DON THOMPSON

          Don Thompson was the last of the Dayton Speedway owners, and he and his family spent a lot of their money in an effort to restore the speedway to its former glory.

          Here's the article by writer Greg Billing that appeared in the Dayton Daily News when Don passed away.

LAST OWNER OF DAYTON SPEEDWAY DIES

Don Thompson remembered as a 'kind person;' owning the track was his lifelong dream.

By Greg Billing

Staff Writer

Friday, September 29, 2006

     Veteran race car driver John Vallo remembers Don Thompson as a colorful man. Yellow and orange, to be exact.

     "The first race I ever went to, Larry Moore was driving a yellow and orange No. 27 car owned by Don Thompson. It just caught my eye," said Vallo.

     Years later when looking to break into the sport Mr. Thompson loved, that car got Vallo's attention again. He piloted the ride for Mr. Thompson. "That was kind of ironic," Vallo said. "About 15 or 20 years later I was driving for Don Thompson at Dayton Speedway."

     Mr. Thompson definitely stood out in auto racing from his head-turning cars to his head-topping hats. Mr. Thompson, the last owner of the Dayton Speedway, passed away at Hospice of Dayton on Wednesday morning. He was 81.

     "He was the most caring, generous, kind person," said Carol Graham, who worked as Mr. Thompson's personal aide. "His handshake was his word. If he gave you his word on something, that is what happened."

     And Mr. Thompson liked to give, especially his Don Thompson Racing Team hats that have made their way all over the world. Vallo said he has a yellow-and-orange one still in plastic.

     "That man must have given away a million of those hats," Vallo said. "He was real friendly and a nice guy."

     Graham said Mr. Thompson took over Dayton Speedway in the late 1970s. He kept it going and tried to bring NASCAR to town until the track on

     "It was a lifelong dream of his," Graham said of owning and operating the track. "He did everything he could to make it a success. In the end he had to throw in the towel. He always enjoyed the memory of that race track."

     Mr. Thompson, who also owned Don Thompson Excavating, donated to local drivers and racing teams and was a long-time member of the Dayton Auto Racing Fan Club. He graduated from South Charleston High School in 1943 and served in the Philippines during World War II.

     "He was one super guy," said driver Chick Hale, who started driving at Dayton Speedway in 1949. "He was always nice to everybody and everybody loved him."

     Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Belton-Stroup Funeral Home in Fairborn. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday. Burial will follow at the Spring Valley Cemetery.