Mickey Thompson

American legendary drag race car driver and homicide victim. Thompson began his career as a journalist but his interest in drag car racing led him to participate in the sport. He earned award after award, racking up records for speed and endurance. Thompson was a talented technician who loved working on and building cars. In 1960 he was the first American to break 400 miles per hour while upsetting the previous record of 402 mph. In 1963 he marketed his own brand of race tires. He founded SCORE International in 1973, an organization that provides oversight to the off-road racing industry and he and his wife Trudy established the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group.

On March 16, 1988, gunmen fatally shot Thompson and his wife while the pair were leaving home for work.Thompson's business partner Michael Goodwin was accused of hiring the hitmen but not convicted of their homicide until January 2007.