Best known for his exploits in Corvettes, and later in the wild "Stingray" prototype; Thompson drove Briggs Cunningham's LeMans Maserati Type 60 #2468 at the "L.A. Times Grand Prix" at Riverside on Oct. 15, 1861.  

Thompson qualified the car 3rd in the under two-liter class at 2:11.4, a fairly slow time caused by the extra weight and high windshield of the car's setup as a LeMans endurance racer.  Thompson had electrical problems in the race and limped home 11th overall and 5th in the under two-liter class.