Saw a snake in the shop yesterday! (1 Viewer)

[FuelCarBuilder]

One of my hero's as a kid, The Snake was in the shop yesterday. Nice for him to come up and look around. I remember getting his autograph in '68 at US30 while driving the Lou Baney SOHC Ford...the candystriped one. What a cool guy, to me he is still THE MAN. bOb

 

[Shazam]

Snake is probably the coolest guy in motorsports.

Just being around him is a priviledge. He is as important to this sport as Garlits, Force or anybody.

Had to be fun having him around for a while.

 

[none]

Cool! Be nice to have visitors like that. Makes a good day GREAT. May you have many more.
Lee
Nitroclovers

 

[T.Smith]

As Dave Settles once told me, "You wouldn't think he was so cool if you had to work for him."

 

[Toejam]

As Dave Settles once told me, "You wouldn't think he was so cool if you had to work for him."

I've heard that as well.

 

[TJ]

Most successful people who have made millions are not very 'cool' to work for...it is business.
But imagine the amount of info you could gain by aligning yourself w/ a mentor like the 'snake'...

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

Bob, despite the negative comments, I'll bet you got a great surprise and a kick out of it at the same time. I'll never have to work for him and the last person I'd ever ask anyone's opinion is a former (possibly disgruntled) employee so as far as I'm concerned, that must've been really cool. Thanks for sharing.

 

[T.Smith]

Most successful people who have made millions are not very 'cool' to work for...it is business.

In some cases that is true and sometimes it's not.

 

[T.Smith]

and the last person I'd ever ask anyone's opinion is a former (possibly disgruntled) employee so as

It never hurts to ask around. That's how you cover your ass.

 

[90-percent]

I'd rather work for Snake than Dave Settles!


-85 to 90% Jimmy

 

[Wayne]

I'd rather work for Snake than Dave Settles!

ROTFLMAO!!!
Thanks Jim, I needed that!!!


bOb, that is awesome!
As Frey says, "Snake IS the epitome of cool!!!"








ps: this reply is no way intended as a negative towards Mr. Settles. I don't even know who he is!!!

 

[Shazam]

I'm no fun to work for either, but a helluva guy.

 

[rocketman]

Snake is probably the coolest guy in motorsports.

Just being around him is a priviledge. He is as important to this sport as Garlits, Force or anybody.

Had to be fun having him around for a while.

Yep. No kidding. He defined the word cool. I worked for him once. I lettered the back panels of the Skoal car during a show in Portland. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done. To me he was the biggest name in sports. That's the way I looked at it. He ribbed me a little bit because I was taking my time doing it. I wanted it to be perfect and besides I didn't want the dream come true chance in a life time to end. I remember telling him "I want this to be perfect or I'll be in trouble". He then said "you won't be in trouble just your career will be in trouble." When I was done he paid me posed for pictures and signed a card for me. A day I'll never forget.

 

[90-percent]

Thanks for that cool story, Rich, that must have been awesome!

I have a less cool story. I was at the Gators when Prudhomme came back after a year layoff with the Skoal F/C. (late 80's?) I was fan-boying around his pit and he was in the F/C finals against Roland Leongs Hawaiian with Johnny West driving. I'm staring away at these guys at work, with HARDLY anybody else around. It was like the entire nitro fan population completely forgot just who the Snake was and all. Mike Kloeber was CC at the time, and I always thought he was just the epitome of what a young Californian car guy should look like. I found it odd that a legendary veteran like Prudhomme would entrust his racing fate to a young man that looked to be in his mid 20's? I remember the car silently being pushed out of the pit and Snake was in the seat and said "Alright, let's do it".

Snake won, and that quiet moment at his pits, unshared by others, always stayed in my mind as a touching and forgotten tiny slice of the drag racing history that, until now, only existed in my head.

-85%

 

[afx421]

when i went to frank hawleys school last year, i was in class with nick, the clutch guy on tommy johnsons flopper he left the team late last year, but he said the snake was a great guy to work for, he even paid the full boat including the air for him to go to hawleys. he said after hours the snake would sit around with all the guys and tell old stories about racing in the 60s. on the other hand he also worked for a while with force, and he said they call it "the green army" over there. tough to work for force but working for the snake was enjoyable he said.

 

[rocketman]

After I did that lettering job I was doing a little touch up on the body and Snake said that the paint is hard to match. "I use to be a painter" he said. And I said "yeah I know". And he said "how would you know that?" I said "Don, I'm only one of your biggest fans".

 

[rocketman]

Here's another one. One time both Prudhomme and McEwen were booked into Portland. Both needed a ride over to the hotel as it was before the crews got there. So Bill Doner knew this kid that had some kind of a sadan and was hanging around the track. Doner asked this kid (who's a friend of mine) to take Prudhomme and McEwen over to the hotel. So here's this teenage kid driving the Mongoose and the Snake over to the motel in his car that he drives to school in. McEwen was cool with it but I guess Prudhomme grumbled a little bit. But they both thanked him for the ride.

 

[Gordon]

I don't claim to know Snake or Settles, but I'll tell you this...

There are certainly folks who are difficult to work for, no question about it, but often times it's because they have high standards. When they're writing the checks, they can do that. As a result, they expect their employees to meet, or exceed those standards. Folks who can't or are unwilling, can, and normally will, be replaced. As someone else posted, it's business and it's not for the faint of heart. When I go to work, no matter where it is, I expect to be held accountable for my actions and when I'm not carrying my fair share of the load or meeting my bosses standards, I know I'm going to hear about it.