Al Blixt Auto Racing History

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)

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.)

It's 1932 and Detroit Has A New Speedway

The year was 1932.  It was the bottom of the Depression. More than a third of Americans were unemployed. Banks were failing and people were lined up in bread lines to get something to eat.  If there was ever a time not to start a business, the fall of 1932 was it.  So, how did it happen that a new auto racing speedway came to be built at Eight Mile and Schoenherr Road in Detroit?

Here is the story of Don and Carson Zeiter and their "dream speedway"; one that would have many names; but ultimately became the legendary Motor City Speedway.