A true legend
I don't remember when my dad first introduced me to Mickey Thompson, because he was always just there. By being just there I mean Mickey Thompson was everywhere. His name was associated with Bonneville and breaking speed records. For a young guy in my age group, the CHALLENGER streamliner was big stuff. To put it in perspective, Mickey was breaking speed records in the CHALLENGER on the ground, at the same time that the legendary X-15 was breaking speed records in the sky and space. I built the plastic model of it with my dad. I like many other guys my age knew every inch of this car. This was an incredible time in U.S.A. history. Then there was Mickey at Indy with the coolest cars of the time. They were low, wide and very different. Mickey ran Buick engines, he ran Pontiac engines. What a different time. Don't forget Mickey at the drag races, Mickey in off-road, Mickey at boat races. As I said, he was everywhere!
My dad and I would run into Mickey at the races, the hardware store, a friends house, the camera store, the SEMA Show and just about anywhere else. Every meeting brought a new memory. Let's take the time we ran into he and his wife Trudy at the hardware store. They were a couple of people ahead of us in the checkout line. They spotted us and we spotted them. When they were done checking out, they waited for us to get through the checkout line also. Once we were done Mickey proceded to tell us about a new idea he had for an easily portable barrier that he designed for the stadium off-road races he was promoting at the time. He said he had also talked to the secret service and they were interested in the idea for use in protecting the President in quick motorcade routes. Mickey was always thinking, always working on the next idea. Anyway his idea of plastic barriers that mimic the "K" rail walls on highways that were lighter and then could be filled with water to give them bulk, happened. They were produced and were used all over the place. This was a big difference between Mickey Thompson and many "idea" guys I've met in my life. His ideas became reality.
Mickey's incredible life is now available in a "just out" book by Erik Arneson. Well researched, Erik talked to most if not all of the main players in Mickey's life. Performing the job of bringing all of these facts, stories and remebrances together is no small job. It's done beautifully in Mickey Thompson: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of a Racing Legend
Copyright MMVIII Ed Justice, Jr.