Tom McEwen
There is probably no man in drag racing history who has driven more different cars than Tom McEwen. From his mother’s Oldsmobile, which he snuck out to race at Santa Ana, to corporate sponsored top fuel dragsters and funny cars, McEwen saw it all in a driving career which spanned nearly four decades. One of the first to realize the value of non-automotive sponsorship, McEwen theorized that “a big following and good performance is better for the sponsor than big wins and no following”. In 1964, the late Ed Donovan called him “Mongoose” after a match race win over rival Don “Snake” Prudhomme, and the nickname was to bring him fame and fortune the rest of his career. In 1969, together with Prudhomme, he formed Wildlife Racing and through a connection at the Mattel Toy Company he negotiated the biggest sponsorship deal of that time in drag racing history. The Hot Wheels team with both drivers racing top fuel and funny cars lasted three years. McEwen’s wits and showmanship were the perfect contrast to the intense Prudhomme; thus millions of Hot Wheels toys were sold. When it ended, McEwen was already prepared with other corporate sponsors who supported his racing efforts into the 1990s. Despite his apparent carefree lifestyle, a little-known fact is that he spent countless hours visiting kids in hospitals and raised thousands of dollars for the Leukemia Society in memory of his son Jamie. He won dozens of big races but perhaps, he will best be remembered for bringing drag racing into thousands of homes which had never heard of it, helping make it the major sport it is today.