance of family: how his wife, Lynn, and daughter, Donna, changed his world and how finding out about his African-American roots opened his eyes to a culture and inheritance he’d always wanted. This is the experience you’ll get in Don "The Snake" Prudhomme: My Life Beyond the 1320.

Bonneville

Bonneville
Author: Louise Ann Noeth
Publisher: Motorbooks International
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2002-05
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 9780760313725

Describes the history and tradition of the Bonneville salt flats and the speed records that have made history.

Drag Racing in the 1960s

Drag Racing in the 1960s
Author: Doug Boyce
Publisher: CarTech Inc
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2021-03-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1613255829

The 1960s were a fascinating decade on the race scene. Relive the memories today through this wonderful new book. Drag racing has a long and storied history. Many have said that the first drag race happened shortly after the second car was made. While that may or may not be true, racing prior to World War II was mostly centered around dry-lake activities and top-speed runs. After the war, drag racing became organized with the formation of the NHRA, and during the 1950s, many tracks were built across America to accommodate the racers. Technology in the 1950s centered on the manufacturers updating old flathead designs into newer overhead-valve designs, and the horsepower race really started to heat up. In many forms of racing, the 1960s brought technological evolution. The decade began with big engines in even bigger stock chassis and ended with purpose-built race-only chassis, fiberglass bodies, fuel injection, nitro methane, and blowers. Quarter-mile times that were in the 13-second range in the beginning of the decade were in the 7-second range by the end. New classes were formed, dedicated cars were built for them, and many racers themselves became recognized names in the sports landscape. In Drag Racing in the 60s: The Evolution in Race Car Technology, veteran author Doug Boyce takes you on a ride through the entire decade from a technological point of view rather than a results-based one. Covered are all the classes, including Super Stocks, Altered Wheelbase cars (which led to Funny Cars), Top Fuelers, Gassers, and more.

Fuel and Guts

Fuel and Guts
Author: Dave McClelland, Tom Madigan
Publisher:
Total Pages: 270
Release:
Genre:
ISBN: 9781610609388

American Drag Racing

American Drag Racing
Author: Robert Genat
Publisher: Motorbooks
Total Pages: 156
Release: 2001
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 9780760308714

Top fuelers, funny cars, super stocks, pro stocks and fuel altereds star in this look back at the evolution of drag racing from 1955 to present. Modern color photos are accompanied by the stories of those who drove the cars at dragstrips across America.

The History of the Nhra World Finals

The History of the Nhra World Finals
Author: Nhra Publications
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2014-10-09
Genre:
ISBN: 9781502514080

In 2014, the National Hot Rod Association celebrates the 50th World Finals, the traditional season-ending drag race on the NHRA tour. Since 1965, the World Finals has determined NHRA's season champions, often under dramatic circumstances. In this spectacular book produced by the editors of National Dragster magazine, you'll relive every moment. Whether your World Finals memories include Shirley Muldowney's tremendous triumph in 1980 or "The Run" by Tony Schumacher more than 25 years later, if you're a drag racing fan, this book is for you.

Hubert Platt

Hubert Platt
Author: Allen Platt
Publisher: CarTech Inc
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2019-05-15
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1613253974

Webster's Dictionary lists the term showman as "a notably spectacular, dramatic, or effective performer." In the art of drag racing, Hubert Platt checked all boxes. Known as the "Georgia Shaker," Platt cut his motoring teeth on the long straightaways and twisty back roads of South Carolina while bootlegging moonshine. After a run-in with the law in 1958, Platt transferred his driving skills from illegal activity to sanctioned drag racing and began one of the most dominant runs in drag racing history until his retirement in 1977. After stints in 1957, 1938, and 1962 Chevrolets, Platt's next ride was a Z11 Impala, which carried his first "Georgia Shaker" moniker. Once Chevrolet pulled out of sanctioned racing, Platt found a new home with Ford for 1964 and remained there until he hung up his helmet. Some of the cars he campaigned became icons in their own right. His factory-backed and personal machines included a 1963 Z11 Impala, 1964 Thunderbolt, 1965 Falcon, 1966 Mustang Funny Car, 1967 Fairlane 427, 1968-1/2 Cobra Jet, 1969 CJ Mustang, 1970 427 SOHC Mustang, and 1970 Boss 429 Maverick. A 1986 NHRA Hall of Fame member, Platt's lasting legacy on the sport can’t be denied. Whether he was launching his Falcon with the door open, conducting a Ford Drag Team seminar, or posting low E.T. at the 1967 US Nationals in his Fairlane, Platt's imprint on drag racing was all-encompassing. His son and biggest fan, Allen Platt, shares his dad's iconic career in, Hubert Platt: Fast Fords of the "Georgia Shaker"!

Drag Racing

Drag Racing
Author: Timothy Miller
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009
Genre: Automobiles, Racing
ISBN: 9781554074464

Looks at the history of drag racing, pioneers and personalities of the sport, and the different types of car classes.

Pro Stock Drag Racing

Pro Stock Drag Racing
Author: Lou Hart
Publisher: Enthusiast Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2010-11-15
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 9781583882726

“What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday” pushed Detroit's Big Four (GM, Ford, Chrysler and AMC) to produce selected factory-built production cars with gutted trim, lightweight frames stuffed with high cubic-inch powerful engines with modified fuel systems. Rivalries quickly flourished as Detroit's finest teams battled out across the country for supremacy. Factory-backed legends Dick Landy, “Dyno” Don Nicholson, Sox & Martin, Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, Bob Glidden, Wally Booth, Paul Blevins, Richie Zul, Warren Johnson, “Akron” Arlen Vanke, Billy Stepp, Gapp and Roush, Bill Carlton, Butch Leal, and many others from Jr. Stock to the giants of Pro Stock, come alive in this photo gallery of Pro Stock Drag Racing.

John Force

John Force
Author: Erik Arneson
Publisher: Motorbooks
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2009-04-04
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 9780760335666

The stars of the drag race circuit may be 6,000-horsepower nitro-burning drags cars, but the 300-miles-per-hour superstar of the sport is funny car racer John Force. John’s popularity is about more than his career record. His honest and consistently outrageous demeanor have endeared him to the fans, made him a favorite with Jay Leno and FOX’s “The Best Damn Sports Show,” and has led him to be dubbed the "best interview in sports today." Force has been the face (and mouth) of drag racing for the past decade, and he shows no signs of slowing down, on or off the track. This revised and updated photo biography by veteran race reporter Erik Arneson covers the rags-to-riches story of Force’s rise from a penniless racer to a multi-team effort that includes his high-profile daughter Ashley (the 2004 Driver of the Year and Rookie of the Year). Force’s is the story of a career built on sheer will and determination--the tale of a racer who, with unstoppable drive, guts, and savvy, overcame lousy equipment and little backing to become the best.