Columnist Larry Dixon: Snake has been a great role model

Larry Dixon

Friday, April 5, 2002 | 11:05 a.m.

Larry Dixon, driver of Don Prudhomme's Miller Lite Top Fuel dragster, is writing a daily column exclusively for the Las Vegas Sun in conjunction with the third annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Yesterday I mentioned that this year's 2002 NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series marked the 40th anniversary for our team owner Don "The Snake" Prudhomme. When I stop to think about everything he has accomplished in his career as both a driver and now a multi-car team owner, it is really remarkable.

I remember back when I was a kid, going to watch my father, Larry Dixon Sr., race his Top Fuel car. I have always been a fan of Top Fuel and my personal favorite was -- and still is -- "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. But it was impossible not to notice Snake and what he was doing in his Funny Cars. He was truly a superstar of the sport to me as a kid, so you can imagine how astounded I was when I first began working for him in 1988.

A lot has changed for the Snake since he won his first major event in 1962. The comparison between his racing operations from then to now is like night and day. Snake used to drive the tow vehicle himself, taking the racecar from race to race. Then, once he got there, he didn't have a complete team to help him. Snake would do the majority of the work on the car, tune it, get in and drive it, get out, tow it back to the pits and start all over again.

For the majority of Snake's career, there were only a handful of NHRA national events at places like Indianapolis, Pomona, Columbus, Englishtown and Gainesville. The rest of the races were regional events throughout the West Coast, in addition to his legendary match races against the likes of Tom "Mongoose" McEwen.

When you look at the record books and see where guys like Snake rank on the win lists and things like that, you can only imagine how many wins he would have and where he would place on those lists if they had more than seven or eight races a year and participated in 20-plus race seasons like we do now.

I sat down the other day with Snake and my teammates Ron Capps and Tommy Johnson Jr., who both drive Skoal Racing Camaro Funny Cars for Snake. We asked Snake about his career and what made him the most proud when he looked back at his time in drag racing. It was hard not to get a sense of how much Snake loves the sport. He is totally passionate about every detail of it from how good the cars are running, to the flooring in the pit area.

But the one thing he said that made him the happiest was that he had built a business that was able to provide a great lifestyle for not only us as drivers, but for the other 40 employees at his race shops in Vista, Calif., and Indianapolis.

Snake has made my dreams come true, giving me the opportunity to do what I love most in racing cars for a living. Beginning in 1988 when I was washing oil pans in Snake's shop to where I am now after eight years as a Top Fuel driver, I have loved every minute of it and wouldn't change a thing.

Because of his faith in me and his help over the years, I have been able to achieve a lot of my goals. Racing helped me meet my wife, Ali, and provides for our family.

In addition to all the things Snake has taught me at the track, perhaps the most important lesson I have learned from him is that if you want something bad enough, you can make it happen.