Dick Thompson

Dr. Dick Thompson (born in 1920 or 1921) is a retired American racecar driver. A Washington, D.C. dentist by trade, he is known as "The Flying Dentist". He won numerous Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) championships and was inducted in the Corvette Hall of Fame. Thompson brought credibility to the Corvette as a world-class sports car.<ref name=Corvette>Biography; National Corvette Museum; Retrieved October 22, 2007</ref> Active from the late 1950s until the 1970s, Thompson raced for several notable racers, including the factory Corvette team for John Fitch and Briggs Cunningham.<ref name=vintageracecarjournal />

Thompson started racing in 1952 in one of the first 12 hour races at Sebring International Raceway.<ref name=vintageracecarjournal>Interview: Dr. Dick Thompson; John Wright; October 2007 Vintage Racecar Journal; October 22, 2007</ref> He drove to the track in his MG TD, and co-drove the car to an eighth place finish.<ref name=vintageracecarjournal /> He caught Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov's eye in 1956,<ref name=Corvette /> when Thompson was the only driver to compete in a production Corvette.<ref name=vintageracecarjournal /> He won the SCCA championship in his Corvette in 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961 and 1962 in Classes A, B and C.<ref name=Corvette /> He was selected to test drive a new Corvette Grand Sport at Sebring in December 1962. In 1963, he drove a Corvette Grand Sport to victory at Watkins Glen International. He took third place that year at Daytona International Speedway and won the GT class in 1970.

Thompson used his knowledge of the Corvette to write The Corvette Guide in 1958.<ref name=Corvette /> He never made enough money to cover more than his expenses. He had never quit his dentistry business, so he decided to concentrate on that business full-time. He has raced occasionally in events since his retirement.<ref name=vintageracecarjournal /> He lives in Wellington, Florida as of October 2007.<ref name=vintageracecarjournal />

Honors

Dick Thompson was inducted in the Corvette Hall of Fame in 2000.<ref name=Corvette />