Alex Blignaut

30/11/1932 - 15/1/2001

Record updated

Alex Blignaut
Alex started racing an Austin Healey 100S and a number of MG based single seaters before graduating to an ex Jim Russell school Cooper T45 Climax (F2-8-58) which had a magnesium body. He raced this in the early 60's in the Springbok series events such as the Rand Grand Prix. The Cooper was ulitmately burned and the remains buried on his farm.

At the same time he became heavily involved in the organisation of motor sport in South Africa and was the secretary of the South African Motor Racing Club in 1961 when it was decided to build a complete new track to replace the obsolete Grand Central circuit. Kyalami, the Zulu word for 'my home', became the home of African racing.

He organised the South African Grand Prix for many years as well as a number of the long distance sports car races that were so popular.

Later, when South Africa ran its own 3 liter F1 series in the 1970s, he became a team owner and in 1972 he purchased a Tyrrell 004 from the factory for Eddie Keizan to drive in the 1973 and 1974 South African National Formula 1 Championship as well as the 1973 and 1974 FIA Formula One South African Grands Prix.

He aslo ran Ian Scheckter and a Surtees for Nols Nieman under his Alex Blignaut Racing Team banner.

Sadly he died in 2001 when he was electrocuted while repairing machinery on his small holding near Johannesburg.



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