NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Due to the overwhelming fan support, Paul Lee Racing will bring his Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen tribute Nitro Funny Car to the 61st annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, Nov. 12-15 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Lee will race the special livery at McEwen’s home track as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series closes its 75th anniversary season.

The tribute made its only appearance of the season at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, where Lee advanced to the second round of nitro Funny Car eliminations. Pomona marks the livery’s second appearance. The tribute revives the red, white, and blue Bicentennial paint scheme McEwen raced in 1976. Kenny Youngblood, who designed the original, adapted it for Lee’s modern Funny Car. The design also brings back English Leather, which sponsored McEwen’s Funny Car in 1976.

For Lee, the tribute honors his close friend whose influence extended well beyond the racetrack. McEwen and Don “the Snake” Prudhomme helped introduce drag racing to a wider audience through their rivalry and partnership with Hot Wheels. One of McEwen’s defining victories came at the 1978 U.S. Nationals, where he defeated Prudhomme in the Funny Car final.

“Tom was a great friend and a mentor, and this was always my favorite of his paint schemes,” Lee said. “We had the chance to run it at Indy, and I’m proud to bring it back at his home track. I hope the fans who watched Tom race will see the car and remember what he meant to this sport.”