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Drivers/United States of America

Johnny Thomson

  • 1953–1960
  • THO
  • Born 9 April 1922 in Lowell
  • Died 24 September 1960
  • John Ashley Thomson

Compare with another driverSeason by season in the Explorer

Never drove a Formula 1 race. All of these appearances were at the Indianapolis 500, which counted towards the drivers' championship from 1950 to 1960 but was run to different regulations with a different field.

Career numbers

  • Avg grid position17.4
  • Avg finish15.3
  • Retirement rate0%
  • Pole-to-win conversion0%
  • Positions gained+17
  • Points scored10
  • Longest winning streak–
  • Longest podium streak1
  • Longest points-scoring streak2
  • TeamsDel Roy (1953) · Nichels (1954) · Kuzma (1955–1957) · Kurtis Kraft (1958) · Lesovsky (1959–1960)

Pole position means the fastest time in qualifying. That is not the same as a start from P1 – grid penalties move a driver down the grid. Up to the 2000s the two numbers coincide.

The career at a glance

1 1953: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1954: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1955: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins , championship P15 1956: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1957: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1958: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1959: 1 starts, 1 podiums, 0 wins , championship P12 1960: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins , championship P23 195319541955195619571958195919601 1953: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1954: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1955: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins , championship P15 1956: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1957: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1958: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins 1959: 1 starts, 1 podiums, 0 wins , championship P12 1960: 1 starts, 0 podiums, 0 wins , championship P23 19531955195719591960
WinsOther podiumsOther startsTitleBar height is the number of starts in that season.

Season by season

SeasonTeamRacesWinsPodiumsPointsChampionship
1953Del Roy10–
1954Nichels10–
1955Kuzma13P15
1956Kuzma10–
1957Kuzma10–
1958Kurtis Kraft10–
1959Lesovsky115P12
1960Lesovsky12P23

Every race

9 entries, 8 of them started. DNQ: did not qualify; DNS: did not start; DNF: retired.

All 9 races, season by season
YearRaceTeamGridResultPoints
1953Indianapolis 500sharedKurtis Kraft–P19
Indianapolis 500Del Roy33P32
1954Indianapolis 500Nichels4P24
1955Indianapolis 500Kuzma33P43
1956Indianapolis 500Kuzma18P32
1957Indianapolis 500Kuzma11P12
1958Indianapolis 500Kurtis Kraft22P23
1959Indianapolis 500polefastest lapLesovsky1P35
1960Indianapolis 500Lesovsky17P52

Against team-mates

Same car, same races. In the race only those where both reached the finish count – a retirement says nothing about the head-to-head.

Team-mateYearsRacesQualifyingQuali gapPoints
Jimmy Bryan1955–19571:22:1−1.24%3 : 4Compare
Eddie Johnson1953–19580:32:0–0 : 0Compare
Johnnie Parsons1953–19581:20:2–0 : 3Compare
Paul Russo1953–19581:20:1–0 : 1.5Compare
Billy Garrett1956–19580:21:1–0 : 0Compare
Len Sutton1958–19592:02:0–5 : 0Compare
Duane Carter1953–19551:10:1–3 : 2Compare
Rodger Ward1953–19551:10:1–3 : 0Compare
Andy Linden1953–19541:20:0–0 : 0Compare
Gene Hartley1953–19561:11:0–0 : 0Compare
Jim Rathmann19530:20:0–0 : 0Compare
Bob Sweikert19560:10:1–0 : 0Compare
Chuck Weyant19571:01:0–0 : 0Compare
Johnnie Tolan19571:01:0–0 : 0Compare
Eddie Sachs19571:00:1–0 : 0Compare
Johnny Boyd19580:10:1–0 : 4Compare
Bill Cheesbourg19580:11:0–0 : 0Compare
Al Keller19580:10:1–0 : 0Compare
Bob Christie19580:10:1–0 : 0Compare
Mike Magill19580:11:0–0 : 0Compare
Shorty Templeman19580:11:0–0 : 0Compare
Bob Veith19581:00:1–0 : 0Compare
Pat O'Connor19581:00:1–0 : 0Compare
Paul Goldsmith19581:00:1–0 : 0Compare
Jerry Unser Jr.19581:01:0–0 : 0Compare
Bill Vukovich19530:10:0–0 : 9Compare
Art Cross19530:10:0–0 : 6Compare
Sam Hanks19530:10:0–0 : 2Compare
Fred Agabashian19530:10:0–0 : 1.5Compare
Jack McGrath19530:10:0–0 : 2Compare
Jimmy Daywalt19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Jimmy Davies19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Dennis Nalon19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Carl Scarborough19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Bob Scott19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Bill Holland19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Duke Dinsmore19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Walt Faulkner19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Johnny Mantz19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Marshall Teague19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Spider Webb19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Jackie Holmes19530:10:0–0 : 0Compare
Pat Flaherty19531:00:0–0 : 0Compare
Jerry Hoyt19531:00:0–0 : 0Compare
Chuck Stevenson19531:00:0–0 : 0Compare
Cal Niday19531:00:0–0 : 0Compare
Bill Homeier19540:10:0–0 : 0Compare

Green: Johnny Thomson came out ahead in that duel. Quali gap: the median difference in the last session both set a time in, as a share of the lap – minus is faster. At least three sessions; a dash where there were fewer.

Strongest circuits

Circuits with at least two starts, most wins first.

CircuitStartsWinsPodiumsAvg finish
Indianapolis8115.3