1933: The Deadliest Indianapolis 500 in History

Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys

May 19, 2026•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 5

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Episode description

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

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Bibliography:

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2015/05/21/indianapolis-500-indy-500-will-overhead-1933-newspaper-headline-mistake-history/27678645/