Folks Of Interest Mickey Thompson (December 7, 1928 - March 16, 1988)

[Slim Pickens]

Thanks you guys.

The Challenger I, the streamliner that Mickey Thompson piloted to 406.60 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1960.

Thompson built cars for the Indianapolis 500. This Indy racer was driven by Dan Gurney in 1962.

The Assault I was built by Thompson in 1959 to compete at Bonneville.

[Slim Pickens]

The Assault was packed with innovations for a 1959 dragster. Shown at Pomona, the streamlined body and giant parachute were intended for standing-mile attempts at March Air Force Base that netted three average-speed records, with three different Pontiac engines. Estimated top speed at the mile marker was 235 mph!

I think the last picture is Mickey Thompson’s Pumpkinseed.

[Rich Venza]

Mickey was one tuff son of a bitch...and that's what I liked most about him.

[85-percent]

One thing that impresses me about MT is that he DID IT ALL. He ran dragstrips, made speed parts, built differing cars in all different types of motorsports, dragsters, funny cars, driving, owning, off roading, indoor racing stadium racing. He appears to have the gift of doing what ever he set his mind to do, and he also had the drive to go out and do it all.

He's up there for living the American dream down right heroically! What a tremendous inspiration and truly a one in a billion man!

-90% jimmy

[plymouth1952]

a true master wrench and one hell of driver and builder!

[Kan Kustom]

Subscribed.

[Slim Pickens]

NITROFC posted this recently. Thanks Al.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJU3M-T0TXI

Butch Leal,on the left,was known as "The California Flash" and drove this Super / Stock Ford Mustang Boss 429 for Mickey Thompson in 1969

[petes56usa]

Just FN sad he went to soon...............

[tubman]

Back in the '60's I had a copy of Mickey's autobiography. I think it was titled "Challenger". I got it from a friend of mine whose father worked for the Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis It was a freebee book review copy that they were done with. Read it in one sitting and it was a great book. I left it in the bookcase at my mothers house and my brother threw it out when he cleaned out the place after she died. I think anyone who is a fan of Mickey's would do well to see if the local library or Amazon has a copy; I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It's been almost 50 years but his descriptions of early street racing, running at Bonneville and trying to use (I think) implement tires really stick in my mind.

I just checked the internet and found 12 copies priced anywhere from $109 to $705. Better check the local library while I go choke my brother.

[Mazooma1]

Originally Posted by tubman

Back in the '60's I had a copy of Mickey's autobiography. I think it was titled "Challenger". I got it from a friend of mine whose father worked for the Star Tribune newspaper in Minneapolis It was a freebee book review copy that they were done with. Read it in one sitting and it was a great book. I left it in the bookcase at my mothers house and my brother threw it out when he cleaned out the place after she died. I think anyone who is a fan of Mickey's would do well to see if the local library or Amazon has a copy; I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It's been almost 50 years but his descriptions of early street racing, running at Bonneville and trying to use (I think) implement tires really stick in my mind.

I just checked the internet and found 12 copies priced anywhere from $109 to $705. Better check the local library while I go choke my brother.

That was co-written by Griff Bprgensen. I lost the dust cover, but not the book. That yellow book followed me for 45 years or more, now.
Yup, "Challenger"...a great book.
The new book out a few years ago is good, too.
Mickey Thompson: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of a Racing Legend by Erik Arneson
A good buy, too at less than $20 new and takes you past his death and the investigation.
"Challenger" was written in the mid 60's, so alot of Mickey hadn't happened yet.

[skywolf]

[stuart in mn]

Originally Posted by tubman

Back in the '60's I had a copy of Mickey's autobiography. I think it was titled "Challenger".

My high school library had a copy of that book. I can't remember how many times I signed it out.

[66Coronet440]

RIP Mickey T.

[Slim Pickens]

Awesome Skywolf and Doug. Mutley didnt ya have a decal I think.

American drag racing legend Mickey Thompson (1928 - 1988) is obscured by a cloud of his own smoke as he speeds his 1,000 bhp Ford-powered dragster to a then-record-for-Europe standing quarter-mile (8.84 seconds or 178 mph), Debden RAF Station, Essex, England, January 13, 1964

[Slim Pickens]

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 17, 1963: Paul Goldsmith (No. 50) drove this Ray Nichels Pontiac Tempest in the Daytona Continental 3-Hour race (a predecessor to the Rolex 24 of later years). Billy Krause is outside in the Mickey Thompson Corvette Sting Ray

[4406]

The man that did it all! He is missed.

[Deuce3wCpe]

we'll always wonder what he would have come up with next...the guy was always thinking, always working on something new...







.

[skywolf]

I'm sure this is one of Muttley's.

[Mazooma1]

[stlouisgasser]

Without doubt, the absolute Ultimate Hot Rodder! The list of men that even come close can be counted on one hand. I've heard and read about Mickey building and racing pretty much every facet of Motorsports, managing Lions Drag Strip and then Fontana, working the nightshift at the LA Times, owning the Speed Equipment manufacturing business, having Chevrolet, Pontiac and Ford giving him their best equipment to make the most of. This man did it all and I really don't even know how he found time to even sleep!