Thomas Vincent Thompson (January 16, 1943 – September 28, 1978)[1] was an American racing driver of Afro-American descent. Thompson competed in various racing series most notably in the SCCA Formula Super Vee and USAC Mini-Indy series.
| Tommy Thompson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Thomas Vincent Thompson January 16, 1943 New York City, US |
| Died | September 28, 1978 (aged 35) Trenton, New Jersey, US |
| Retired | 1978 |
| USAC Mini-Indy Series | |
| Years active | 1977–1978 |
| Teams | Black American Racers |
| Starts | 6 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Best finish | 15th in 1978 |
Racing career
editThompson first appeared in Formula Super Vee in 1976. The New Yorker competed in the SCCA US Formula Super Vee. Thompson was an engineer and driver for the Black American Racers Association. Thompson ended 25th in the championship scoring three points.[2] In 1976 Thompson participated in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs in the Formula Super Vee class. At Road Atlanta he failed to finish in his Lola T324. Thompson returned to the runoffs in 1977, finishing seventh.[3]
For 1977, Thompson raced again in various Formula Super Vee championships. He won the SCCA NorthEast Division Formula Super Vee championship. In the USAC Mini-Indy Series Thompson competed at Trenton International Speedway failing to finish. He returned to the series in 1978. The Afro-American driver scored his best finish at Mosport Park where he was placed seventh. However, the season came to a dramatic end for Thompson.
Personal life
editThompson's main occupation was a financial systems analyst job.[4]
Death
editThompson participated in the ninth round of the championship at Trenton International Speedway. On the final lap of the 42-lap race one of the other competitor slowed down. John Barringer had to swerve to avoid contact. However Barringer hit Thompson. Barringer's left front wheel and Thompson's right rear wheel became locked. Both cars hit the wall head-on. Thompson's car was launched over the wall. Both Barringer and Thompson were transported to St. Francis Medical Center. Thompson succumbed to his injuries on September 28.[5]
Racing record
editSCCA National Championship Runoffs
edit| Year | Track | Car | Engine | Class | Finish | Start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Road Atlanta | Lola T324 | Volkswagen | Formula Super Vee | 11 | 10 | Not running |
| 1977 | Road Atlanta | Lola T324 | Volkswagen | Formula Super Vee | 7 | 9 | Running |
Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results
edit| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Black American Racers |  TRE 21 |
MIL |
 MOS |
PIR |
- | - | ||||||
| 1978 | Black American Racers | PIR1 8 |
TRE1 |
MOS 7 |
MIL1 9 |
TEX |
MIL2 |
OMS1 9 |
OMS2 8 |
TRE2 14 |
PIR2 |
15th | 245 |
References
edit- ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Tommy Thompson". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "1976 SCCA U. S. Formula Super Vee Championship". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ "SCCA RUNOFFS DRIVER HISTORIES" (PDF). SCCA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ Moran, Bob. "Black driver sets his sights on Indy". Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ "Race driver succumbs to N.J. crash injuries". Baltimore Afro-American. Retrieved 25 July 2015.