Testing Almost Pays Off in Seattle
Kent WA - As the defending champion of the Schucks Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, Clint Thompson, has fond memories of the near washed out 2007 race that barely got in the books. Thompson was able to hang on and win his third national event under dark Seattle skies. The following week the team continued the Western Swing to Sonoma, only to lose in the early rounds where he was the defending champion.

Fast forward to this year where Thompson hoped to defend his championship in Seattle, and while the weather was perfect his Cascade Auto Group funny car was having problems hooking up. Even so, Thompson was still able to get in the show with an off pace 9.36 at 93.18 MPH. "We are trying some new things and the actual race is the only place I have to do my testing. Obviously, the things we tried in qualifying didn't work but we had to try them" Thompson explained. Fortunately, with all the problems Thompson's team was still able to get in the show as there were just 16 cars entered in the field.

In the first round of eliminations, Thompson faced California rival Sean O'Bannon. Unlike qualifying, Thompson's testing nearly paid off as he just about pulled the rabbit out of a hat and improved to a 5.67 at 251 MPH. However, a slower reaction time for Thompson lost him the race as O'Bannon had a 0.102 reaction time to Thompson's 0.116. O'Bannon was able to post a close 5.68 at 256 MPH for the hole shot win.

Thompson hopes that his pattern of losing one race and winning the other on the swing holds up this year. And with the new found combination, Thompson is optimistic he's back on track. "We're on tour now so we still have quite a few races left where we can make up the points including a first time trip to Brainard" Thompson said.

Thompson Experiences Difficult First Round Loss in Woodburn

Woodburn OR - Prior to the first round of qualifying at the Les Schwab Challenge, stop number three of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Clint Thompson stated that a victory in Woodburn would be a major win for his team. "We have never won a divisional here (the Les Schwab Challenge) and for me it would be like winning a national event" Thompson said.

With eleven very good cars trying to get into an eight car field, qualifying in the 95 degree heat would be challenging for any team in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class. Fortunately, Thompson was able to qualify his Cascade Auto Group Monte Carlo in middle of the field with a 5.95 at 246 MPH. This set up a first round match up with Northwest rival Brian Hough, of Junction City Oregon. Such a first round pairing between the two powerhouse teams usually comes towards the final round.

At the green, Thompson smoked the tires and got out of shape forcing him to click it off early. Meanwhile, Hough sailed down track for the win with a 5.90 ET. Thompson was disappointed for the early round loss and blamed it on the driver error of not engaging the clutch and the throttle peddle in the correct sequence. "It was driver error and a missed opportunity. We had a good chance to catch up in the points with Sean (O'Bannon) and Brian (Hough) as we were all on the same side of the ladder. The good news is they have run more races than we have so we can catch up by entering another event and doing well." Thompson said.

Thompson won't have to wait long to get over his first round blues as he will be racing this coming weekend at the NHRA Schuck's Auto Supply Nationals in Seattle.

Thompson Falls Short of Seattle Win
Kent WA - After scoring a "threepeat" victory in Mission and then a runner-up finish at a Woodburn match race, Clint Thompson was on a roll and confident he would still be a contestant in the final round of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series held at Pacific Raceways, June 21-23.

In qualifying Thompson hung on to the number three position with a promising 5.67 at 254 MPH. This would set up a first round match up with Jason Rupert who qualified 6th. At the hit, Thompson was out first with a 0.095 reaction time to Rupert's close 0.096. At the stripe it was Thompson with a 5.71 at 248 MPH to take the win over Rupert's valiant 5.79 at 248 MPH effort.

In the semifinals, Thompson faced none other than Dennis Taylor who was out for some revenge after Thompson defeated him at last year's Schucks Auto Supply Nationals. At the light, Taylor got out of the hole first with a 0.043 reaction time to Thompson's 0.071. At the same time, Thompson's dream of another win went up in smoke as Taylor got his revenge with a decent 5.69 to Thompson's tire smoking 6.99.

Thompson now heads back to his home state of Oregon where he hopes for better luck at the Les Schwab Challenge being held at Woodburn Dragstrip, July 10-13.

Thompson Racing Seeks Marketing Partners for 08 and Beyond
Klamath Falls - After a great year with Dutch Bros, that included a celebrated national event victory, Thompson Racing and the popular west coast coffee chain parted ways due to the current economic climate and change in strategy. "While we are disappointed that Dutch Bros opted to go a different direction, we are hopeful that they may pick up where they left off at some point in the future" said team owner Clint Thompson.

While the economy was sited as the reason, sponsoring a professional race team such as Thompson's 250 MPH Monte Carlo makes good business sense as marketing packages come in a number reasonable price ranges and include a number of amenities including pit-side hospitality for company associates and clients, collector cards, t-shirts, website advertising, on site point of sale displays, and of course signage on the race car seen at the track and nationally on ESPN. It's a complete multi-facet advertising package.

Like NASCAR, drag racing fans are very loyal and buy products endorsed by popular drivers like Clint Thompson, but the cost of advertising is a much better value than the cost of sponsoring a NASCAR team, with the unlimited pit access at NHRA events being a big advantage over other motorsports. For direct answers on how we can help generate sales and positive PR for your business Contact us for additional information.

Nitro vs. Alcohol at Woodburn
Woodburn - At Woodburn Dragstrip's Fire and Thunder race they tried something new by taking the average speeds of the funny cars and then taking the average speeds of the dragsters and pit the two quickest cars for a dragster vs. funny car final, just like in the old days of Pro Comp! The idea was a big hit! On the dragster side, A/Fuel Winternationals Champ Branden Johnson had the quickest average time took for the rails, and Clint Thompson who ran a 5.89 in the first stanza against Ashwell Racing and a 5.91 in the second round against Harder Racing. Clint's 5.89 was the low ET for the floppers and he had the quickest ET's.

In the final against Johnson's nitro burning A/Fuel Dragster, Thompson got a bit of an advantage at the starting line and was well ahead of Johnson when the blower belt came off. "the car shook at about 150 feet and then made it's move to the center line. The car coasted after the belt came off and then all the sudden the dragster blew right past me. It was kind of cool! All I needed was a 6.30 to get past the finish line. If only that belt would have stayed on just a little longer" Thompson said. Johnson's ET was a 5.69 to Thompson's 6.83.

And how did he like racing an A/Fuel dragster? "This was the first time in many moons I got to race a dragster and it was a kick" Thompson said.

It's a Threepeat in Canada!
Mission Canada - Clint Thompson, pulled off a "threepeat" victory by winning the Lordco Auto Parts BC Nationals at Mission Raceway convincingly over a tough top alcohol funny car field. Thompson beat Sean O'Bannon to take his third straight title in Mission Canada. The win gave Thompson four final round appearances in four tries as the team did not compete at the race in 2005. Thompson won the event utilizing an engine built by Bob Minor. Joey Severence who races in the Top Alcohol class also won the event using a Bob Minor engine.

Besides winning the event for the third consecutive year, it was a meaningful win as they were without crew member Kelly Mercier who was at the bedside of his son Conrad Mercier, a graduating high school senior who is recovering from heart surgery. "We told Conrad we would go win this race for him and he said if we did he would drag the trophy up to the graduation stage. Now, he really gets to do it." Thompson said. Conrad is expected to be out of the hospital in time for the graduation ceremony.

Thompson, qualified on the pole with a 5.62 ET at 257 MPH. In the first round, Thompson drew no. 8 qualifier Nathan Sitko from Edmonton. Sitko stepped it up in the first round and left on Thompson with a 0.069 light to Thompson's 0.081. But Thompson was able to make up the difference with a 5.63 at 257.06 MPH to Sitko's impressive 5.87 at 242 MPH.

In the semis it was a rematch of last year's final round as Thompson met up with Oregon rival Brian Hough. This time Clint was out of the gate first with a 0.072 reaction time to Hough's 0.103. At the stripe it was Thompson with a 5.63 at 257 MPH. Hough was closely behind with a 5.71 at 255 MPH. Thompson was then just one round away from a threepeat with only Sean O'Bannon in the Patron car standing in his way. The final round proved to be one of the most exciting races of the day as both cars left nearly together with Thompson getting a slight edge with a 0.090 reaction time to O'Bannon's 0.097. At the finish line it was Thompson by less than a fender with a 5.68 at 256 MPH to O'Bannon's close 5.69 at 257 MPH. "It was a very close race, it shook at the top of low gear and spun the tires. Both O'Bannon and I were both all over the track" Thompson said.

Prior to visiting the winner's circle for pictures Thompson had a few minutes to reflect on the successful weekend. "What a great race for the Dutch Bros - Cascade Auto Group team. We were short handed as it was just Tyler (Thompson), Vic (Miller), Danette (Thompson), and I working on the car. Danette did a lot of the duties that Kelly usually does and it sure helped us get the car turned around between rounds. This is such a great day as the weather was good and there were a lot of spectators here". Thompson said. The team returns to Woodburn for the Fire and Thunder event June 7-8. Then the following weekend they head to Seattle for the NHRA divisional event which they won in 2005.

It's All Clint at Woodburn
Woodburn - Clint Thompson is normally a regular at Woodburn Dragstrip's "Chicago style" funny car races where the fastest two cars return for the final. Last year, Clint was on the road racing in Dallas and missed the Fall Classic but this year he returned with a new engine combination for the Season Opener which turned out to be a hot one with highs in the 90 degree range. In the first round, Clint recorded the best run of the day, a 5.95 at 245 MPH. The team missed the second round but because they had low ET of the event from the first run they came back to race Randy Parker for the title. In the final, Parker had problems so Clint went solo, but unfortunately exploded an engine in the process at about 1100 feet into the run.

Clint was glad to be back at Woodburn and credited the fans as the main reason he returns each year. "We love coming to Woodburn just to see all of our fans. I don't know all of their names but I sure remember all of their faces and it's good to be back here once again after being away since the NHRA points meet last July. Photo by NW dragracing.com.

Moving on to Mission for a Threepeat
Next, the team will be heading to Mission Raceway Park where Clint is looking for a threepeat. The team has won the BC Nationals two years in a row and hope to make it three this Memorial Day Weekend. "The people are great, the track is great but the weather is usually wet." Clint said. We have always done well there beginning with a match race win over Brian Hough many years ago" Clint said.

Thompson Suffers Tough First Round Elimination at Vegas
Las Vegas - On track to back up a sensational final round appearance at Phoenix, Clint Thompson rolled into Vegas for the Summit.com NHRA Nationals with plenty of optimism. His optimistic outlook even turned better after qualifying in the middle of the field with a 5.73 at 251 MPH. Considering there were 26 cars in attendance, qualifying eight was very respectable.

In the first round Thompson drew popular Stockton California driver Don Hudson who had qualified ninth with a 5.74 at 250 MPH, so Vegas fans were expecting a pretty close race. Unfortunately for Thompson and the fans, he red lights by -0.007, giving the win to Hudson, who moved on to the next round with a 5.76.

It was a difficult loss for the Klamath Falls, Oregon team but the always optimistic Thompson knows it's a long season and there will be more opportunities to win in 2008.

Thompson Makes First Final Round Appearance of New Year
Phoenix - After a disappointing first round loss at Pomona, Clint Thompson was determined to kicked it up a few notches. And not only did he make it to the final round at the Lucas Oil Divisional in Phoenix, but he also qualified on the pole with a blistering 5.66 at 253 MPH in the warm Arizona sun.

Earning the number one qualifying position set up a first round match up with number eight qualifier Rian Konno. At the hit both Thompson and Konno shook hard while spinning the tires. Fortunately for Thompson, he was able to recover and got his Dutch Bros Cascade Chevrolet Monte Carlo right down Broadway with a 5.95 at 250 MPH. Konno meanwhile idled down the race course.

In the semifinals, Thompson faced Sean O'Bannon. Now, this was a drag race worth the price of admission as both cars were nearly side by side all the way down the track with Thompson having a slight advantage with a better 0.085 reaction time to O'Bannon's 0.094. At the stripe it was Thompson by about 15 feet with a 5.65 at 257 MPH to O'Bannon's close 5.68 charge at 256 MPH.

Thompson's close win set up a final round showdown with California's Doug Gordon. Thompson once again had the better reaction time with a 0.066 to Gordon's close 0.068. But that didn't help as Thompson's car got lose 60 feet into the run and got sideways. Gordon was able to make it to 330 feet into the run before he experienced similar traction problems and was on and off the throttle all the way to the finish line. Thompson had no choice but to settle for a runner-up finish.

Clint Experiences Early Exit at Pomona


At the running of the 48th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals, Clint Thompson had one of those kinds of weekends that every racer would just as soon forget. After qualifying in the ninth position with a fine 5.71 ET, Thompson was confident that he would get through Saturday's dreaded first round and make some noise on Sunday. Sadly for Thompson that wouldn't be the case at Pomona.

In the first round Thompson faced friendly rival Dennis Taylor. Taylor was running well at Pomona and qualified in the eight position with a fabulous 5.69. With both cars running close together on paper, all indications were that the win would be up for grabs. After the burnout both cars proceeded to pre-stage. Thompson began having difficulties staging as the clutch pedal got stuck behind the pedal stop and would not release. At the green Taylor was long gone and Thompson could only sit and watch the weekend come to a quick end. "It was a real bummer. There was nothing I could do but sit there and watch Dennis win with a 5.76. The crew did a great job this weekend, and I just feel bad for them and our sponsors Cascade Auto Group, Dutch Bros. Coffee, RPM Chassis, and RPMOil.com. We will get the problem corrected and will be in Phoenix for the Division 7 race in three weeks and then on to Las Vegas nationals in April " Thompson said. Photo by www.competitionplus.com

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Meet Thompson Racing



An avid drag racer since 1984, Thompson started out in the bracket ranks at nearby Jackson County sports park in Medford, OR. Always wanting to move up to a faster car, Clint raced several different bracket cars before getting his first funny car in 1987. After several years racing the car at match races throughout the Northwest, Thompson got a brand new funny car and engine in 1997. The addition of new equipment allowed the team to be competitive on the NHRA Divisional level and he began accumulating the knowledge and experience needed to field a winning car. Unlike many drivers, Thompson is also the crew chief for the race team, making all the tuning decisions on the car

In 2003, Thompson bought the complete turnkey race car formerly campaigned by the Miner Brothers out of Lodi, California. This proved to be a good move for the team as the car and engine combination had been a proven winner. Thompson placed a career best of 15th nationally and 3rd in the Northwest Division in 2004, winning his first NHRA event in Montana along the way.

The 2005 season shaped up to be another career best year as the team posted two wins, both at the famed Pacific Raceways in Seattle, Washington. At the Seattle National event in July, Thompson qualified number one with a career best et of 5.62 seconds, then set low et of the event with another career best of 5.50 seconds in the second round. Thompson is just the 17th driver in the world to run in the 5.50's in an alcohol powered Funny Car.

In 2006 Thompson con tinued his winning ways by winning the NHRA Fram Autolite Nationals in Sonoma and an NHRA divisional in Mission Canada. In 2007 Thompson repeated his magic by winning again in Mission Canada.

Clint is married to wife Danette, who helps out with the day to day needs of the operation and also assists the team at the track.

Serving on the crew are full time members Tyler Thompson and Kelly Mercier. And Vic Miller and Scott Davis who help on a part time basis and are not pictured at this time.