Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys

The Porsche 917/10 and 917/30 were two of the most terrifyingly powerful race cars ever constructed. With a twin-turbocharged flat-12 engine making more than 1,000 horsepower, it was so dominant that it seemed almost inevitable that it would crush the competition in America's no-holds-barred Can-Am Series — with the help of Penske Racing and Mark Donohue, of course.
But the 917/30 did so much more than dominate Can-Am. It helped expose a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the series: Can-Am was designed to let engineers build the wildest, fastest cars imaginable… but the freedom to innovate often came with an unbearable price tag. Throw a global recession into the mix, and you've got a recipe for disaster.
In this month's episode of Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys, we follow Porsche Penske's unlikely partnership, Mark Donohue's brutal 1972 season, the creation of the 917/30, and the dominance that followed. At the same time, we'll look at Porsche's involvement in motorsport throughout history and the economic conditions that resulted in the collapse of one of the greatest sports in the world in order to answer one major question: Did Porsche kill Can-Am? Or did Can-Am engineer itself into an unwinnable war?
#markdonohue #porsche #penske #penskeporsche #motorsport #motorsporthistory #canam #canadianamericanchallengecup #rogerpenske #racing #racinghistory #porsche917
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Episode Bibliography: 
The Unfair Advantage by Mark Donohue
Can-Am 50th Anniversary by George Levy
Can-Am by Pete Lyons
Can-Am Challenger by Peter Bryant

In June of 1909, five cars departed from New York City with one major goal in mind: Each one wanted to become the first to reach Seattle in order to be proclaimed the victor of the 1909 Ocean-to-Ocean race. There was just one problem: Ford was ready to cheat in order to win.
The Ford Model T was still a relatively new invention at this point in history, and it defied all of the contemporary logic about car construction. No one believed that a small, light car would have the endurance required to conquer thousands of miles of unpaved, unmarked terrain. The early pace of the two Fords entered in the event was shocking. 
But the Ford that crossed the Seattle finish line first cheated, and the rightful winner — a car produced by a struggling Boston-based company called Shawmut — folded in the wake of the event, which meant this story has been lost to the annals of time. 
This month on “Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys,” I'm joined by Pulitzer-winning journalist Eric Moskowitz, whose incredible new book “The Hardest, Longest Race: Henry Ford and the Cross-Country Contest That Changed America” brings the 1909 Ocean-to-Ocean race back to life in evocative detail. 
Order your copy today:
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250282675/thehardestlongestrace/
To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys 
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Episode Bibliography: 
The Hardest, Longest Race: Henry Ford and the Cross-Country Contest That Changed America by Eric Moskowitz
Coast-to-Coast Auto Races of the Early 1900s by Curt McConnell
https://colescollision.com/history-of-the-american-automobile/

The Lone Star State has no shortage of forward-thinking innovators dedicated to transforming the world — and that’s just as true in motorsport as it is in other fields.
From dusty dirt tracks and moonshine backgrounds to Indianapolis glory and international fame, Texas has produced some of racing’s boldest personalities and fiercest competitors. This talk explores the lives and legacies of legendary figures such as A. J. Foyt, Carroll Shelby, Jim Hall, and other drivers, builders, and innovators whose influence extended far beyond the Lone Star State.
Join motorsport journalist and historian Elizabeth Blackstock for a talk spanning discipline including IndyCar, NASCAR, endurance racing, drag racing, and sports cars to examine how Texas developed such a distinctive racing culture — and why so many of its competitors became synonymous with toughness, independence, and mechanical ingenuity.

To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys 

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Order Racing with Rich Energy: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy

The year is 1940. Lucy O’Reilly Schell sits on the last ocean liner to depart Italy for the United States of America before World War II completely engulfs the European continent. Accompanying her are some of European Grand Prix racing's stars, two Maseratis, her young son Harry, and a dream: She intends to win the Indianapolis 500.
It is a dream deferred by the death of her beloved husband Laury in a road accident — one that also left Lucy with injuries that she's still nursing on that ship. It is a dream nearly brought to a screaming halt by war, a dream she won't be able to realize from the pits of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, because even though she's a team owner, women are banned lest they distract the men.
It is a dream that will not come true, but Lucy O’Reilly Schell is not the kind of woman to worry about those kinds of things. After all, she fielded the quiet Delahaye that, with Jewish driver René Dreyfus behind the wheel, defeated the might of Nazi Germany's repressively dominant Mercedes and Auto Union teams at the 1938 Pau Grand Prix. 
Today on “Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys,” we're investigating the exceptional life of Lucy O’Relly Schell, a French-born American racing driver turned team owner who did her best to bring glory to French automakers during the build-up to the second World War.
#motorsport #motorsporthistory #indy500 #indianapolis500 #worldwarii #wwii #renedreyfus #lucyschell #lucyoreillyschell #racing #womeninracing #womeninmotorsport

To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys 
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Order Racing with Rich Energy: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy
Episode Bibliography: 
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1028128781/?match=1&terms=%22lucy%20o%27reilly%22&_gl=1%2a1s2cxde%2a_up%2aMQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiAqrG9BhAVEiwAaPu5zinarN6sTwRXIAG8BQ7n5kyw7AKyBsnsc1bFahJmRyS6Uh9Oub71ohoCHcgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds 
https://www.newspapers.com/image/552485268/?match=1&terms=%22lucy%20o%27reilly%22&_gl=1%2a1th56lx%2a_up%2aMQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiAqrG9BhAVEiwAaPu5zinarN6sTwRXIAG8BQ7n5kyw7AKyBsnsc1bFahJmRyS6Uh9Oub71ohoCHcgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.newspapers.com/image/314461808/?match=1&terms=%22lucy%20o%27reilly%22&_gl=1%2a1s2cxde%2a_up%2aMQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiAqrG9BhAVEiwAaPu5zinarN6sTwRXIAG8BQ7n5kyw7AKyBsnsc1bFahJmRyS6Uh9Oub71ohoCHcgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/why-were-women-written-out-of-history-an-interview-with-bettany-hughes/

For much of its history, motorsport projected an image of hyper-masculinity, tradition, and exclusivity. Yet LGBTQ+ people have always been part of racing, even when the culture of the sport made openness difficult or dangerous.
Join motorsport historian Elizabeth Blackstock for a talk that explores the often-overlooked history of LGBTQ+ representation in motorsport through the stories of pioneering figures across different eras. From F1 drivers Lella Lombardi and Ralph Schumacher to modern racer/activists like Charlie Martin, we’ll understand what it has meant to be queer in racing and why motorsport has often lagged behind in acceptance when compared to other sports.

To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys 
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