At the 1977 Firecracker 400, NASCAR invited two of Europe's most exceptional female racers — Christine Beckers and Lella Lombardi — to make their Cup Series debut… but its goals may not have been particularly noble. Janet Guthrie, who was also competing in that race, felt that NASCAR was attempting to end her career by paying foreign talent to take her down. Today on "Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys," we're delving into those accusations, and the drama surrounding the race. To find out more about...
Jul 04, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 12
On June 11, 1955, Pierre Levegh's Mercedes-Benz 300SLR launched off the back of Lance Macklin's Austin Healey and into a crowd of spectators gathered for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Over 80 people were killed, with an additional 120 injured. It was a tragedy, and it was one that instantly transformed the racing world. Today on "Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys," we're delving into the complex aftermath of this horrific event in order to better understand how the global racing world changed. To find o...
Jun 13, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 11
We all know motorsport is dangerous, but for many years, one profession was more dangerous than the rest: Riding mechanics. These men were effectively passengers tasked with making repairs on the fly, keeping an eye on traffic, and even feeding the drivers. Unfortunately, riding mechanics had very little protection, making them especially prone to brutal injuries and deaths in big events like the Indianapolis 500. This is the history of that short-lived — and often fatal — role. To find out more...
May 28, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In 1907, one Paris newspaper challenged drivers and automakers to a seemingly impossible challenge: Be the first car to race from Peking, China to Paris, France. Five different teams took on the 8,000-mile adventure across brutal terrain, including the Gobi Desert and the Ural Mountains. This week on DPTJ, we're delving into the scandals, lies, cheats, and near-death experiences that comprised this race — and we're also talking to Kassia St. Clair, author of " The Race to the Future: 8,000 Miles...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 9
The Indianapolis 500 is a race that stands alone, outside the pantheon of championship-directed open-wheel racing in America — and it's one of the most coveted events for a sanctioning body to organize. In 1996, the Indy car realm had blown to pieces over access to the iconic event, and dissatisfied teams attempted to set up their own version of the 500. This is the story of the short-lived rivalry between the Indianapolis 500 and the U.S. 500. To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Jo...
May 07, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Sanctioning bodies don't just set the rules for a race series — they also determine the culture and ideologies of the series they represent. In post-war America, the two biggest sanctioning bodies of sports car racing were the SCCA and the AAA Contest Board, and they both had very distinct ideas about what should constitute a series. One faction was determined to embrace an international focus; the other wanted to keep racing strictly regional and strictly amateur. The battle between them almost...
Apr 30, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Cheryl Glass is a name that every motorsport fan should have known. For years, any time she showed up to a race track, she was the first Black woman to have competed there. She carved a path of broken records through the Washington state area before spreading her wings to take on challenges all across America. She should have been a star. Instead, her chances to race became fewer and farther between. She got married and divorced. She tried some new cars and failed. She reported that her home was...
Apr 16, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Mario Andretti is, without a doubt, the finest motorsport legend that America has ever produced — but his 1978 Formula 1 World Championship was won under tragic circumstances: His teammate, Ronnie Peterson, was killed at the Italian Grand Prix. Peterson was Andretti's biggest challenger for the title. Without that competition, Andretti took the win. Today on "Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys," we're speaking with Mario Andretti himself in order to better understand just what an emotional challenge...
Apr 02, 2024•55 min
In 1961, Formula 1 crowned its first-ever American World Driver Champion. Californian Phil Hill — a driver whose ulcer-ridden body should have prevented him from racing at the top levels of motorsport — never quite seemed like the prototypical race car driver. But if an American earned the highest honor in motorsport within the first 11 years of F1's existence, why don't we better remember and celebrate Phil Hill? The answer lies in the title-deciding 1961 Monza Grand Prix, a tragic, deadly race...
Mar 19, 2024•45 min•Season 1Ep. 4
The 1952 Watkins Glen Grand Prix should have been yet another leap toward solidifying road racing's popularity in the United States — but instead, the death of one seven-year-old-boy in a crash brought American motorsport to its knees. This is the story of Frankie Fazzary, the young boy whose death changed the tides of racing and created the automotive world we know today. This is a story that has, tragically, been forgotten. To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr....
Mar 05, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In 1933, FIVE racers got together to fix the Tripoli Grand Prix, an African race run with a lottery system that would award three lucky fans with millions of dollars if their driver won the race. Those drivers selected one man to win the race and scoop up the prize money to be shared amongst the group in a ridiculous race that saw one uninvolved driver die so that the conspirators could make millions. Except… none of that actually happened. Today on "Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys," we're settin...
Feb 20, 2024•46 min•Season 1Ep. 2
With five World Driver Championships to his name, Juan Manuel Fangio is an icon of Formula 1 and motorsport as a whole — but in 1958, he also turned the tides of global politics. Fulgencio Batista's dictatorship had ravaged Cuba, but in 1958, the right-wing leader decided to stage a non-championship Formula 1 race to draw in the crowds. That plan was turned on its head when Fangio was kidnapped by a group of young revolutionaries — and it was that very kidnapping that helped lead to a full-on ov...
Feb 06, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 1
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. Subscribe to the Patreon: patreon.com/deadlypassionsterriblejoys Follow DPTJ on...
Nov 27, 2023•1 min
