Alfred Bruce "Speedy" Thompson (April 3, 1926 – April 2, 1972) was an American stock car racer in the NASCAR Grand National series from 1950 to 1971, capturing 20 wins along the way.

Racing career Thompson made his debut in 1950 and won two of the seven races he competed in 1953 in the No. 46 Buckshot Morris Oldsmobile (including the 1953 Wilkes 160). Thompson made 15 starts in 1955 and made a serious attack on the Championship the next year, competing in 42 races in Carl Kiekhaefer's factory-backed Chryslers and Dodges, winning eight times and finishing third in points. 1957 saw a switch to Hugh Babb's and his own Chevrolet's and another third-place result, capturing only two victories that year. Speedy drove his own Chevy for the entire 1958 season, and another third place was the reward for his four victories in 38 starts.

In 1957, Thompson set the 500-mile speed record for stock cars with an average speed of 100.1 mph. This record was quickly broken by other drivers and by Speedy himself. In 1959, he became a charter member of the "Pure Record Club" along with Fireball Roberts, Elmo Langley, and Richard Petty who set the fastest qualifying speed in each make of automobile competing.

Another third place in points came in 1959 from 29 starts in a variety of different cars, this time with no wins. 1959 would be Thompson's last full-time effort in the series (participating in 24 different racing events including the 1959 Hickory 250) and he left Grand National after the 1962 season, choosing to race at late models at local North Carolina short tracks. He returned to NASCAR's top series, then called the Winston Cup, in 1971 for the World 600 where he finished 16th.

Death During a late model race on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1972, at Metrolina Fairgrounds in Charlotte, Thompson had a seizure on the 21st lap, causing him to crash into a rail. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, one day before his 46th birthday. The medical examiner said that he died of natural causes, an acute coronary occlusion.

Awards Thompson was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame and the Georgia Automobile Racing Hall of Fame.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

Grand National Series NASCAR Grand National Series resultsYearTeamNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950515253545556PtsRef1950Bruce ThompsonPlymouthDABCLTLANMARCANVERDSPMCFCLT HBODSPHAMDARLANNWS VER 21MARWINHBO – – 1951Leland Colvin25OldsDAB 1775th120 PlymouthCLT 30NMOGARHBOASFNWSMARCANCLSCLBDSPGARGRSBAIHEIStudebakerAWS 5MCFALSMSFFMSMORABSDARCLBCCSLANCLTDSPWILHBOTPNPGSMAROAKNWSHMSJSPATLGARNMO1952Bruce Root21FordPBSDABJSPNWSMARCLBATLCCSLANDAR 19DSPCANHAYFMSHBOCLTMSFNIFOSWMONMORPPSMCFAWS37th656 Sam Knox51FordDAR 14CCSLANDSPWILHBOMARNWSATLPBS 1953Buckshot Morris12OldsPBSDABHARNWSCLTRCHCCSLANCLBHCYMARPMSRSP 2LOUFIFLANTCSWIL 6MCFPIFMORATLRVSLCFDAVHBOAWSPASHCYCCS 111th2958 Bob Pronger46OldsDAR 7Buckshot MorrisLAN 3BLFWIL 2NWS 1MARATL195412PBSDAB 20JSPATLOSPOAKNWSHBOCCSLANWILMARSHARSP 27CLTGARCLB 4LNDHCY 9MCFWGSPIF 21AWS 18SFSGRSMOROAKCLTSANCOR23rd1480 BuickDAR 10CCSCLTLANMASMARNWS1955Griffin Motors Racing87OldsTCSPBSJSPDABOSPCLBHBONWSMGYLANCLT 17HCYMAS 2RSP 11DAR 45MGYLAN 2315th2452 Don Oliver5OldsASF 6TUSFrank Christian14ChevyMAR 18RCHNCF 24FORLINMCFFONAIR71OldsCLT 15Thomas Racing92BuickPIF 13CLBAWSMORALSNYFSANCLTFORIke Kiser34FordRSP 17GPSDePaolo Engineering297FordMAS 1*CLBCarl Kiekhaefer30ChryslerMAR 1LVP20NWS 7DePaolo Engineering297HudsonHBO 211956Mauri Rose25ChevyHCY 30CLT 17WSSPBSASF3rd8328 Carl Kiekhaefer500DodgeDAB 71PBSWIL 10CLB 1*GPS 15MAR 2*LIN 11RSP 2CHI 4CCF 1MGY 4OKL 11ROA 18OBSSANNORPORChryslerATL 2501DodgeNWS 18*MYB 500ChryslerLAN 37300DodgeRCH 3300CChryslerCON 1*HCY 1**HBO 2*CLT 1*POREURNYF 7MERMAS 19CLT 1*MCF 1*PORAWS 26PIF 7CSFDePaolo Engineering296FordPIF 5Carl Kiekhaefer57ChryslerDAR 2CSH 19DodgeCLT 767LAN 3POR CLB300ChryslerHBO 3NWP 18CLT 6MAR 4HCY 1*WIL 3*500BDodgeCCF 41957Hugh Babb46ChevyWSSCONTICDAB 8CON 3WIL 3HBO 2AWS 2NWS 16LAN 3CLT 20PIF 15GBF 14PORCCF 9RCH 17MAR 11POREURLIN 5LCS 5ASP3rd8580 Speedy ThompsonNWP 8CLB 5CPSPIF 4RSP 4CLT 4MAS 22PORHCY 23NOR 9LCS 1**GLNKPCLIN 2OBSDAR 1*NYFAWS 18CSFSCFLAN 31CLB 19CLT 17MAR 28NBR 6CON 6NWS 4GBF 2Whitey Norman1AFordJAC 13Bobby Keck96ChevyMYB 12Dick Beaty34FordCCF 151958Speedy Thompson46ChevyFAY 9DAB 48CON 3FAY 19WIL 20HBO 3FAY 3CLB 1PIF 1ATL 19CLTMARODSOBSGPS 17GBF 4STRNWS 14BGSTRN 9RSDCLB 11NBS 6REF 5LIN 26HCY 3AWS 3RSP 5MCCSLSTORBUFMCF 3BEL 7BRR 7CLB 1NSV 16AWS 4BGSMBS 15CLT 2BIRCSFGAF 5RCH 1*HBO 19SAS 29MAR 2NWS 3ATL 293rd8792 Steve Pierce1ChevyDAR 141959FAYDAY 16DAY 10HBO 13CON 5ATL 4WIL 21NWS 17*REF 2HCY 6*MAR 19TRNPIF 14GPS 15ATL 26CLB3rd7684 Don Angel3FordBGS 13Bruce Thompson2ChevyCLB 13CLT 4NSVASPRCH 10BGSAWS 14CLT 24MBS 22CLTNSVCON 8 12ChevyWIL 24Doc White41FordDAY 11HEIGerald Duke92FordAWS 37BGSGPSCLBW. J. Ridgeway22ChevyDAR 14HCYRCHCSFMAR 5W. H. Watson61PontiacHBO 18Beau Morgan 15FordAWS 13NWS 151960Bruce Thompson2ChevyCLT 5CLB25th5658 Matthews Racing94FordDAY 9DAYDAY 62CLTNWSPHOCLBWood Brothers Racing20FordMAR DNQHCYWILBGSGPSAWSDARPIFHBORCHHMSDonlavey Racing90FordCLT 25BGSDAYHEIMABMBSATL 12BIRNSVAWSPIFCLBSBOBGSDAR 39HCYCSFGSPHBOMARNWSCLT DNQWood Brothers Racing21FordCLT 1RCH 1*ATL 41961Beau Morgan16FordCLTJSPDAYDAYDAYPIFAWSHMSATLGPSHBOBGSMARNWSCLBHCYRCHMARDARCLTCLT 17RSDASPCLT 41PIFBIRGPSBGSNORHASSTRDAYATLCLBMBSBRINSVBGSAWSRCHSBODARHCYRCHCSFATLMARNWS62nd1564 Wood Brothers Racing21FordCLT 11BRIGPSHBO1962Holman-Moody15FordCONAWSDAYDAY 23DAY 17CONAWSSVHHBORCHCLBNWSGPSMBSMARBGSBRIRCHHCYCONDARPIFCLTATLBGSAUGRCHSBODAYCLBASHGPSAUGSVHMBSBRICHTNSVHUNAWSSTRBGSPIFVALDARHCYRCHDTSAUGMARNWS42nd2522 Petty Enterprises41PlymouthCLT 9ATL1971Junior Fields91ChevyRSDDAYDAYDAYONTRCHCARHCYBRIATLCLBGPSSMRNWSMARDARSBOTALASHKPTCLT 16DOVMCHRSDHOUGPSDAYBRIASTISPTRNNSVATLBGSONAMCHTALCLBHCYDARMARCLTDOVCARMGRRCHNWSTWS – –

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1959 Steve Pierce Chevrolet 31 10 1960 Matthews Racing Ford 17 62 1962 Holman-Moody Ford 33 17

Convertible Division NASCAR Convertible Division results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pts Ref 1959 Bruce Thompson 2 Chevy DAY FAY RCH HCY MRL CLT HBO DAR CLB AWS BGS MAR CLB 5 GPS CLT 69th 168

References

External links Racer Profile: Speedy Thompson at InsiderRacingNews.com