Johnny Thomson
| Johnny Thomson | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | John Ashley Thomson April 9, 1922 Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee ) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Active years | 1953–1960 | ||||||
| Entries | 8 | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||
| Podiums | 1 | ||||||
| Career points | 10 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 1 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 1 | ||||||
| First entry | 1953 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last entry | 1960 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
John Ashley Thomson
Background
Thomson was born on April 9, 1922, to William and Marion Ross Thomson.[4] He graduated from Lowell High School then the New England Aircraft School.[4]
He served in the United States Air Force as a crew chief during World War II in Corsica and Italy between 1942 and 1945 on a B-25 bomber.[4] Thomson was awarded five service stars and the Distinguished Air Force Medal.[4][5]
Thomson met his future wife Evelyn Peterson in 1951.[4] He moved from the Springfield, Massachusetts, area to a five-acre ranch that he built near Boyertown, Pennsylvania, in the mid 1950s.[4]
Midget cars
Thomson began watching races at a track across the street from his home in 1937 and 1938 in Lowell.[4] He began racing at the track in 1938 against his parents' wishes with a V8-engined car that he built himself.[4] After returning from the war, he resumed racing midgets at the Bay State Racing Association.[4] His first win happened at Seekonk Speedway in 1946 and he won seven times in 1947.[4]
Thomson won the 1948 United Car Owners Association (UCOA) New England title after winning 32 midget events.[6][4] He won his second UCOA title in 1949; he also race in some American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) events.[4] He switched to the ARDC in 1950 to finish fifth in points and took second in points in 1951.[4]
He won the 1952 AAA Eastern division midget car championship after winning twice at Williams Grove Speedway.[6]
Championship cars
He drove in the AAA and
He won his first champ car race at the
He was the first driver to win a 100-mile (160 km) dirt track race in less than an hour at Langhorne Speedway.[6] His champ car's average speed was 100.174 miles per hour.[6]
Sprint cars
Thomson made his first "Big Car" (now
Death
Thomson was racing in a USAC Sprint Car at the Great Allentown Fair on September 24, 1960.[4] On a rutty and dry track, his car flipped and crashed through the backstretch fence and flipped into the infield.[6][4] He was thrown out of the car and he was pinned underneath the car after it stopped rolling.[4] His leg was broken and he died several hours later at Allentown General Hospital.[4] His friend Tommy Hinnershitz announced his retirement from racing shortly after Thomson's death.[4]
Thomson was survived by his wife and four sons (Dale, Dana, David and Darryl).[4]
Career awards
Thomson was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996[4] and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1997.[6]
Television Appearance
Thomson was a contestant on Bud Collyer's "
Complete AAA/USAC Championship Car results
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | INDY 32 |
MIL 13 |
SPR |
DET |
SPR |
MIL |
DUQ |
PIK | SYR |
ISF |
SAC |
PHX |
- | 0 | |
| 1954 | INDY 24 |
MIL DNS |
LAN | DAR DNQ |
SPR |
MIL
|
DUQ |
PIK | SYR 9 |
ISF |
SAC |
PHX |
LVG |
43rd | 40 |
| 1955 | INDY 4 |
MIL 1 |
LAN 15 |
SPR |
MIL |
DUQ |
PIK | SYR 5 |
ISF 2 |
SAC 2 |
PHX 2 |
3rd | 1.380 | ||
| 1956 | INDY 32 |
MIL 2 |
LAN 18 |
DAR 9 |
ATL 3 |
SPR 10 |
MIL 14 |
DUQ 2 |
SYR 3 |
ISF 16 |
SAC DNP |
PHX |
10th | 710 | |
| 1957 | INDY 12 |
LAN 1 |
MIL 2 |
DET 18 |
ATL 17 |
SPR 14 |
MIL 4 |
DUQ 2 |
SYR 3 |
ISF 17 |
TRE 2 |
SAC 14 |
PHX |
7th | 1.110 |
| 1958 | TRE 3 |
INDY 23 |
MIL 4 |
LAN 18 |
ATL 3 |
SPR 1 |
MIL 22 |
DUQ 1 |
SYR 1 |
ISF 2 |
TRE 2 |
SAC 1 |
PHX 14 |
3rd | 1.520 |
| 1959 | DAY 7 |
TRE 20 |
INDY 3 |
MIL 1 |
LAN DNQ |
SPR 4 |
MIL 2 |
DUQ 16 |
SYR 16 |
ISF Wth |
TRE |
SAC |
PHX |
3rd | 1.400 |
| 1960 | TRE 20 |
INDY 5 |
MIL 18 |
LAN DNQ |
SPR 9 |
MIL 23 |
DUQ 9 |
SYR 4 |
ISF 5 |
TRE |
SAC |
PHX |
7th | 800 | |
Reference:[8]
Indianapolis 500 results
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World Championship career summary
The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Johnny Thomson participated in 8 World Championship races. He started on the pole once, set 1 fastest lead lap, and finished on the podium once, accumulating a total of 10 World Championship points.
References
- ^ "Johnny Thomson". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
- ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Johnny Thomson". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Johnny Thomson - United States". Drivers. ESPN. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai "Johnny Thomson (click on his name)" (pdf). National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
- ^ "RetroIndy: Indy 500 drivers who served in the military". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Biography Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
- ^ Saxton, Ernie (July 2, 2017). "Boyertown native Thomson headed to USAC Hall of Fame at long last". The Times Herald. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Driver Johnny Thomson Career Statistics - Racing-Reference.info". Racing Reference. Retrieved September 7, 2020.