Al Blixt Auto Racing History

Qualifying at Indy in 1967

In May of 1967 I had just graduated from the University of Michigan and to celebrate I went down for a weekend of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.  I recently got out the negatives from that trip and I want to share some of the memories I have with you. Here is the car of Bob Harkey, one of the many that would not qualify for the 1967 race.  The photo, however conveys the atmosphere.  Crowds were huge in those days as qualifying took place over two weekends. For the story and some interesing images, read on.

Racing History Lives at Winchester Speedway

 

 

  Winchester Speedway Old Timers Weekend is an annual event that brings together great vintage race cars and people who love them. This post is devoted to showcasing some of the cars and stories from the 2010 event. Shown here are the famous Spider Webb #2 sprint car built by Hall of Fame owner Johnny Vance, Sr. and the 1934 #1 McDowell Spl. owned by Bob and Judy Moore. For more photos and information about these and other classic race cars, read on.

V8-60: The Little Engine That Could

The Ford V8-60 engine holds a special place in the history midget auto racing. Known as the "poor man's offy', the V8-60 offered a reliable power plant for cash-strapped young men with a passion to race. Ironically, the small size that made it ideal for midgets doomed the V8-60 as a passenger car engine and it was discontinued after only a few years.  Still, V8-60s were in competition from 1937 until the 1950's. Read on to learn more about this "little engine that could".

Winchester Speedway - Then and Now Part 1: 1936-38

This is the first of three posts covering 70 years of history at the Winchester Speedway. The Winchester half-mile is the oldest continuously operating auto race track in the United States other than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The track was already 20 years old when my dad came to cover the "big cars" there in 1936. For a look at what we now call sprint cars running on July 5, 1936 and the story of legendary promoter Frank Funk read on. (Photo by Al (Ace) Blixt)

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)

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.

On Death and Bert Karnatz

This photo was taken during the last few moments of Bert Karnatz's life on July 15, 1934. 

The scene is the VFW Speedway, later to become Motor City Speedway in Detroit, Michigan. Bert, in the #1 car, is flipping over after his left rear tire was bumped by the car #6 of Windy Jennings.  If you look carefully, you will see his tire is already flat. Bert rolled over the embankment and died soon after of a broken neck.

Bert Karnatz is all but forgotten now; but he was described as a "legend" in his home state of Michigan at the time.  In fact, he raced at Indianapolis and won races as far away as the board tracks of New Jersey.  In this post I will tell you a little about Bert Karnatz and reflect on how close all of these drivers were to death in the 1930's and why we should remember them as people rather than statistics or historical curiosities.

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.