Al Blixt Auto Racing History

Welcome

Al (Ace) Blixt was involved in auto racing from the 1920's to the 1950's as a driver, car owner, photographer, writer and racing official. 

As a reporter, photographer and columnist for the Illustrated Speedway News, he covered races throughout the region, including the Indianapolis 500.  This site is devoted to his memory and to the history of racing in his era.  Read on to learn more about Al (Ace) Blixt.
Photo Credit: George Vargo. 

All written content and photos are copyright Al Blixt with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.  Contents are not for reproduction, publication or sale. Photos on this site are low resolution scans. You are welcome to download web images for personal use only.    High resolution prints are available for purchase.  Please email me for more information.

I Remember Vicente

Of all my father's auto racing friends, none made  a bigger impression on me growing up than Dr. Vicente Alvarez.  To the world, his contribution to racing was enormous as a photographer, journalist, historian and collector.  For me personally, it is the memory of his warmth, grace and generous personality that abides.  To hear more about this remarkable human being, read on.

Frank Lockhart - "The greatest of them all."

Frank Lockhart, the most famous race driver of his time, died eighty years ago today, April 25, 1928, on the sands of Daytona Beach trying to set a new land speed record.  For my dad and his generation, Lockhart was the greatest driver of all time.  Race fans know the story of his victory as a rookie at the Indianapolis 500 and his short but phenomenal reign as the most feared driver on the big car circuit during the Roaring 20's.  Most have seen the photo of the sleek Stutz Black Hawk that  took his life. What most people don't know is Lockhart's Michigan connection and the story of how my father came to admire him so much.  To hear that story, read on. (vintage official Indy photo from the Al Blixt Collection)

The Mystery of Bigelow Field

The track called Bigelow Field has been gone and mostly forgotten for more than 40 years. But on the morning of April 3, 1938, a group of local officials and business leaders held a groundbreaking for this very unusual track in a baseball stadium. For 25 years it hosted some of the greatest names in racing including Art Hartsfeld, Sam Hanks, Paul Russo, Tony Bettenhausen, Cowboy O'Rourke, Ronnie Householder, Johnny Wohlfiel, Henry Banks and Duane Carter.

Al (Ace) Blixt was a significant part of the Bigelow Field story for a little while in one of the strangest, and (for me) mysterious episodes of his career.  For more about Bigelow and the ill-fated 1940 season, read on. (photo by Ace)

Starter Bill Mitchell - Racing Giant

Bill Mitchell was known as the "Two Ton Starter" for nearly 30 years in the Midwest.  At Detroit's Motor City Speedway and a host of other tracks, he was the man in charge. He always made sure that the "show" ran on time and that drivers obeyed his instructions. He was big and tough. Nobody fooled with him.  Yet, there was another side to Big Bill that those who knew him loved. As far back as I could remember, he was my "Uncle Bill".   After the races and on weekends, members of the racing fraternity partied together.  Many nights when I was three or four, I recall going to "Uncle Bill and Aunt Betty's" house with my parents.  It was somewhere in the city of Detroit. All the coats were piled on the bed in the front bedroom near the street. I was snuggled among them as the party went on into the night, while the music of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and the other artists of the day provided my lullaby.  This man was always very kind to me. He died when I was eight and I always wished I knew more about him . Read on to find out more about this very interesting man.  (Photo by Al Blixt, Sr. probably at Toledo, Ohio ca. 1940)

Duke Nalon - Racing Legend

Most race fans remember Duke Nalon from his many Indianapolis races.  They remember how he tamed the powerful and legendary Novi's. They remember the track records he set, the 500-mile races he nearly won and the fiery crash that he miraculously survived.  But to race fans in 1940, the Duke was already a legend.  While he raced midgets and big cars coast to coast, Duke spent a lot of time at Detroit's Motor City Speedway.  He was a friend to my father and to many who were part of the racing scene before and after WWII.  For more about the Duke's early years, read on.

Vern "Flip" Fritch: One of Kind

The date was October 9, 1949. The place was Owosso, Michigan.  In this photo, driver Vern Fritch was about two minutes away from being paralyzed for life when his sprint car flipped over.  For most drivers, this would have been the end of the story.  For "Flip" Fritch it was the beginning of a new chapter in a racing career that transformed him from an average driver to a unique figure in the history of racing.  To hear the rest of the story, read on.

Remembering A Champion: Wally Zale

Wally Zale was a great driver who set records for wins all over the Mid-west in the 1930's and early 40's.  He was part of the "Chicago Gang" that included Tony Bettenhausen, Paul Russo, Jimmy Snyder, Cowboy O'Rourke and Emil Andres.  Pictured here are Wally and Harry Hart at Detroit's Motor City Speedway in 1937. To learn about his short but brilliant career, read on.

The Time of the Hot Rods

They called them Hot Rods and from 1947 to 1951, they thrilled fans by the thousands in Detroit and across the nation.  What made these race cars so different and what caused them to disappear as quickly as they had come? Read on to find out. (Car #00 here is driven by "Speedy" Brooks.)

Merry Christmas - Past & Present

This site has been up exactly six months on Christmas Day and I want to thank everyone who has written to say that they liked it.  Many of you have added wonderful information about the people featured here.  Others have been searching for information about your fathers or grandfathers who raced.  I have treasured getting to know all of you and look forward to continuing our relationship in 2007.  This is my dad's Christmas card from about 1938.  To see other period cards from the racing fraternity, read on.

Fearless Jimmy Brock

Jimmy Brock was a crowd favorite at midget races in the Detroit area in the 1930's and early 1940's.  He was said at the time that he was "absolutely without fear and drives with reckless abandon as fast as the little car will go."  Although he did not often win, Jimmy was a real competitor.  Read on for more from the time about this fascinating guy.