Piston Power World Record: Danny Thompson Makes 448 MPH Run!
Son of iconic racer Mickey Thompson drove his father’s car as he keeps a legendary name alive.
As far as iconic names in racing, not many hold more prestige than Thompson. Chronicled by the Daily Mail, Mickey Thompson made the biggest name for himself on the 1/4 mile strip, but his endless pursuit of speed didn’t stop there. In the 1960s Thompson found a love with flat-out speed and built the Challenger 1 to conquer the salt flats of Bonneville. Soon after, an improved car called Challenger 2 was built to secure the world record for piston powered vehicle.
Mickey Thompson eventually retired from driving and handed the reigns to his son, Danny, in the late ’80s to set the speed record. But after Mickey and his wife Trudy were murdered, the project was understandably shelved.
After 30 years in storage, Challenger 2 was extracted from storage and restored by Danny Thompson in order to pursue the attempt once more. Consider this unfinished business, then. Now running a car that is 50 years old, the task seemed insurmountable. But even with an old car, Thompson felt he could break his father’s 406 mile per hour record, and re-set the world record for piston power.
August 11th and 12th were the days chosen to set the record, and as it turned out, each successive day got faster. Prior to setting the record, a pass of 446.605 was recorded. However, to be a full record, the course must be run in both directions. The average of those two passes would be the official record. Backing up the 446 mile per hour run was a 450.909 run, making the average and the brand new record 448.757 miles per hour.
Giving credit to everyone involved, Danny Thompson said, “the whole crew pulled together to get the record. I feel like I’ve finally put the streamliner’s unfinished business to rest.” He’s also raised the bar for the most simple and pure form of motorsport in existence. How fast can you go?
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