Danny Thompson (racing driver)

Danny P. Thompson
Born (1948-10-28) October 28, 1948 (age 76)
OccupationRace car driver
FatherMickey Thompson (died 1988)

Danny P. Thompson (born October 28, 1948) is an American race car driver and the son of the late motorsports entrepreneur Mickey Thompson.[1][2][3]

He began his career at age 9, winning his first quarter-midget championship one year later. He moved on to motocross and Formula Atlantic cars in his teens, before graduating to sprint cars and stadium trucks later in life. He took control of the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group after the murders of his step-mother and father. He left the industry in 1996 following the company's bankruptcy.

In 2003 Thompson succeeded in joining his father in the Bonneville 200 MPH Club.[4] He became the driver of the world's fastest production Ford Mustang in 2008, and in 2016 used a restored and updated version of Mickey's 1968 prototype streamliner the Challenger 2 to capture the SCTA unblown fuel streamliner record with an average speed of 406.7 mph.[5]

Thompson is responsible for the restoration and exhibition of many historically significant racing vehicles.[6]

On August 12, 2018, he broke the overall piston-driven land speed record with a speed of 448.75 mph, also in Challenger 2.

References

  1. ^ "Danny Thompson's Motorsports Mom". May 11, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  2. ^ "What drives Danny Thompson?". Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  3. ^ "Mickey Thompson: A life remembered". Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  4. ^ http://bonneville200mph.org/images/bonneville%20200%20mph%20club%20roster%20alpha.pdf [dead link‍]
  5. ^ O'Neill, Ann. "Son of 'Speed King' breaks land speed record". CNN. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  6. ^ Wallace, Dave Jr. (February 18, 2010). "Honoring Mickey Thompson, First American to 400 M.P.H." Retrieved May 7, 2018.