The Snake and Mongoose Cars Appearing at Pinehurst Concours

Company press release.

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. (April 24, 2014) – Hot Wheels kids who have grown into nostalgic adults are in for a treat at the 2014 Pinehurst Concours d'Elegance.

The Hot Wheels-branded Snake and Mongoose Funny Cars, purchased in January by legendary NASCAR car owner Rick Hendrick, will be a part of the Race Cars class presented by Virginia International Raceway at the second annual vintage auto showcase at Pinehurst Resort on Sunday, May 4.

The yellow Snake (1972 Plymouth Barracuda) and red Mongoose (1972 Plymouth Duster) are part of a rare group of racers accepted into the 2014 Pinehurst Concours that are sure to draw attention from patrons in attendance.

Tickets to the 2014 Pinehurst Concours, including VIP entry to the Putter Boy Pavilion, can be purchased online at www.pinehurstconcours.com, by calling 910–973-6594 or at the Pinehurst Resort Main Pro Shop, Carolina Hotel or Village of Pinehurst Putter Boy Shop. Tickets will also be sold on site the day of the event.

Nitro-fueled funny car drag racers roared into the consciousness of mainstream America in the early 1970s when two of the sport's biggest competitors, Don 'The Snake' Prudhomme and Tom 'Mongoose' McEwen, squared off against each other in match races as the Snake vs. the Mongoose, respectively, in what many consider the most famous match-up in United States motor sports.

The two cars gained popularity again in the summer of 2013 when the movie 'Snake and Mongoose' was released. It portrayed a story of how the two Southern California drag racers combined with corporate giants to change the face of sports and ultimately became the most famous rivalry in racing history.

'In a short time, the Pinehurst Concours has become one of the premier auto showcase competitions in the Southeast,' said Hendrick, whose NASCAR race teams include drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kasey Kahne. 'Don and Tom are icons who took the sport of drag racing beyond its hot-rodding roots. 'The Snake vs. Mongoose' Hot Wheels sets were so popular, and it seemed like every kid had one in their toy box. Being a part of the impressive Race Car class is a special way to welcome The Snake and Mongoose to North Carolina.'

The Plymouth Duster Mongoose car is a replica, while the Plymouth Barracuda Snake car is a well-restored original. In fact, it's the only original in existence.

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Joining the Snake and Mongoose in Class 12 are several significant racing cars, including the following:

• 1969 McLaren M6/GT: The first road-going McLaren super car and is believed to be one of two or three most original McLarens in existence. Essentially, a street legal Can-Am car, the M6/GT is a wild creation conceived from one of the sports most recognizable heroes, Bruce McLaren. The story goes, Bruce would drive his own example of the outrageous M6/GT to work and race meetings. This particular example is the only M6/GT with period race history.

• 1972 BMW 3.5 CSL Group 2: One of the original 19 factory CSL race cars known to have been built. These rare and highly successful race cars are affectionately known as Batmobiles. Drivers of this car include many of the greats of the era including Chris Amon, Dieter Quester, Hans Stuck, Tonie Hezemans, John Buffum, George Follmer and Andy Petery. This car also raced the 1973 24 Hours of LeMans, finishing first in Touring Car class and 11th overall with a 108.4 mph average at 2,609.4 miles completed.

• 1963 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport: The legendary Ray Fox/Junior Johnson Holly Farms No. 3 NASCAR which won seven Grand National NASCAR events more than a half century ago. During Johnson's miracle 1963 racing season, the Hall of Fame driver/owner set a speed record at Daytona with this Chevy and led nearly every race that season. Chevrolet pulled its money from racing sponsorship that season, so Fox and Johnson were forced to fabricate parts on their own to compete and win against factory sponsored Dodge, Ford, Plymouth and Pontiac teams.

• 1957 Snowberger Indianapolis 500 Roadster: A car raced by drivers such as Tony Bettenhausen, George Amick, and 'Tiger' Tom Pistone. It was the last car built by Russell Snowberger for the Indianapolis 500.

The 2014 Pinehurst Concours will kick off a celebrated six-week period at one of the world's top golf resorts, which hosts the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open Championships in consecutive weeks in mid June.

Photo by Tom Jensen