Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys

The AAA Contest Board was the primary sanctioning body for motorsport in the United States until 1956, but the organization that sanctioned the Indy 500 refused to allow Black drivers to compete in its disciplines. Those barriers, however, didn't stop Rajo Jack from pursuing his dream of racing competitively — and he became one of the most influential Black racers in early American motorsport history.

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Episode Bibliography:

The Brown Bullet: Rajo Jack's Drive to Integrate Auto Racing by Bill Poehler

https://www.gordonkirby.com/categories/columns/theway/2016/the_way_it_is_no525.html 

Motorsport safety is an ever-evolving process, but American open-wheel was ground zero for some of the most exceptional innovations in motorsport medical history — be that in the form of a traveling medical staff, a permanent infield hospital, or a mobile medical center capable of handling severe trauma. This is the story of how IndyCar's groundbreaking safety team came to fruition.

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Episode Bibliography:

Rapid Response: My inside story as a motor racing life saver by Stephen Olvey

https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1010&context=jmotorsportculturehistory 

https://www.911.gov/assets/1997-Reproduction-AccidentalDeathDisability.pdf 

Achille Varzi is one of the most iconic pre-war racing drivers of all time — but we know so little about him outside of his fierce rivalry with Tazio Nuvolari. Why? Perhaps because Varzi nearly lost his career to a morphine addiction that saw him disappear from the public eye and be shunned from polite society.

Varzi's story is as complex as his legacy, and today, we're delving in to learn more.

To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: 

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Please give DPTJ's new sponsor, Homefield Apparel, a warm welcome by subscribing for updates and checking out all FOUR new motorsport-themed clothing launches this year. Don't forget to use code DPTJ15 for 15% off your first order!

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Episode Bibliography:

Fangio: The Life Behind the Legend by Gerald Donaldson

Nuvolari by Count Giovanni Lurani

Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races by Brock Yates

Enzo Ferrari: Power, Politics, and the Making of an Automotive Empire by Luca dal Monte

https://ehne.fr/en/encyclopedia/themes/gender-and-europe/european-man-a-hegemonic-masculinity-19th-21st-centuries/european-man-a-hegemonic-masculinity

https://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/2293141/1/CDP%202014-0512%20Final%20accepted.pdf 

https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/epdf/10.3828/cfc.2019.19

https://sportscardigest.com/silver-arrows-key-people/#google_vignette

https://www.tracksracingthesun.com/about-the-book

https://www.italyonthisday.com/2022/07/achille-varzi-racing-driver.html

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/207273/1/kate-walker-achille-varzi

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/ask-nigel-october-17-5048684/5048684/

https://www.goodwood.com/editorial/chequered-past/ 

The motorsport world is full of fantastic and particular experiences, but there is one driver's life story that has always particularly fascinated me — that of Roberta Cowell.

See, Cowell was a fighter pilot, a prisoner of war, and a racing driver, which alone would have been enough to build up an impressive resumé. However, she was also the first documented person to receive gender affirming surgery in the United Kingdom, making her the first known trans woman to compete in motorsport. Today, we're discussing her life and her experiences in an era where her mere existence was criminalized.

To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: 

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Episode Bibliography:

Roberta Cowell's Story: An Autobiography by Roberta Cowell

Roberta Cowell by Queer as Fact https://open.spotify.com/episode/0uz4EG1xkR1VFsrPXmmDAf?si=be4060a1bf7a4158

https://www.lizhodgkinson.com/journalismArticle/interview_with_transsexual_roberta_betty_cowell 

https://blog.bham.ac.uk/historybham/lgbtqia-history-month-trans-pioneers-michael-dillon-roberta-cowell/ 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/it-s-easier-to-change-a-body-than-to-change-a-mind-the-extraordinary-life-and-lonely-death-of-roberta-cowell-8899823.html 

https://blog.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/2022/06/13/roberta-cowell-in-our-newspapers/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/obituaries/roberta-cowell-overlooked.html 

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, or FIA, is one of the most powerful sanctioning bodies in all of motorsport — but its control has rarely included racing in the United States. Why, then, did the FIA step in to kill the Chaparral 2J, a car that raced OUTSIDE of its jurisdiction? 

Today on DPTJ, we're covering the story of Jim Hall, one of motorsport's most innovative minds, and his Chaparral 2J, the car so quick that the FIA stepped in to kill it — which, by proxy, killed America's greatest racing series, the Canadian-American Challenge Cup.

To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: 

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Episode Bibliography:

Texas Legend: Jim Hall and His Chaparrals by George Levy

Can-Am by Pete Lyons

Can-Am 50th Anniversary: Flat Out With North America's Greatest Race Series by George Levy

https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a32350/jim-hall-chaparral-2j-history/

https://www.magnetomagazine.com/legendary-racer-and-constructor-jim-hall-on-his-chaparrals-at-american-speed-festival/

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 Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: 

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Episode Bibliography:

A Life at Full Throttle by Janet Guthrie

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/trailblazing-racer-lella-lombardi-remembered-30-years-on-from-her-death.6zz9pupcxc97yy5SEL1kkR 

https://www.reed.edu/reed-magazine/in-memoriam/obituaries/2018/rolla-vollstedt-1940.html

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-24-sp-2407-story.html

https://www.newspapers.com/image/303640537/?match=3&terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker 

https://www.newspapers.com/image/319067010/?match=1&terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker

https://www.newspapers.com/image/224846339/?match=1&terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker 

https://www.newspapers.com/image/111800501/?match=1&terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker

https://www.newspapers.com/image/54071698/?match=1&terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker

https://www.newspapers.com/image/622854875/?match=1&terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker

https://www.newspapers.com/image/398599913/?match=1&terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker

https://www.newspapers.com/image/398599913/?match=1&terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker

https://www.newspapers.com/image/233364880/?terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker

https://www.newspapers.com/image/284009301/?match=1&terms=guthrie%2C%20firecracker

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 out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: 

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Episode Bibliography:

Cars at Speed by Robert Daley, 

Le Mans 100: A Century at the World's Greatest Endurance Race by Glen Smale

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1007192672/?match=1&terms=%22le%20mans%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/844754210/?match=1&terms=%22le%20mans%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/784186964/?match=1&terms=%22le%20mans%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/784183293/?match=1&terms=%22le%20mans%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/789197818/?match=1&terms=%22le%20mans%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/987448431/?match=1&terms=%22le%20mans%22

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian/40254005/

https://www.dailysportscar.com/2013/04/27/le-mans-1955-a-lawyers-view.html

https://www.racingcircuits.info/europe/france/le-mans.html

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 about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: 

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https://www.homefieldapparel.com/

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Episode Bibliography:

The Last Lap: The Mysterious Demise of Pete Kreis at the Indy 500 by William Walker

Blood and Smoke: A True Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and the Birth of the Indianapolis 500 by Charles Leerhsen

https://www.newspapers.com/image/55385261/?match=1

https://www.newspapers.com/image/700800591/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1017829515/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/37471607/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/107036405/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22 

https://www.newspapers.com/image/274760126/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22 

https://www.newspapers.com/image/951652355/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22 

https://www.newspapers.com/image/1020578881/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/74286307/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/83155869/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22 

https://www.newspapers.com/image/689241114/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/888534259/?match=1&terms=%22race%2C%22%20%22riding%20mechanic%22

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 to Paris - The Adventure That Accelerated the Twentieth Century," a new book that demolishes the Peking-to-Paris myths of the past!

To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: 

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Episode Bibliography:

The Race to the Future: 8,000 Miles to Paris - The Adventure That Accelerated the Twentieth Century by Kassia St. Clair

https://www.amazon.com/Race-Future-Paris_The-Adventure-Accelerated/dp/1324094915 

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 Joys: 

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Please give DPTJ's new sponsor, Homefield Apparel, a warm welcome by subscribing for updates and checking out all FOUR new motorsport-themed clothing launches this year. Don't forget to use code DPTJ15 for 15% off your first order!

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Episode Bibliography:

Indy Split: The Big-Money Battle That Nearly Destroyed Indy Racing by John Oreovicz

The IndyCar Wars: The 30-Year Fight for Control of American Open-Wheel Racing by Sigur E. Whitaker

Blood and Smoke: A True Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and the Birth of the Indy 500 by Charles Leerhsen

https://web.archive.org/web/20100813130152/http://www.automobilemag.com/features/racing/0906_indianapolis_motor_speedway_birthplace_of_speed/index.html

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star/138159883/

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/us-scene/indycar/remembering-the-split-that-nearly-sunk-indycar-racing/