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Meet L.W. Wright, the NASCAR driver that never existed
On May 2, 1982, the green flag flew for the NASCAR Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, and among a grid of legends like Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, Benny Parsons, and more was a mystery racer no one had ever heard of before: L. W. Wright.
Wright managed to nab a competition license, a race car, and some positive press, but there was just one problem. He wasn't a race car driver. He was a conman with a big dream and studied confidence so strong that no one much questioned this stranger. At least, not until his checks started bouncing.
Today, we're digging into the story of L. W. Wright, the NASCAR driver who never existed.
To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys
Subscribe on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/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:
Driven to Crime: True stories of wrongdoing in motor racing by Crispian Besley
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-lw-wright-debut-announcem/29780910/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/215977023/?clipping_id=29781516
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-officials-searching-for/29780992/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salina-journal-nascar-fell-for-bogus/29781484/
https://www.thescenevault.com/podcast/episode/7995e7c6/episode-193-lw-wright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLCPWLKaOVE
https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/33839544/the-story-lw-wright-one-nascar-enduring-mysteries
https://historicalf1stories.wordpress.com/2024/11/27/driver-profile-helmut-koinigg/
View all episodes
By Elizabeth Blackstock
4.9
5353 ratings
On May 2, 1982, the green flag flew for the NASCAR Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, and among a grid of legends like Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, Benny Parsons, and more was a mystery racer no one had ever heard of before: L. W. Wright.
Wright managed to nab a competition license, a race car, and some positive press, but there was just one problem. He wasn't a race car driver. He was a conman with a big dream and studied confidence so strong that no one much questioned this stranger. At least, not until his checks started bouncing.
Today, we're digging into the story of L. W. Wright, the NASCAR driver who never existed.
To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys
Subscribe on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/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:
Driven to Crime: True stories of wrongdoing in motor racing by Crispian Besley
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-lw-wright-debut-announcem/29780910/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/215977023/?clipping_id=29781516
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-officials-searching-for/29780992/
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salina-journal-nascar-fell-for-bogus/29781484/
https://www.thescenevault.com/podcast/episode/7995e7c6/episode-193-lw-wright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLCPWLKaOVE
https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/33839544/the-story-lw-wright-one-nascar-enduring-mysteries
https://historicalf1stories.wordpress.com/2024/11/27/driver-profile-helmut-koinigg/
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