About this episode

The episode discusses the life and shocking murder of motorsport legend Mickey Thompson, highlighting his contributions to racing and the unresolved nature of his death.

Some men are born to set land speed records. Others feel their calling is creating ever more technologically advanced machines for the Indianapolis 500. Still others succumb to the siren song of long-distance desert racing. And some prefer to work behind the scenes, where they can transform the world of racing via promotion. But Mickey Thompson was no normal man, because Mickey Thompson attacked all of those goals with gusto. Yet for all of his accomplishments across various forms of motorsport, Thompson's legacy has since been defined by his death. In 1988, he and his wife Trudy were gunned down in the driveway of their own home. The killers have never been caught, and it took almost two decades to put the mastermind of the plot in jail. This month on “Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys,” we'll be talking about that murder, yes. But more than that, I want to focus on the ways Mickey Thompson transformed the world of American motorsport while he was alive, because that is the truly unbelievable part of this story. To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys Subscribe on Substack: https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/…

People in this episode

Host: Elizabeth Blackstock

Topics covered

• motorsport
• murder
• land speed records
• Indianapolis 500
• desert racing
• legacy

Keywords

• Mickey Thompson
• Trudy Thompson
• motorsport
• murder
• land speed records
• Indianapolis 500
• desert racing
• legacy

More episodes of Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys

• 1975 Spanish Grand Prix: Formula 1's forgotten disaster and its historic first · April 21, 2026 · 1h 19m
• Breaking the Grid: The Five Women Who Entered Formula 1 · April 16, 2026 · 47 min
• Breaking the Ban: How Women Fought for the Right to Race · April 7, 2026 · 43 min
• Changing Gears: The Women Who Redefined What a Racing Driver Could Be · March 31, 2026 · 51 min
• From man to myth: How Dale Earnhardt became immortal · February 10, 2026 · 59 min
• Jochen Rindt: The tragedy of Formula 1's only posthumous World Champion · September 16, 2025 · 1h 7m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys podcast page.