Landracing Forum
Misc Forums => Health, Welfare, and Passings => Topic started by: Glen on May 16, 2012, 11:06:40 AM
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Neil Thompson passed away this morning. He was a pioneer in LSR and held many records in his Studebaker on the salt and dry lakes. He was a member of the Gear Grinders. God Speed Neil. :-(
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Crud! Seems like the passings are coming in fast and furious.
I liked Neil - he was way fast when others were looking to go fast. Neil became a Bonneville 200 MPH club member in 1966, 265+ in a Studebaker.
God Speed,
DW
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Neil was my friend and mentor. I worked for him for a short time and it was my pleasure. He taught me a lot. He continued to work too long and still had many more dreams and aspirations in LSR which he will now not be able to accomplish. He was admired by many....I will miss my true friend Neil..................JD
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Years ago, on a very hot day, Neil was sitting on the side of the Studbugger with a wet washcloth over his head. I did a foto of him and printed it in the room
at the Wendover Best Western. I gave it to him. He lost it and every time I saw him he told me about that foto.
He made horsepower and drove "balls to the wall." I think he was an early Freddie Dannenfelzer or George Fields.
Nope, I am wrong.
Freddie and George are late model Neil.
FREUD
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Man, other one gone. Neil's Studebaker was insane and it's still around today (in an undisclosed location) and I had the pleasure of taking a very close look at it. Man, you had to have one hell of a pair to pilot that monster to nearly 300 mph. My dad told me a story once that the first time he went to Bonneville he and some friends flew up to Wendover and landed out some where on a near by dry lake bed or a dirt road or something. Before they landed they got down near the road and saw a truck towing a bitchin' looking Studebaker. Once they landed they all ran up to the highway and here comes this truck over the hill with the Studebaker behind it. Sure enough it was Neil Thompson. He pulled over and gave everyone a ride into town. Neil had always been one of my dad's heros.
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I found a picture of his car at http://www.roddingroundtable.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=57007
(http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/temp-pictures/thompsons_coupe-em.jpg)
Source is from Purplesagetradingpost.
Larry
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I never had the pleasure of meeting Neil but Bruce Geisler said that he had "one wicked car".
Tom Burkland shared with me pictures of both the Burkland Studebaker and several of the different incarnations of the Thompson car along with many stories of both cars.
It sure would have been neat to have them both run with Today's modern technowlogy.
God speed Neil. Bob Drury
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No one ever says much about it but there is an old car magazine from the 60's which has a 2 or 3 page article on Neil's Studebaker. One of the photos shows a timing slip with the #400 and a speed of over 300 mph out the back door....Neil was never to use any nitro also.
I guess the Man Upstairs needed a few things all at once: A USC Chemical Engineer, HD dealership owner, Lincoln-Mercury dealership CEO, electrical mechanic, and a super tuner all in one.....................JD
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heres an old pic i had
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Boy, the view outta there musta been very limited.
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That's the car on which he was sitting on the door sill when I did is foto.
Several year ago I saw him at Jack's Garage and most recently at Gas up with his son and his dog.
When he left LSR he bonded with dirt bikes. Whatever he did he did with gusto.
RIP Neil....
FREUD
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RIP Neil
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Neil IS one of my heroes..... even if he's gone now! I used to stop by his place when he lived in Elko and, on one occasion, I nearly had him talked into selling me "The Wold's Fastest Coupe"..... I had to go home and borrow money to do it and by the time I got a loan arranged, Neil decided he did NOT want to sell it. I didn't want to run it, I just wanted to OWN it!
We sat together and benched race at more than one 200 Club get-together and, at the salt, we ribbed each other about who tried to copy who's lakester......
We're going to miss you Neil..... Godspeed and see you on the other side....
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Sad news, Neil wasn't finished yet. He had alot of ideas he wanted to try.
Met Neil when he lived in Elko, bought motorcycles from him.
I took the pic of the coupe on the trailer about 1967 in downtown Ely. They were taking a break on the way to Bonneville'
Years passed, I got back with him in the early 2000's at Bonneville. He taught me the ways of the salt and introduced me to many of my hero's.
My thoughts are with his family may peace be with you, God Speed Neil.
SB :cry:
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Met Neil, his son and the Wolf at one of the early Bub meets. I noticed he was wearing the oldest faded red hat I had ever seen. I really enjoyed talking with an old salt legend, God Speed Neil
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I have been looking for a pic that I have of this car after the late 60s Corvette nose was grafted to it....Anyone else have one?
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Dave, p.m. Tom Burkland.
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I remember seeing a magazine with a Corvette nosed early Stude on the cover.
It seems like it was blue and silver.
Could this be the one you're talking about?
Don
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(http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5202.0;attach=17440;image)
Posted January 24, 2010, 12:08:22 PM by lvsalt, reply #940 of the old bonneville pics thread. :cheers:
Mike
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That's not it. That picture is with a highly modified Stude front end.
The Corvette nose was a "mako shark" front end.
Boy, check out that 3/4 ton panel "push" truck behind it ........... pretty cool. Bob
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I remember seeing a magazine with a Corvette nosed early Stude on the cover.
It seems like it was blue and silver.
Could this be the one you're talking about?
Don
IT WAS BLUE &SILVER!!!! The Corvette nose was a '68-'69 style .... It was installed prior to 1970 Speedweek - either that year or a year or so earlier as it was the blue and silver color in 1970 (which was my first year at speedweek)
Eventually, I will find the pics I have stashed away.... and scan and post it!....
But ....GAWD!!!!!..... Neil is gone????? I am really saddened by that! :-(
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Although I hate to admit it, I rarely visit this sites homepage.
Today, while bored, I opened to it, and went to the SCTA website and scrolled down to the Health and Welfare section.
There is a nice, informative tribute to Neil Thompson with quotes from Tom Burkland about the years when they both ran Studebaker Comp Coupes.
Neil was certainly no dummy, and I thank Tom for his contribution to the salute. Bob
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I just heard the news. Neil, and guys just like him, is the reason I got into land speed racing. As a frequent visitor to Jack's Garage, I asked many questions prior to and while building my '34 roadster. I realized in a very short time how valuable his input was. When Neil talked, I listened.
Rest in Peace Neil.
John
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Bob, the push truck had a 392 in it also............JD
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J.D., that brings to mind the late Tom Beaty's lakester and the famous story about when he hurt the Blown Old's in his racer, he pulled the Blown Old's motor out of his 40' Ford push truck, finished the event, put the motor back in the forty, and towed the lakester home.
Tom (whom I never met) built one of the earliest blower drives which featured either five or six (?) V-belts rather than the common Gilmer cog drive as is still used Today.
I have a tape of Speedweek that year (1960 I believe) and they interviewed Tom and talked about his remarkable motor changes.
I can really relate after my unscheduled motor swap on the salt in my tow vehicle last year...................
:-P Bob
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I remember seeing a magazine with a Corvette nosed early Stude on the cover.
It seems like it was blue and silver.
Could this be the one you're talking about?
Don
IT WAS BLUE &SILVER!!!! The Corvette nose was a '68-'69 style .... It was installed prior to 1970 Speedweek - either that year or a year or so earlier as it was the blue and silver color in 1970 (which was my first year at speedweek)
Eventually, I will find the pics I have stashed away.... and scan and post it!....
But ....GAWD!!!!!..... Neil is gone????? I am really saddened by that! :-(
Is this it? :?
I took these in 1970 - my first trip to the salt!
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The car is at George Calloways shop at El Mirage.
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The car is at George Calloways shop at El Mirage.
Calloway ALWAYS gets the neat stuff! ???
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I remember seeing a magazine with a Corvette nosed early Stude on the cover.
It seems like it was blue and silver.
Could this be the one you're talking about?
Don
IT WAS BLUE &SILVER!!!! The Corvette nose was a '68-'69 style .... It was installed prior to 1970 Speedweek - either that year or a year or so earlier as it was the blue and silver color in 1970 (which was my first year at speedweek)
Eventually, I will find the pics I have stashed away.... and scan and post it!....
But ....GAWD!!!!!..... Neil is gone????? I am really saddened by that! :-(
Is this it? :?
I took these in 1970 - my first trip to the salt!
Woody - OF COURSE this is the car!!!!.... And to this day, it still looks SOO COOL to me!.... thanx!!!!!
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The car is at George Calloways shop at El Mirage.
Calloway ALWAYS gets the neat stuff! ???
LOL George definitely does but the car belongs to Neil and now obviously the Thompson family AFAIK. Neil's roadster may also be there. My dad and I went over and looked at the Studebaker during the last meet. It's certainly neglected and looks like it sat outside for 15 or 20 years but it's still mostly all there. ABSOLUTELY amazing to see where "we've" come from to where we are now 40+ years later.
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The car is at George Calloways shop at El Mirage.
Calloway ALWAYS gets the neat stuff! ???
LOL George definitely does but the car belongs to Neil and now obviously the Thompson family AFAIK. Neil's roadster may also be there. My dad and I went over and looked at the Studebaker during the last meet. It's certainly neglected and looks like it sat outside for 15 or 20 years but it's still mostly all there. ABSOLUTELY amazing to see where "we've" come from to where we are now 40+ years later.
If the Thompson family wants to sell it, I AM SOOOO INTERESTED!!!!! ... Not so much to race it.... but to own it!
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Dave, not that I wish to spoil your dreams, but in mine I see it parked next to the Phoenix in the new LSR Museum in Wendover.................Bob
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I see it parked inside my shop, being readied to race again.
Willi
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Salt, first of all it would be easier and cheaper to start from scratch.
This car was last raced (I believe) in the mid seventies, and I think that other than the top, everything else would need to be replaced.
It is impossible to reach some areas of a Studebaker to remove salt (unless you remove the rear quarter panels every year) and the chassis is probably toast also if there were any holes drilled into it.
Both the body and chassis will rust from both inside and outside.
The roll cage is probably welded from "seamed" steel pipe or of unknown thickness.
If it has a quickchange rear, it is probably eaten up. On and on.
This is a historical car and I think it should be honored "AS IS" as a tribute to Neil and our sport.
Bob
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Salt, first of all it would be easier and cheaper to start from scratch.
This car was last raced (I believe) in the mid seventies, and I think that other than the top, everything else would need to be replaced.
It is impossible to reach some areas of a Studebaker to remove salt (unless you remove the rear quarter panels every year) and the chassis is probably toast also if there were any holes drilled into it.
Both the body and chassis will rust from both inside and outside.
The roll cage is probably welded from "seamed" steel pipe or of unknown thickness.
If it has a quickchange rear, it is probably eaten up. On and on.
This is a historical car and I think it should be honored "AS IS" as a tribute to Neil and our sport.
Bob
Bob, This is pretty much why I wanted to "only" own it instead of racing it (even back in the 70s)....
But, if, as you alluded to, it will be going to a/an/or THAT LSR Museum, that WOULD be a RELLY GOOD place for it to be!.... But, if it EVER gets put up for sale, I would want to know about it ASAP!..... I missed ONE car, so far, that, to me anyways, had HUGE LSR historical significance.... I still shed tears over the end that it received....
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This Stud should be displayed in a Museum as it is, with all its accessories :
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/neil-thompson-studebaker/
https://www.goodingco.com/lot/1953-studebaker-land-speed-coupe/?sortBy=ENDING_SOONEST&pageNumber=1&fbclid=IwAR3P72lniSdL1_MOcerdgJdUBNPggzEz0seTrpU7nllPYoJm3AhHxV8iSss
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The Car was recently at an auction in Monterey CA. It did not have a taker for the set opening of $125,000...