Hot Wheels Throwback Livery Honors “The Snake” in Indy

Ron Capps is switching up his style for the upcoming Indy event. His NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra will be rocking a throwback look in honor of his former team owner, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, and the legendary Hot Wheels NHRA Funny Car. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Prudhomme’s big win at the 1973 NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Ron Capps, the reigning NHRA Funny Car champ and the guy who took home the 2022 Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals trophy, is giving his ride a makeover. He’ll be defending his title at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park over Labor Day weekend, and his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra will be dressed to impress with a throwback design paying tribute to his old team owner, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, and the iconic Hot Wheels NHRA Funny Car. It’s a double celebration since it’s also the 10th anniversary of the Snake & Mongoose film.

Back in the day, Capps was part of Prudhomme’s Snake Racing team from ’97 to ’04, and together they snagged 13 Funny Car victories. Now, almost two decades later, they’re gunning for number 14 with this cool Hot Wheels-inspired look.

Capps couldn’t hide his excitement, saying, “This is like a childhood dream come true, now that I’m an NHRA driver.” He’s pumped about bringing together old-school Hot Wheels fans and the new generation with a car that honors Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. He’s also stoked about celebrating what “The Snake” and “The Mongoose” did for the sport. Standing at the starting line at Indianapolis Raceway Park with Prudhomme’s legacy behind the car is going to be a seriously emotional moment.

Capps gave a big shout-out to his partners, especially NAPA, for making this throwback idea a reality and allowing them to roll out this awesome car at such a major historic race like the U.S. Nationals.

The modern version of the Hot Wheels/NAPA GR Supra will be a nod to the Hot Wheels Funny Car that Prudhomme drove to victory at the 1973 NHRA U.S. Nationals. Prudhomme, who was already a big deal with five Top Fuel wins, took his career up a notch with his Funny Car win in Indy. This tribute car isn’t just about Prudhomme, but also about how Hot Wheels made a huge impact on the sport.

Prudhomme, a seven-time U.S. Nationals champ, was touched when Capps brought up the idea of this paint scheme. He was blown away that Capps was doing this, and having NAPA on board was a huge honor for him. The paint scheme and the original 1970 “The Snake and The Mongoose” Hot Wheels set were instrumental in shaping Prudhomme’s career.

Hot Wheels rep Bryan Benedict couldn’t contain his excitement about Ron Capps paying tribute to Don “the Snake” Prudhomme and the iconic Hot Wheels Funny Car. He praised Capps for his friendship with the Hot Wheels brand and for inspiring the next generation of car enthusiasts.

The story of Prudhomme and McEwen’s early racing days, especially their journey with Hot Wheels as a major sponsor, was turned into the movie “Snake & Mongoose” in 2013. The film came out during the 2013 NHRA U.S. Nationals weekend and featured appearances by racing folks like Capps and fellow Toyota driver Alexis DeJoria.

Capps was stoked to be part of the movie, considering he idolized “the Snake” and “the Mongoose” growing up. He thought it was surreal to see their stories on the big screen and even crazier to be in the film. This throwback car is a fun way to celebrate the movie’s 10-year anniversary.

Aside from the awesome car design, Capps’ gear and the team crew shirts will take a trip back in time to match what Prudhomme and his crew rocked in the early ’70s.

As part of the U.S. Nationals festivities, Prudhomme will hop into the Ron Capps Motorsports ride for warm-up procedures before the first qualifying session on Friday, September 1st.