Researching Tom Mcewen

Starting as an owner-driver, he received the nickname "the Mongoose" in 1964 from engine builder Ed Donovan, after McEwen signed up to drive Donovan's "vaunted" Donovan Engineering Special. It was originally used as a device to entice Don "the Snake" Prudhomme into a high-exposure match race.

After trouble getting the Gilmore Engineering-chassied Donovan dragster sorted out, McEwen quit (replaced by Prudhomme, no less) to drive for Lou Beney, in the Yeakel Plymouth dragster. (Baney also conceived McEwen's mid-engined Hemi 'Cuda funny car.)

In 1965, he faced Hot Wheels teammate Prudhomme at the Hot Rod Magazine Championship Drag Races, held at Riverside Raceway, "one of the most significant drag racing events" of that era; the Top Fuel Eliminator (TFE) trophy that year went to Jim Warren.

McEwen also drove the ill-fated Super Mustang at its debut at the 1967 Winternats.

Leaving the Super Mustang, McEwen joined the Bivens & Fisher team, driving their Checkmate dragster, and soon set an NHRA national record.

McEwen won five NHRA national events, but his gift for gab and promotional ability made him one of the sport's most influential and controversial figures.

As stated by Roland Leong, "McEwen was the smartest of the bunch. When he came up with the Hot Wheels deal using the Snake and Mongoose characters, it shook the world of drag racing big time. He produced a sponsorship package that allowed him and Prudhomme to buy the best equipment, pay expenses, make money and sell their image all over the United States. I hate to admit it but McEwen and Prudhomme showed us the way to the future. They were a lot smarter than most of us who didn't see past the end of the quarter-mile."

McEwen had four children: Jamie, Joe, Tom Jr., and Kathleen, and two grandchildren: Christian and Jonathan. Jamie and Joe are deceased.

McEwen was the sports editor for Tampa's primary newspaper during an era of growth for The Tampa Tribune, the Tampa Bay area's professional sports profile, and Tampa in general. Some credit McEwen with being among the most influential newspaper sports journalists of his day, affecting major development for local sports and helping to facilitate the establishment of expansion sports franchises in the Tampa Bay area, most notably the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Tampa Bay Lightning, and for being a supporter and chronicler of Florida's college sports programs, particularly at the University of Florida and, later, the University of South Florida.