WML Project: Speed Demons

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3/19/62 Mickey Thompson, A “speed car driver” who was setting records on the Bonneville Salt Flats, was on TTT. He comes on at the 19 minute mark. I was unable to find out who Bill Loper and Walt Sebo were.

 

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Thompson goes after the record:

 

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A short documentary on Mickey Thompson, narrated by his son, Danny:

 

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Mickey was involved in two tragedies. He was the owner of the car Dave McDonald crashed at the Indy 500 in 1964, killing himself and Eddie Sachs in the worst accident they ever had there:

 

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Thompson and his wife were victims of a famous murder in 1988:


Goodwin was later convicted of the murders:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Thompson#Murder

 

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10/25/64 Craig Breedlove, who had set the world land speed record just ten days before and would increase it twice more. He is the first guest. The mystery guest, James Garner, also liked to race cars and you wonder what their back-stage conversations must have been like.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Breedlove

 

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Breedlove sets the land speed record, crashing at 526 miles an hour after he does so: