Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys

Elizabeth Blackstock
  • 4.9 (57)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

From race fixing attempts to kidnappings, the backbone of motorsport is built on scandal, intrigue, danger, and deception. Rev your engines and dive into the heart-pounding world of motorsport with Elizabeth Blackstock's captivating new podcast, Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys. Join us on an adrenaline-fueled journey through the scandalous, the intriguing, and the perilous tales that define this high-octane universe.

  1. 2D AGO

    1933: The Deadliest Indianapolis 500 in History

    It would be the darkest Month of May in Indianapolis 500 history. In 1933, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway promised fans the safest race the Brickyard had ever seen. New rules, new technology, and a renewed focus on stock-based machinery were all meant to prove that America’s greatest race could survive the crushing weight of the Great Depression. Instead, the month became one of the bloodiest chapters in motorsport history. Five men lost their lives before the checkered flag had even truly settled over Indianapolis. In this episode of “Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys,” we trace the chain of events that transformed the 1933 Indianapolis 500 into the deadliest running of the race ever contested. From Eddie Rickenbacker’s controversial “junk formula” regulations and the return of riding mechanics to the brutal qualifying crashes, mechanical failures, and horrifying accidents that claimed the lives of Bill Denver, Bob Hurst, Mark Billman, Lester Spangler, and Monk Jordan, we'll reveal how such a dangerous event came to be. #Indianapolis500 #Indy500 #indycar #MotorsportHistory #RacingHistory #AutoRacing #VintageRacing #IndianapolisMotorSpeedway #MotorsportPodcast #Motorsport #RacingPodcast #IndyCarHistory #AAAChampionship #EddieRickenbacker #LouisMeyer #WilburShaw #GreatDepression #1933Indy500 #HistoricRacing #MotorsportCulture #RidingMechanic #ClassicCars #AmericanHistory #DangerousSports #SpeedwayHistory #GoldenAgeOfRacing #MotorRacing #HistoricMotorsport #OpenWheelRacing #Brickyard To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys  Subscribe on Substack: https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/  Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock Order Racing with Rich Energy: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy Bibliography:  https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2015/05/21/indianapolis-500-indy-500-will-overhead-1933-newspaper-headline-mistake-history/27678645/ https://www.hemmings.com/stories/in-all-but-one-small-town-in-america-louis-meyer-won-the-1933-indianapolis-500/#comments-block  https://www.newspapers.com/image/105233097/?match=1&terms=%22speedway%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/313430554/?match=1&terms=%22speedway%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/873257022/?match=1&terms=%22speedway%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/105160745/?match=1&terms=%22Indianapolis%20500%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/311189214/?match=2&terms=%22speedway%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/105155396/?match=2&terms=%22speedway%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/105160354/?match=1&terms=%22Indianapolis%20500%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/311162451/?match=2&terms=%22speedway%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/311183898/?match=1&terms=%22speedway%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/105151490/?match=1&terms=%22speedway%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/873257006/  https://www.newspapers.com/image/873255772/?match=1&terms=%22speedway%22 https://www.newspapers.com/image/313422288/?match=1&terms=%22Indianapolis%20500%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/873256688/?match=1&terms=%22speedway%22  https://www.newspapers.com/image/873256688/?match=1&terms=%22speedway%22

    1h 5m

  2. MAY 12

    The forgotten founder of the Indy 500's most dominant engine

    Long before the name Offenhauser became synonymous with Indy glory, there was Harry Miller: a self-taught machinist and visionary whose engines transformed racing forever. Between the 1920s and the dawn of World War II, Miller-built cars dominated American motorsport with stunning speed, elegant engineering, and an obsessive devotion to craftsmanship.  But behind the brilliance lay financial chaos, broken partnerships, spiritual obsession, and the crushing reality of an industry evolving faster than one man could control. In this episode, we explore how Los Angeles became an unlikely cradle of racing innovation through the dangerous spectacle of board track racing; how Miller, Fred Offenhauser, and Leo Goossen formed one of the most important engineering partnerships in motorsport history; and how the Miller empire collapsed even as its creations continued winning races for decades. From the futuristic Golden Submarine to the legendary Miller 122 and 91, this is the story of the machines that reshaped the Indianapolis 500 — and the flawed, brilliant men who built them. #indycar #indy500 #indianapolis500 #indianapolismotorspeedway #harrymiller #offenhauser #motorsport #motorsporthistory To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys  Subscribe on Substack: https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/  Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock Order Racing with Rich Energy: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy Bibliography Board Track: Guts, Gold & Glory by Dick Wallen The Miller Dynasty: A technical history of the work of Harry A. Miller, his associates, and his successors by Mark L. Dees Offenhauser: The Legendary Racing Engine and the Men Who Built It by Gordon Eliot White City of Speed: Los Angeles and the Rise of American Racing by Joe Scalzo https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/nobody-walks-in-la-the-rise-of-cars-and-the-monorails-that-never-were-43267593/  https://medium.californiasun.co/los-angeles-motordrome-6f22dd973808  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-10-14-sp-9194-story.html  https://www.stutzclub.org/frederick-moscovics/  https://archive.org/stream/armourengineer18inarmo/armourengineer18inarmo_djvu.txt

    58 min

  3. APR 21

    1975 Spanish Grand Prix: Formula 1's forgotten disaster and its historic first

    The 1975 Spanish Grand Prix holds a strange place in the Formula 1 history books. That weekend, drivers boycotted what they perceived as unacceptably dangerous conditions at the Montjuïc Park street circuit; barriers had been poorly assembled, and in some cases, there were no bolts holding the Armco together. To keep the event on schedule, team bosses descended onto the track with wrenches in hand, ready to secure the safety features themselves. Yet for all of those efforts, the race still went down in infamy. A crash on lap 26 left multiple people dead, and the race was called to an early conclusion by organizers who couldn't access the scene of the accident without using the track itself.  It's one of F1's biggest tragedies, but there are many fans who only recognize the race for another of its historic moments: It remains the only Formula 1 event where a woman — Lella Lombardi — scored points.  In this episode of “Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys,” I'm threading together the disparate parts of this weekend to create a more comprehensive understanding of what really happened that weekend at Montjuïc Park — with a little help from none other than Mario Andretti helping to set the scene. To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys  Subscribe on Substack: https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/  Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock Order Racing with Rich Energy: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy Bibliography:  https://www.nytimes.com/1975/04/28/archives/race-car-crash-kills-4-in-spain-4-spectators-killed-as-racer.html https://www.grandprix247.com/formula-1-news/lombardi-feat-a-mere-footnote-to-tragic-1975-spanish-grand-prix http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=294 https://www.dive-bomb.com/article/formula-1-s-forgotten-tragedy-1975-spanish-grand-prix https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/tremayne-the-tragic-story-of-the-1975-spanish-grand-prix.7YkvJOOY66ARDRMRywzyB https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/why-tragic-montjuich-75-race-was-platform-for-f1-trailblazer/ https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr254.html https://www.motorsportretro.com/2010/09/spanish-grand-prix-1975-tragedy-at-montjuic-park/ https://motorsport.sportingmemories.net/memory/5111-maurice-hamilton-1975-spanish-grand-prix/?addcomment https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/paradise-lost-montjuic-and-the-1975-spanish-grand-prix/ https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-2025/82/f1s-most-successful-female-racer-was-lella-lombardi-too-far-ahead-of-the-times/  https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1975/66/spanish-grand-prix/  https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1975/36/the-spanish-grand-prix-catastrophic/  https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/f1/why-tragic-montjuich-75-race-was-platform-for-f1-trailblazer/  https://motorsport.sportingmemories.net/memory/5111-maurice-hamilton-1975-spanish-grand-prix/?addcomment

    1h 19m

  4. APR 17

    Breaking the Grid: The Five Women Who Entered Formula 1

    For more than 70 years, Formula 1 has been one of the most exclusive — and challenging — arenas in global sport. And while over 1,000 drivers have entered a Grand Prix, only five of them have been women. But who were these women? How did they get to F1? And what barriers stood in their way?  Join award-winning motorsport historian Elizabeth Blackstock for an exploration into the fascinating lives of F1’s fastest women. Among them are Olympians, kidnapping victims, and LGBTQ+ trailblazers who all had one goal in mind: racing on the world’s biggest stage. This audio is a recording of a public talk given at the San Antonio Library System during March 2026 in honor of Women's History Month. #womeninmotorsport #womeninhistory #womenracing #f1 #formula1 #lellalombardi #mariateresadefilippis #desirewilson #giovannaamati #divinagalica To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: ⁠https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys⁠  Subscribe on Substack: ⁠https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/⁠  Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock Order Racing with Rich Energy: ⁠https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy⁠

    47 min

  5. APR 7

    Breaking the Ban: How Women Fought for the Right to Race

    From Formula 1 to the Indianapolis 500, motorsport often presents itself as a meritocracy, but for much of racing history, women were explicitly and systematically banned from competition. From formal rules to informal “gentlemen’s agreements,” the exclusion of women from the world of speed lasted for decades, shaping who was allowed to compete and who could only watch from the sidelines. Join award-winning motorsport historian Elizabeth Blackstock for a fascinating look at the ways women were barred from competing in races — and how those women fought back. We’ll explore everything from national federation bans, license denials, moral refusal, and political climates in order to understand why and how women were discouraged from racing. More importantly, though, we’ll also take a deep look at the persistence and organization required to revoke those bans in order to allow women to get behind the wheel. #womeninmotorsport #womeninhistory #womenracing #f1 #formula1 #lellalombardi #mariateresadefilippis #janetguthrie #camilledugast #odettesiko #lemans #24hlemans #indycar #indy500 To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: ⁠https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys⁠  Subscribe on Substack: ⁠https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/⁠  Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock Order Racing with Rich Energy: ⁠https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy⁠

    43 min

  6. MAR 31

    Changing Gears: The Women Who Redefined What a Racing Driver Could Be

    While motorsport is often perceived as a man’s world, the history of racing is littered with trailblazing women who refused to accept the rules — both formal and informal — that prevented them from racing. And thanks to them, we’ve transformed the definition of what a racing driver can be. Join award-winning motorsport historian Elizabeth Blackstock as she highlights some of the most influential women who transformed their respective sports throughout racing’s past. From Camille du Gast in early-1900s city-to-city racing to Danica Patrick in NASCAR, each of these women competed under different rules and expectations, yet all faced similar pushback from the male-heavy institutions of motorsport. But more importantly, they all carved a space for themselves and for the women who followed. Rather than presenting a simple list of achievements, this session explores why these drivers mattered: how their successes challenged entrenched norms, changed media narratives, opened doors for those who followed, and, in some cases, forced rulebooks and institutions to evolve. It also examines the limits of progress, asking why individual breakthroughs have not always translated into lasting structural change. Finally, we’ll take a look at the future of women in motorsport, and how these pioneers paved the way for a more diverse future. #womeninmotorsport #womeninhistory #womenracing #f1 #formula1 #lellalombardi #mariateresadefilippis #janetguthrie #michelemouton #shirleymuldowney #wrc #worldrallychampionship #danicapatrick #indycar #indy500 To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys  Subscribe on Substack: https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/  Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock Order Racing with Rich Energy: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy

    51 min

  7. MAR 17

    Murder of a Speed King: The fast life and shocking death of Mickey Thompson

    Some men are born to set land speed records. Others feel their calling is creating ever more technologically advanced machines for the Indianapolis 500. Still others succumb to the siren song of long-distance desert racing. And some prefer to work behind the scenes, where they can transform the world of racing via promotion. But Mickey Thompson was no normal man, because Mickey Thompson attacked all of those goals with gusto. Yet for all of his accomplishments across various forms of motorsport, Thompson's legacy has since been defined by his death. In 1988, he and his wife Trudy were gunned down in the driveway of their own home. The killers have never been caught, and it took almost two decades to put the mastermind of the plot in jail. This month on “Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys,” we'll be talking about that murder, yes. But more than that, I want to focus on the ways Mickey Thompson transformed the world of American motorsport while he was alive, because that is the truly unbelievable part of this story. To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys  Subscribe on Substack: https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/  Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock Order Racing with Rich Energy: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy Bibliography Mickey Thompson: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of a Racing Legend by Erik Arneson Mickey Thompson: The Lost Story of the Original Speed King in His Own Words by Tom Madigan Black Noon: The Year They Stopped the Indy 500 by Art Garner City of Speed: Los Angeles and the Rise of American Racing by Joe Scalzo

    1h 6m

  8. FEB 10

    From man to myth: How Dale Earnhardt became immortal

    Twenty-five years ago, the racing world lost Dale Earnhardt at Turn 4 on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, but while the man may not be here physically, his legacy remains an integral element of NASCAR — and American motorsport as a whole — to this day. But how exactly did that happen? How did Earnhardt — who started his career during an era where stock-car racing was still a niche sport — evolve into a cultural phenomenon and a household name still regularly evoked decades after his death? How did Dale Earnhardt: The Man become Dale Earnhardt: The Myth? That's exactly what we're going to find out on this month's episode of “Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys”. We'll start at the very beginning, with the racing legacy of Ralph Earnhardt followed by Dale Earnhardt's fitful early career and the professional polish applied by his third wife Teresa, which transformed one man's life into a myth that has withstood the test of time. #daleearnhardt #earnhardt #nascar #nascarcupseries #motorsport #motorsporthistory #doitfordale To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys  Subscribe on Substack: https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/  Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock Order Racing with Rich Energy: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy Episode Bibliography:  Earnhardt Nation: The Full-Throttle Saga of NASCAR's First Family by Jay Busbee Dale Earnhardt: Rearview Mirror, collated by The Charlotte Observer The Earnhardt Collection The Search for Meaning by Dennis Ford Earnhardt (2025, Amazon Prime Video) Becoming Earnhardt Series (YouTube; Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media) https://www.nbcsports.com/nascar/news/nascar-dale-earnhardt-business-marketing-savvy-empire-stars https://www.earnhardtchevy.com/about-us/ https://www.jacksonville.com/story/sports/motorsports/2011/02/12/ten-after-3-dale-earnhardt-built-incredible-marketing-machine/112235368/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z114401v114401d--44--b--44--&gca-ft=217&gca-ds=sophi https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=121597 https://www.hagerty.com/media/people/auto-anthro-dale-earnhardt-and-the-myth-of-the-american-west/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/august-2025/34/dale-earnhardts-nascar-legacy-the-long-shadow-of-the-man-in-black/ https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/30823393/dale-earnhardt-death-daytona-500-legacy-intimidator https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/business/dale-earnhardt-jr-docuseries-amazon.html

    59 min
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From race fixing attempts to kidnappings, the backbone of motorsport is built on scandal, intrigue, danger, and deception. Rev your engines and dive into the heart-pounding world of motorsport with Elizabeth Blackstock's captivating new podcast, Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys. Join us on an adrenaline-fueled journey through the scandalous, the intriguing, and the perilous tales that define this high-octane universe.

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