TAYLOR REPLACES TURNER AS GM GROUP MANAGER

Don Taylor will take on added responsibility for General Motors drag racing programs as a result of a personnel change announced by Herb Fishel, executive director, GM Racing. Taylor, who has more than 20 years of service with GM including 15 years in racing, replaces Harry Turner, who is working on a special project for GM Racing.

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Taylor will be the GM Racing group manager responsible for all of GM's drag racing, racing safety and racing innovation programs. In addition, he becomes program manager for Chevrolet and Pontiac traditional rear-wheel-drive drag racing.

Josh Peterson, who will report to Taylor, remains program manager for the new Chevrolet and Pontiac front-wheel-drive drag racing efforts.

Taylor's racing experience includes serving as GM Racing's business planning manager, NASCAR Winston Cup program manager and group manager for oval track racing. Most recently he has been responsible for overseeing GM's racing safety program as well as racing innovations such as the use of the production Vortec V8 engine in the ASA stock car racing series.

SNAKE ON TWO WHEELS?

A persistent rumor over the last week puts Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, celebrating his 40th year in drag racing, as an owner of a fourth drag racing vehicle. While there had been rumors last summer of him adding another top fueler, which never materialized, this rumor involves the Snake's interest in fast bikes.

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The rumors go a couple of ways. One is the acquisition of Steve Johnson's K&N Filters Suzuki GSXR 1000 operation; Johnson is a long-time friend of Miller Lite dragster pilot Larry Dixon. The other rumor is a possible partnership between Snake Racing and Craig Treble's Team Scream Suzuki, who took home the Pro Stock Bike Wally at the recent Gatornationals.

The Agent reached a spokesman for Don Prudhomme Racing who ran this rumor by the Snake. Prudhomme's reaction was that he had spoken with Steve Johnson, but there was no Pro Stock Bike deal in the works. Neither of their primary sponsors, Miller Beer and U.S. Tobacco, have contacted the Snake about an interest in sponsoring a bike, but as the spokesman concluded, "That does not rule out an interest for next season the Snake does things in a methodical way."

WILLIAMS 'STABLE'

Rumors abounded regarding the condition of Funny Car pilot Billy Williams after he crashed Friday night at Rockingham Dragway.

Dr. David Templeton, the emergency physician at Billy Williams' side after the accident, told DRO on Sunday at the conclusion of the race that Williams remained in "critical, but stable" condition. Templeton said Williams broke several bones and a couple of ribs, but there was no spinal injury, so paralysis or partial paralysis was ruled out. He confirmed Williams did suffer a head injury, but he remained under heavy sedation and at that time it was too soon to speculate on how severe it might be.

Doug Herbert sent his private plane to pick up Williams' family in Cleveland, OH, to transport them to Charlotte, NC, where he's being treated at the Carolina Medical Center.