Michael "Blackie" Gejeian
Thursday, April 4, 2024Michael "Blackie" Gejeian was an American race car driver, race car builder, and hot rod enthusiast. Considered an "Industry Legend", Gejeian was the organizer of the Autorama, one of the largest custom car shows in North America, held annually in Fresno, California.
Michael "Blackie" Gejeian, an Armenian by descent, was born on June 24, 1926, in Easton, California, near Fresno, to a family of Armenian Genocide survivors. His family, including his extended family, were farmers who lived together in one farm ranch. Gejeian later recalled:
Seventeen of us lived in that one farm house. And you've never seen such happy people. My dad played the violin. One uncle the clarinet. Another uncle the tambourine. At nights they would play, and my mother and aunts would dance in a circle, the old Armenian dances, holding hands.
Gejeian then started to drive his dad's car at the age of 12 around the ranch. After Gejeian graduated high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and participated in World War II. Returning from the war, Gejeian desired to build the fastest hot rod in Fresno. His first car was built in 1945 and became the fastest in Fresno. Painted in black, he called this first car "Blackie", which would ultimately earn him his nickname. However, this car would ultimately crash in a race in 1948. Gejeian rebuilt the roadster as a show car and renamed it "Shish Kebob". The car's undercarriage was the first to be entirely chrome-plated. He also started the tradition of placing a mirror beneath the car when showcased. The car earned the title "Best of Show" at Gene Winfield's show. In 1955, it was named World's Most Beautiful Roadster by the Oakland Grand National Roadster Show.
Blackie Gejeian became a NASCAR dirt track champion five times.
He became of the promoter at Clovis speedway for over two decades from 1960 to 1980. The Clovis speedway, which was in a dire situation, became more and more popular with Gejeian's promotion. Through Gejeian's effort, the Clovis speedway became "most epic dirt tracks in the country." Gejeian was also the owner of the Fresno Dragway 18 years.
A plaque was inaugurated in 2009 which honors Blackie Gejeian outside of the Fresno Convention Center. He died on September 2, 2016, at the age of 90.