Speed legend Mickey Thompson cites Crawford as an early influence in his autobiography, Challenger. Crawford provided Thompson with his first exposure to the Indianapolis 500 as a member of his pit crew. Crawford died in Los Angeles, California on February 1, 1996 after battling Alzheimer's disease and is buried at Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside California. He is the subject of a 2015 biography by Andrew Layton titled Ray Crawford - Speed Merchant. Dick Wallen, a noted auto racing photographer and publisher, also contributed to the book. World War II Aerial Victory credits Awards and decorations Crawford's ribbons as they appeared upon separation from the armed forces in 1953. From top, and from left to right: Row 1: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, with 14 oak leaf clusters, Row 2: Air Medal, continued, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Row 3: European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal Indy 500 results Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) References Bong, Carl. Dear Mom: So We Have a War. Burgess Publishing, 1993. Thompson, Mickey and Griffith Borgeson. Challenger: Mickey Thompson's Own Story of His Life of Speed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1964. 1915 births 1996 deaths American test pilots Indianapolis 500 drivers People from Roswell, New Mexico Racing drivers from New Mexico Recipients of the Air Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II World Sportscar Championship drivers Military personnel from New Mexico Carrera Panamericana drivers