Book Review: Don The Snake Prudhomme, My Life Beyond 1320
Name of the book: Don the Snake Prudhomme, My Life Beyond 1320.
ISBN: 978-1-61325-518-6
Binding: Hardcover with dust jacket
number of pages; 192
Year of first publication: 2020
Author: Don Prudhomme with Elana Scherr
Who is Don Prudhomme?
Drag racing star Don Prudhomme has always been a figure. The man known as the Serpent seemed remote, always focused on his race car and chase points. He had great respect for the man, but didn’t know much about him other than his win/loss stats.
All that changed after reading this book. Not your typical running biography. Instead, he feels like someone turned on a tape recorder and asked Snake to describe everything he can remember from his racing career. The result is an honest exploration of one of drag racing’s biggest stars; and how he evolved. It’s all here: the good, the bad, and a lot of things you didn’t know before.
Prudhomme doesn’t hesitate to admit when he’s made mistakes, whether it’s stealing a transmission from a junkyard or not following the advice of others.
Friends made, friends lost
He’s not afraid to talk about the friends he’s made and the friends he’s lost over the course of the chase for championship points. There are times when sincere regret shines through his words. There are many things he would change if he could.
Which is not to say that Prudhomme isn’t justifiably proud of what he accomplished. He takes the reader on a dizzying journey through the history of drag racing, from his initial runs in a drag club; become a hired driver; to finally control his own team. We see him hug funny cars; halfheartedly at first, then going all out to dominate the class.
Prudhomme explains his return to top fuel and his time as team owner. I found it fascinating to see how the Serpent went from being a humble dyslexic kid to being a world champion. I can’t yet claim that I personally know Don Prudhomme, but he is no longer a man of mystery. The man behind the legend has been revealed.
More than a coffee table book
This looks like a coffee table book, but it doesn’t read like one. If you jump in and just read small excerpts here and there, you’ll eventually get frustrated, because the book is designed to read like a complete story from cover to cover. If you start in the middle, you will find yourself lost, as Prudhomme often refers to points made earlier in the book.
If you’re expecting a multitude of lavish full-page photos, you’ll be disappointed. Photos are plentiful, but most appear to be small images reproduced from Snake’s personal scrapbook. Some were taken by professionals, but most are simple snapshots. That’s not a bad thing, though. He had not seen most of these private images, and the amateur photos add to the intimacy of the stories.
Beyond drag racing
Prudhomme is quite humble in the book, and he is quick to point out the many people who encouraged him along the way. While the book deals with Prudhomme’s career, it tells of many other racing legends with whom he was associated or faced in competition. The Snake talks about Tommy Ivo, Roland Leong, Keith Black, Ed Pink, Chris Karamesines, Kenny Bernstein, Raymond Beadle and many other drag racing celebrities. There are several short memoirs written by high-profile racers recounting their memories of Prudhomme.
Prudhomme has also found friends in many other forms of motorsports. The Snake had the opportunity to interact with Formula 1 drivers Niki Lauda and Jacky Stewart. He recounts his meeting with Enzo Ferrari and how the older Ferrari invited Prudhomme to one of Lauda’s test sessions. Prudhomme also had friendly encounters with racing luminaries such as AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Carol Shelby, Dan Gurney and Cale Yarborough. Former NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace contributed to the advancement of the book.
Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen
No biography of Prudhomme would be complete without recounting his friendship with Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen. This might be my only criticism of the book. Prudhomme’s career was so intertwined with McEwen’s that he would have thought there would be more Mongoose anecdotes. Prudhomme gives McEwen full credit for developing the wildlife racing program, as well as sponsorship from Hot Wheels.
Prudhomme also shines a light on the infamous 25th annual US Nationals, where he faced McEwen in the final. Still, I would have liked more details of his relationship with McEwen.
Although most of the book examines Prudhomme’s career activities, it would not be complete without describing his personal life. We see Snake overcome a troubled childhood and learn how his wife and daughter helped keep him sane and strong.
Elana Scherr is credited along with Prudhomme as the author. Scherr is a contributing editor for Car and Driver and is a freelance automotive writer. She has competed in the NHRA Sportsman classes, so she is well suited to help Prudhomme tell his story. It’s hard to tell which words are Scherr’s and which are Prudhomme’s, but the writing is authentic and reliable.
If you want to relive the golden age of drag racing, this book should be on your shelf. I read it in a couple of days and I intend to read it again. It brings to life a sport and a way of life that no longer exists. If you only read one racing book this year, make sure it’s this one.
