John A. Thomson (April 9, 1922 – September 24, 1960) was an American racecar driver. Thomson was nicknamed "the Flying Scot."
He won several championships in
midgets and
sprint cars
Sprint may refer to:
Aerospace
*Spring WS202 Sprint, a Canadian aircraft design
*Sprint (missile), an anti-ballistic missile
Automotive and motorcycle
*Alfa Romeo Sprint, automobile produced by Alfa Romeo between 1976 and 1989
* Chevrolet Sprint ...
before competing in
Championship Car
American open-wheel car racing, also known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2022, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar.
Competitive event ...
(now IndyCar) racing. He won the
pole position
In a motorsports race, the pole position is usually the best and "statistically the most advantageous" starting position on the track. The pole position is usually earned by the driver with the best qualifying times in the trials before the rac ...
for the
1959 Indianapolis 500.
Background
Thomsom was born on April 9, 1922 to William and Marion Ross Thomson.
He graduated from
Lowell High School then the New England Aircraft School.
He served in the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
as a crew chief during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
between 1942 and 1945 on a
B-25 bomber
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in e ...
.
Thomson was awarded five
service star
A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
s and the Distinguished Air Force Medal.
Thomson met his future wife Evelyn Peterson in 1951.
He moved from the
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...
area to a five-acre ranch that he built near
Boyertown, Pennsylvania
Boyertown (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Boyerschteddel'') is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania. The population was 4,055 at the 2010 census. Boyertown is known for the many painted fiberglass bears that can be found throughout the town and boroug ...
in the mid 1950s.
Midget cars
Thomson began watching races at a track across the street from his home in 1937 and 1938 in Lowell.
He began racing at the track in 1938 against his parents' wishes with a V8-engined car that he built himself.
After returning from the war, he resumed racing midgets at the Bay State Racing Association.
His first win happened at
Seekonk Speedway
Seekonk Speedway is a family entertainment venue that features racing of all kinds on a semi-banked 1/3 mile asphalt-paved oval, located on U.S. Route 6 in Seekonk, Massachusetts.
The track holds the distinction of being the longest continually ...
in 1946 and he won seven times in 1947.
Thomson won the 1948 United Car Owners Association (UCOA) New England title after winning 32
midget
Midget (from ''midge'', a tiny biting insect) is a term for a person of unusually short stature that is considered by some to be pejorative due to its etymology. While not a medical term like "dwarfism", a medical condition with a number of ca ...
events.
He won his second UCOA title in 1949; he also race in some American Racing Drivers Club The American Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) is an open-wheel midget car racing sanctioning body that operates primarily in the Mid-Atlantic area of the United States.
History
The American Racing Drivers Club was organized in 1939, making it one of the ...
(ARDC) events. He switched to the ARDC in 1950 to finish fifth in points and took second in points in 1951.
He won the 1952 AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and me ...
Eastern division midget car
Midget cars, also speedcars in Australia, is a class of racing cars. The cars are very small with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four cylinder engines. They originated in the United States in the 1930s and are raced on most ...
championship after winning twice at Williams Grove Speedway
Williams Grove Speedway is a half-mile automobile dirt racing track located in Mechanicsburg , Pennsylvania, USA. The speedway opened on May 21, 1939, it has been owned by the Hughes family for over 50 years and has hosted many of the most nota ...
.
Championship cars
He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car
American open-wheel car racing, also known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2022, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar.
Competitive event ...
series, racing in the 1953-1960 seasons with 69 starts, including the Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
races in each season. He finished in the top ten 43 times, with 7 victories. His best Indy finish was third in 1959
Events January
* January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
* January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
after starting the race on the pole position. Roy Sherman
Roy Sherman (August 31, 1909 - October 20, 1968) was an American racing driver and car builder.
As a driver, Sherman won many races and titles in midget cars. He was inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2004.
Cars built b ...
, the first National Midget Champion, was his chief mechanic for several Indy 500s.[Biography]
at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is an American Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Sun Prairie is a city in Dane County in the U.S. state of Wi ...
He won his first champ car race at the Milwaukee Mile
The Milwaukee Mile is a oval race track in the central United States, located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Its grandstand and bleachers seats approximately 37,000 spectato ...
in 1955. He ended up finishing third in season points after having to sit out the middle part of the season while healing from a end over end flip at the Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway was an automobile racetrack in Middletown Township, Bucks County, near the borough of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia.
According to the book ''Langhorne! No Man's Land'' by L. Spencer Riggs: "With a ...
circle. He clipped Jerry Hoyt
Gerald F. Hoyt (January 29, 1929 – July 11, 1955) was an American racing driver from Chicago, mainly competing in the National Championship. He died on July 11, 1955 after crashing in a sprint car race at Oklahoma City.
Indy 500
In the 1955 In ...
's car while in the lead; he broke five ribs, bruised his vertebrae, broke his shoulder in eight places. In 1957, Thomson won at Langhorne; he also earned two pole positions. In October, he crashed at the California State Fairgrounds Race Track
California State Fairgrounds Race Track has been the name of two dirt oval racing tracks located in Sacramento, California. The track was built in 1906 for horse racing on the site of the California Exposition. It was active for auto racing in ...
suffering internal injuries. In 1958, he finished third with wins at the Springfield Mile
Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one mile long clay oval motor racetrack on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, the state capital. It is frequently nicknamed The Springfield Mile. Constructed in the late 19th century and rec ...
, DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, California Fairgrounds, and Syracuse Mile
The Syracuse Mile was a dirt oval raceway located at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York. Originally built for harness racing in 1826, the first auto race was run in 1903, making it the second oldest auto racing facility in ...
. He earned two pole positions in 13 starts. In 1959, he raced primarily in champ cars and finished third in national points after a win at Milwaukee plus three fast times. He had a wreck in a sprint car race at Williams Grove in September and missed the rest of the season.
He was the first driver to win a dirt track race in less than an hour at Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway was an automobile racetrack in Middletown Township, Bucks County, near the borough of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia.
According to the book ''Langhorne! No Man's Land'' by L. Spencer Riggs: "With a ...
. His champ car's average speed was 100.174 miles per hour.
Sprint cars
Thomson made his first "Big Car" (now sprint car
Sprint cars are high-powered open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, New ...
) start in September 1952 at the Vermont State Fairgrounds. He primarily raced on the AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and me ...
Eastern circuit in 1953; he finished ninth after winning at Altamont, New York. Thomson won the Eastern AAA Big Car championship in 1954 after winning eight events. AAA ended sanctioning after the 1955 season and it was replaced by the United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapol ...
(USAC) in 1956. He continued in the Eastern Division in 1956 and had wins at Williams Grove, Trenton Speedway
Trenton Speedway was a racing facility located near Trenton, New Jersey at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Races for the United States' premier open-wheel and full-bodied racing series of the times were held at Trenton Speedway.
Racing histor ...
, and Reading Fairgrounds Speedway
Reading Fairgrounds Speedway (1924–1979) was a one half mile dirt/clay modified race track located in Muhlenberg Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. The track opened September 24, 1924 and ran until June 29, 1979. It featured a regular wee ...
; he finished second in points behind Tommy Hinnershitz
Thomas Paul Hinnershitz (April 6, 1912 – August 1, 1999) was an American race car driver.
Hinnershitz was active through the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s on dirt, asphalt and boards, driving "Big Cars" (later Sprint Cars), at that time slightly s ...
. Thomson's sprint car races in 1957 were primarily in the USAC Eastern division; he won twice at Reading and once at the Allentown fairgrounds to finish third in points. Thomas returned from injury to win the first 1958 USAC Sprint Car Series Eastern race at Williams Grove; he followed up with two wins at Reading and one at Allentown to win the Eastern championship.
Death
Thomson was racing in a USAC Sprint Car at the Great Allentown Fair
The Great Allentown Fair is an annual fair and agricultural show that is held at the Allentown Fairgrounds in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is operated by the Lehigh County Agricultural Society. It is one of the oldest fairs in the United States, ...
on September 24, 1960. On a rutty and dry track, his car flipped and crashed through the backstretch fence and flipped into the infield. He was thrown out of the car and he was pinned underneath the car after it stopped rolling. His leg was broken and he died several hours later at Allentown General Hospital. His friend Tommy Hinnershitz
Thomas Paul Hinnershitz (April 6, 1912 – August 1, 1999) was an American race car driver.
Hinnershitz was active through the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s on dirt, asphalt and boards, driving "Big Cars" (later Sprint Cars), at that time slightly s ...
announced his retirement from racing shortly after Thomson's death.
Thomson was survived by his wife and four sons (Dale, Dana, David and Darryl).
Career awards
Thomson was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996 and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is an American Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Sun Prairie is a city in Dane County in the U.S. state of Wi ...
in 1997.
Television Appearance
Thomson was a contestant on Bud Collyer's "Beat The Clock
''Beat the Clock'' is an American television game show that involves people trying to complete challenges to win prizes while faced with a time limit. The show was a creation of Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions.
The show began on radio as ' ...
".
Complete AAA/USAC Championship Car results
Reference:
Indianapolis 500 results
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
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, Johnny
1922 births
1960 deaths
Indianapolis 500 drivers
Indianapolis 500 polesitters
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees
Racing drivers who died while racing
Sportspeople from Lowell, Massachusetts
Sports deaths in Pennsylvania
Racing drivers from Massachusetts
AAA Championship Car drivers