The Snake and Mongoose Chronicles: Episode 1 Page #8

Don't fix it if it ain't broken.

- Right, Don?

- Yeah.

- You'd know.

- Here you go.

Right.

Here are the new dragsters.

All right, different cars.

Somehow the same color.

Here, Art. This is our schedule

for the next six months.

Not a lot of dates open for us.

Yeah, well, the NHRA keeps growing,

which is great for both of us.

We can keep racing cars,

and you can keep selling 'em.

I hope so, Tom.

- Me, too.

- I got to get going.

I got a meeting at General Motors.

Yeah.

Hey, Top Fuel cars and funny cars.

That's what you wanted, right?

Sure. I mean, I guess so.

No, you got to play ball, Don.

Come on. Damn it.

And with the smoking

in front of the kids.

They don't care.

Do you love funny cars?

Do you love women

in halter tops and short shorts?

Then you'll want

to be at US-69 Dragway

this Friday night for the ultimate

in racing and good times.

'Cause that's when

Don "The Snake" Prudhomme

and Tom "The Mongoose" McEwen

face off in a best-of-three

match race...

That'll thrill

the acne off your face.

But wait. There's more!

'Cause every Friday

night is fox hunt night,

and all women over 69 get in free.

- Don't miss this one!

- The Snake and the Mongoose!

- Fox hunt Friday night!

- US-69 Dragway!

Be there, or read about it

in the police report.

What the hell's the big emergency?

I don't know.

Spear just said come over.

That's the best you could do, huh?

That's classy, Tom.

- Hit the button, Don.

- Yeah.

You can go right in.

Nice threads, Mr. Prudhomme.

Thanks for coming in.

I thought it only fair

to do this in person.

Have a seat.

What's going on here?

Well, Tom, Don,

Hot Wheels' marketing team

has decided to make some changes.

What kind of changes?

I'm sorry, but Mattel

will not be renewing

our major sponsorship

with Wildlife Racing.

But you said our cars

were your best sellers.

Well, they've both done great.

Times are different.

We're shifting gears, so to speak,

keeping other options open,

and frankly we think

the sales on these cars

- have reached their peak.

- Here we go.

Look, I'm not saying that

we want to pull out altogether.

We'd like to stay on

as a secondary sponsor

for the next year or two.

You guys have been great,

but this is business.

No hard feelings, right?

Well, that was all your fault.

Are you kidding me, man?

You're always bitching and moaning

to Spear about something.

No wonder they're dropping us.

Maybe if you tried to win a race

once in a while, Tom...

- To hell with you.

- ...they wouldn't be so bored with us.

It was always me

who kept our deal on track.

Is that right, Tom? Wow.

I saw this coming.

I already got

another sponsor lined up.

Oh, I bet you saw this coming.

- Beech-Nut Gum.

- Beech-Nut?

You never said anything

about talking to them.

Well, you're always too busy

with the damn cars, Don.

Yeah, Tom, that's how it works.

All right, partner.

Tell me about the deal.

Well, we show them

what we're worth.

This time next year,

it'll be a big payday.

I'm not auditioning

for some chewing gum, man.

You've got to have patience, Don.

You've got to develop relationships.

I've been patient my whole damn life.

Don't preach patience to me.

Oh, you hold on a second here,

Mr. Hotshot.

I got us the Mattel deal.

You remember that?

My idea.

Without me, you'd still be

painting cars with your old man.

You don't think I could do this

without you, huh?

I'd be better off if I did.

I'll tell you what.

I'll get my own deal, Tom.

You race your team. I'll run mine.

This Midlife Racing crap

is over, man.

Well, I was rolling

down the road

In some cold blue steel

I had a bluesman in the back

And a beautician at the wheel

We're going downtown

in the middle of the night

We was laughing and I'm joking

and we feeling all right

Oh, I'm bad...

I'm nationwide

Yes, I'm bad

I'm nationwide...

Unbeaten in one full

year of NHRA competition.

31 times he left that starting

line, never to be defeated.

The winningest driver in the

history of drag racing,

Don Prudhomme!

They sporting short dresses

Wearing spike-heeled shoes

They smoking Lucky Strikes

And wearing nylons too

'Cause we bad

We're nationwide

Yeah, we bad

We're nationwide.

Jamie.

Dad! Dad!

- Dad!

- Hey, what's going on?

- It's Jamie. He won't wake up.

- What?

Mr. McEwen?

Yeah, I'm McEwen.

We've got your son stabilized

for the time being.

- What's wrong with him?

- He's had a stroke.

A stroke? He's just a kid.

How could he have a stroke?

The stroke was brought on

by something else.

Like what?

Do you want to step outside

for a moment?

- Dad.

- Just wait here, son.

I'm sorry.

He has leukemia.

Earlier this week,

Tom's 13-year-old son Jamie

was diagnosed with acute leukemia

and is in serious condition.

With me now is Tom's friend

and fellow racer, Don Prudhomme.

Don, what can you tell us

about young Jamie's condition?

Uh, well, Mike, I...

you're talking about

a real tough situation,

and, you know, we're all feeling

for Tom and Jamie,

the whole McEwen family, really.

Jamie is a real favorite for

all the racers on the circuit.

Thank you, Don.

So there you have it.

The drag-racing community races on,

but its thoughts and its prayers

go out to colleague,

rival, and friends

Torn and Jamie McEwen.

Have you spoken to Tom recently?

No. I tried him a few times.

No answer.

I can't believe how long it's been

since we've seen them.

I sent the boys something

for Christmas.

Oh, that's great.

I'm sure they'll love it.

It's got to be hard with Jamie in

and out of the hospital so much.

Yeah.

Hmm.

You should try him tomorrow.

You might be able to catch him.

- Hey, Jamie!

- Hi, Jamie!

Hey.

- Hi, Mr. Parks.

- Hey there. How you doing?

- How's it going, Wally?

- Good to see you back, Tom.

- Hey, sonny. How you feeling?

- Good.

- You guys know Paula.

- Hey.

Someone told me

you're 'Goose's secret weapon.

Yeah, he's my best man on fuel.

Taught him everything

he needs to know.

Now we're going to kick

some butt, right, Dad?

- That's right.

- That's the spirit.

All right, well, good luck.

Good luck to you both.

- Thanks.

- Good to see you.

Thank you.

And watch out for snakes.

Watch out for snakes.

Hey.

Now you got a fighting chance.

- Ha.

- We're here to beat you, Snake.

Yeah, yeah.

Running the Plymouth again,

I see, huh?

Yeah. Well, she's won

a couple races for me.

Yeah.

I'm out of the Navy deal.

Seems like the old times

are in our rearview.

Nah.

Wouldn't be so sure

about that, 'Goose. Come on.

Wow!

- Never thought I'd see the day.

- Hey. Hey, guys.

Jamie, it's good to see you.

Come here.

- Hi.

- How are you?

- Look.

- What?

- Got no hair.

- Oh, my gosh. Look at that.

Cool.

Nah, he's been a real trouper,

taking it all in stride.

- So when did this happen?

- She looks like she's gonna pop.

A couple more months now.

Ah, can't happen soon enough.

Yeah, you actually did it.

Sometimes your priorities

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