Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys
@deadlypassions-pod
A motorsport history podcast focusing on racing's forgotten scandals and tragedies. Hosted by Elizabeth Blackstock
Imagine if the #F1 championship was ALREADY decided! That's exactly what happened back in 2002, at the end of the French Grand Prix!
Everyone knows Ferrari is a global brand that signals racing excellence… but it was a man named Luigi Chinetti who made the Prancing Horse huge in America. #f1 #formula1 #ferrari #scuderiaferrari
The 1961 #BritishGP saw one of #F1 's wildest one-off entries, the Ferguson P99. It was the FIRST #Formula1 car with four-wheel drive… and the LAST with an engine mounted in the front.
Cheryl Glass may have been the most ambitious woman in American motorsport, and it was that mindset that gave her a shot in motorsport.
In the 1970s, Spa-Francorchamps was deemed too dangerous to host the #BelgianGP … so #F1 moved to an ultramodern track called Nivelles. And the safety consciousness of Nivelles is what killed it! #formula1 #f1history
On this day in 1984, #Formula1 was in the thick of its most poorly conceived race of all time: the Dallas Grand Prix. I'll defend my beloved Texas, but as all of us locals know… you DO NOT schedule any daytime outdoor activities to take place in July! You just don't!!!
Happy #BritishGP weekend! Most of us have only ever known this race to take place at Silverstone Circuit, but back in F1's golden age, it was hosted (once) at Aintree! #f1 #formula1 #motorsport #racinghistory
July 3 was a day that would go down in infamy in the American open-wheel world: It was the day Tony George announced guaranteed entries at the #Indy500 and kicked off a firestorm of backlash.
Before hardcards and plastic credentials, officials at the #Indy500 were pinpointed thanks to their armbands… and I got my hands on one from 1937. #motorsporthistory #aaa #indianapolis500
The FIA is the big dog in charge of most major forms of international motorsport… but how did this organization actually get started? #fia #formula1 #motorsport
#OnThisDay , Charlotte Motor Speedway hosted its very first #NASCAR race!
Montjuïc Park was one of Spain's most gorgeous #F1 tracks. Unfortunately, it was also one of its most dangerous. #formula1 #spanishgp #spain #spanishgrandprix
The first track to host a race in Spain was Sitges-Terramar… and it IMMEDIATELY lost its international Grand Prix credentials.
It's time for the iconic #24hlemans… but apparently, drivers used to HATE this race! #lemans #motorsport
One of the world's first motor races took place in 1895… and ever since, people have been trying to rewrite its history! #motorsport #motorsporthistory #racing
The 1955 #LeMans disaster is one of motorsport's greatest tragedies… but what REALLY happened during that fateful race?
Pierre Levegh is primarily associated with his role in the tragic 1955 Le Mans disaster, but a few years earlier, he nearly managed to complete the entire race BY HIMSELF.
Each year before the #Indy500 is the world's largest motorsport memorabilia sale… and it is heaven for history nerds like me!
Some characters in motorsport feel completely unreal — and The Whittingtons are just one example. #lemans #24hlemans #motorsport
Imagine you go through all the effort of winning an #F1 race… and it doesn't even count for anything. That's exactly what happened to Alan Jones at the 1980 Spanish Grand Prix. #formula1 #spanishgp #spanishgrandprix #alanjones
The sights and sounds of the 2026 #Indy500, through my lens. #motorsport #indianapolis500 #hondaracingus
When you work in a passion industry — like motorsport journalism or racing history — then you will likely spend some amount of time working for free. And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing! open.substack.com/pub/deadlypa...
Legendary #F1 racer Alberto Ascari was haunted by the ghost of his father for his entire life — and he was convinced he would die behind the wheel in the same exact way.
Think of the #CanadianGP , and you're probably thinking of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve… but before the track in Montreal, #F1 headed off to Bowmanville, Ontario to race at Mosport.
Did you know the Coke 600 was #NASCAR 's attempt to unseat the #Indy500 as America's most prestigious auto race? #indycar #motorsport
In 1933, officials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway claimed the coming #Indy500 would be the safest on record. Instead, it was the deadliest. This is the story of the 1933 Indianapolis 500. linktr.ee/deadlypassio...
We all know Ray Harroun won the inaugural #Indy500 in 1911… but did he really? 🤔
The first #F1 calendar was composed of major Grands Prix throughout continental Europe… but it started with the #BritishGP . But why? Why not at Monaco? #formula1 #motorsport
Ever wondered what the fashion mavens of 1933 were wearing to the #Indy500? I did some digging and found the answer — plus some early WAG coverage, too! open.substack.com/pub/deadlypa...
The Mille Miglia was one of the most iconic road races in the world. But how did it get started?
