Don “the Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen were the honored guests at the 2012 NHRA Breakfast at the SEMA Show, which attracted a record crowd that gathered to hear the behind-the-scenes stories involved in the production of the Snake & Mongoose movie. Emcee Bob Frey, left, again did a splendid job of orchestrating the many colorful tales

The “Snake's” restored Hot Wheels Barracuda Funny Car and the replica "Mongoose" Duster that opened the doors to corporate sponsorship in drag racing were on display.

Perhaps the largest crowd in recent memory attended this year’s NHRA Breakfast at the SEMA Show.

Executive producer/scriptwriter Alan Paradise and producer Robin Broidy provided background information about the the motion-picture project.

At the end of the program, the participants gathered for a group shot just as fans began mobbing the stage for photos and autographs.

The 2012 edition of the annual NHRA Breakfast at the SEMA Show featured legendary rivals Don Prudhomme and Tom McEwen, who discussed the forthcoming Snake & Mongoose motion picture that depicts the story of not only their many accomplishments on the racetrack, but also their pioneering marketing ventures with Mattel Hot Wheels that changed the landscape of professional drag racing. The movie’s official trailer, which gave hints of the exciting combination of archival footage and re-created scenes, was shown to the huge overflow crowd and drew a very favorable response.

Prudhomme and McEwen were obviously very thrilled about the project, and it didn’t take much prodding from emcee Bob Frey for them to offer many humorous anecdotes that delighted the audience.

After McEwen recalled how he was given the “Mongoose” nickname by Ed Donovan, Prudhomme said, “Actually, Tom wanted the ‘Snake’ name, but it was already taken.”

When asked if there were any parts in the movie that they had wanted changed, McEwen said, “In the beginning, they had me as a drunken, no-good husband, and the cameras were following Don to church every Sunday, so we had to fix that. The one thing that didn’t get changed that I wanted was to have more wins.”

Said Prudhomme, “There’s one part in the movie where Tom is giving a girl some jewelry, and Tom complained, ‘I wasn’t a womanizer.’ I just looked at him and said, ‘Tom. Please.’ I think my next project is going to be writing a book about the real dark side of the ‘Mongoose.’ ”

Of their relationship, Prudhomme said, “I think everyone knows I was a real hard-nose drag racer, a lot like Don Garlits. Tom was, well, a little different. But as long as he got his way and I got my way, we got along fine.”

Prudhomme recalled their earliest days: “Tom would drive up in a real fancy car because he had money, and here I was working in a paint shop.” McEwen said, “Well, things have gone full circle since then. I live in a house trailer, and Don lives in a castle. He sends me some money every now and then when I really need it.”

Both were serious, however, when they talked about their input for the movie. “It was important for us that they got it right, especially for all our drag racing fans,” said Prudhomme. Added McEwen, “I couldn’t believe the effort that went into this. Sometimes we’d be up until 1 or 2 a.m., shooting the same scene over and over again until they got it right. It reminded me of our early days of racing.”

Continued Prudhomme, “And there are some emotional scenes in there that will choke you up. “Especially when we deal with the passing of Tom’s son, Jamie, right before the 1978 U.S. Nationals, where Tom beat me in the final.” Said McEwen, “The filming of that, especially the hospital scenes, was pretty tough. But the kid that they got to play Jamie [Maxwell Perry Cotton] really did a great job.”

Prudhomme gave credit to McEwen for the idea of approaching Mattel as a sponsor. “Tom’s idea was great. It changed our lives and our personalities. And it eventually changed drag racing.”

When a fan asked who among current drivers would be the equivalents of the “Snake” and “Mongoose,” Prudhomme first considered John Force as “the Mongoose,” then said, “Nah.” And while McEwen tried to decide who would be today’s “Snake,” Prudhomme said, “There’s nobody out there. Bad idea.”

Before Prudhomme and McEwen took the stage, Frey talked with executive producer Alan Paradise and producer Robin Broidy about how the project came about and its challenges.

Paradise, who also wrote the script, said, “My original plans were to write a book in recognition of the 35th anniversary of the ‘Snake’ and ‘Mongoose’ Hot Wheels toys. But as I started composing my thoughts, I discovered that the story had many themes that were cinematic — the trials and tribulations of the early days of the careers along with the working relationship between two diverse personalities. It’s been 30 years since the last major drag racing film, Heart Like a Wheel, the story of Shirley Muldowney, has been done. And getting a movie made is more difficult than actually making the movie. But we were really driven by this great story about two friends who were rivals, which often created a love-hate relationship, but they were always there for each other. Don and Tom were very helpful during the production as they were very candid about a lot of things and very accessible.”