Tom "Mongoose" McEwen's 1972 "Hot Wheels" Plymouth Duster. The " Blue Goose" .... Drag Racing Art

Limited-Edition Print of 350 (13x19) Signed and numbered by the Artist. One half of the most famous Funny Car duos in Drag Racing, is Tom McEwen's 1972  "Hot Wheels" Plymouth Duster.  In 1970, Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen, and  Don "the Snake" Prudhomme, formed "Wildlife Racing" and put together a team package to tour the country match racing. McEwen, the even consummate promoter, convinced Mattel Toys to sponsor the team as 'Hot Wheels" cars, touting that ever kid (meaning boys) in the country would go out a buy (or more likely talk their parents into buying) these cars as "Hot Wheels" toys, and he certainly was right about that. Soon "Hot Wheels" sales were through the roof, and the "Snake & Mongoose" became household names.  The sponsorship was huge at the time, being the most lucrative deal in Drag Racing, and it gained the two "Wildlife" racers national attention, on and off the track. Several variations of toys, games, and other merchandise were created of the dynamic