Richard Thomas is powered by Ford

By Dan Hall

The racing career of Richard Thomas began in 1985.  Richard remembers, “I had just got out of the US marines and purchased a 1972 Mustang.  My cousin, Gary Tillinghast had been buying the race parts.  We had planned to start racing at Tri-County Speedway.” A near fatal automobile accident almost ended the plan.  Richard said, “Gary was involved in a bad accident.  We were not sure if he was going to make it.” Fortunately he did but the racing was put on hold.  The process of rehabilitation was slow for Gary.  Richard remembers, “Things were doubtful upon my return home.  Gary’s recuperation accelerated once we started building the car.” They went on to compete in the Street Stock division and finished in the top ten.  It was a rough beginning that tested Richards’s perseverance.  The experience left him undaunted in his quest to race.

In 1986, Richard continued to race at Tri-County Speedway.  He also begin racing at Perry Speedway in the Street Stock class.  By 1988, he built a new Ford Torino and began to campaign it.  He finished third in points at Perry and captured four feature wins.  Richard built a new Mustang for the 1989 race year.  He campaigned the car at both Genesee and Perry Speedway.  In 1990, the Mustang captured feature wins at both Genesee and Perry Speedway.  The feature win at Genesee was the first time a Ford had won there.  A new Ford Thunderbird was debut in 1991.  The car finished in the top ten at both Perry and Genesee.  The top ten finishes were repeated at both tracks in 1992.  Richard took a break in 1993 and crewed for Jim Majchrzak’s #14 Late Model.  The 1994 race season found Richard in a Sportsman Mod at the high banks at Holland Speedway.  He ended up in the top ten his first Mod season.  This included his first ever Mod win.  His consistent finishes achieved him back to back top ten Holland Mod points for 1995 and 1996.  The 1997 race season begin as a crewman but finished in the drivers seat of a Pro-Truck at Holland.  Richard returned to Sportsman’s Mod division at Holland in 1998.  He had two feature wins that year.  In 1999, he achieved Sportsman Mod wins at both Perry and Holland.  By 2000, Richard was working with Bill Mislin at RE Speed.  They built Richard a new racer to campaign at Perry.  The beginning of the 2002 race season, Richard had the #15 dialed in at Perry.  Richard remembers, “The whole season came down to the last race for track champion.  Ron Williams and I were separated by only four points.  The winner of the race took the title.  Ron had won the two previous seasons at Perry.  He has always been the driver to beat.  The Evil one is a class act who races clean.  I was fortunate and won that last race.”   Richard became the 2002 WCIS Sportsman Modified champion.  He had nine feature wins and was awarded the perseverance award by FOAR Score racing organization.  Though he took the 2003 season off, Richard returned in 2004.  He was third in points and fifth in SST series points.

A majority of Richard’s racing career, he has never had a pit crew.  “Fellow WCIS drivers and their crews are always willing to give me a hand.  I consider them to be like family,” said Richard.  The color scheme of his cars has always been red, white, and blue.  This is a tribute to Richard Petty and to the United States Marine Corp.  The #15 is significant to the association with winning Fords.  Richard stated, “Bud Moore ran the #15 with his drivers.  David Pearson won many races in the ford of Bud Moores.” 

In 2005, Richard will debut his new #15 SST 2 KWIK chassis racer.  This car won best appearing modified at the Olean car show.  The car is prepared by Rick Kluth. Potential sponsors will make frequent visits to victory lane.  Richard is looking forward to this season.  He said, “I like racing at WCIS because it’s home.  I grew up in Perry and my mom took me to the speedway every week.  My uncle had a tow truck and I went will him all the time.  I remember Ron Williams racing when I was a kid.”  Richard remembers, “I have been coming to Perry Speedway my entire life.  This is my second home.”

The 2005 race season is Richards twentieth and he is optimistic.  His new racer will be a contender for WCIS track champion and the SST series.  Through out his career, his perseverance has kept him competitive.  He has always been willing to lend a hand to a fellow competitor.  A man of few words, Richard simply loves to race.  He has achieved a lot in his career and will continue to do so.  The Ford powered racer has found a home at the bullring.