Remember toy fads like pogs and silly bandz? The ’60s version was Snake and Mongoose, two real life drag racers who got immortalized in diecast form by Mattel. Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen were elite drag racers, but they also became pop culture icons as drag racing reached peak popularity. Who won more races? Why were people going so far as to get Snake and Mongoose tattoos? And how did they help put Hot Wheels on the map? All that and more, on today’s Past Gas!

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