Caleb Bragg Heads IMS Entries (1910)

The article in this attachment originally appeared in the May 20, 1910 Indianapolis Star.
 
The latest hotshot in the racing world in the spring of 1910 was Caleb Bragg who created a stir when he shocked Barney Oldfield and his awesome Blitzen Benz in a best of thee heats match race at Playa Del Rey in April. "Braggamania" enthusiasm expanded across the country in short order as evident in this article boasting the headline, "Oldfield's Master, Bragg, Enters Fiat." Bragg, a millionaire amateur, had telegraphed Brickyard officials his entry for events in the May 1910 "national championships" race meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He owned his own car, a Fiat racer. Eddie Hearne, in the Benz Oldfield campaigned the previous year, is also announced as another sensational entry.
 
Practice for those races had opened the previous day. Gil Andersen and Harry Stutz were reported to be on the bricks for Marion. That's an interesting point in that I have to wonder if the report is in error and it was not Harry, but his cousin Charles. I am not certain, but I believe the two were confused by reporters. Harry was chief engineer for Marion and later founded his own automobile manufcaturing firm in the heart of downtown Indianapolis.
 
Johnny Aitken and Tom Kincade from the National Motor Vehcile Company team recorded laps in excess of 80 MPH. A private National entry was filed by two Syracuse men, W.D. Tousey and Harry Harvey. Tousey was entered in amateur events while Harvey was the professional. Another Indianapolis-based manufacturer, Empire, filed an entry for driver Newell Motsinger. Other Indianapolis-built cars entered mentioned are Cole for Bill Endicott, American for Herb Lytle and a Wescott for a driver only referred to as "Edmounds." I believe the correct spelling of his name to Edmunds, but can offer no source to defend this - I just believe I came across mention of him elsewhere.
 
Heading the list of out-of-state "invaders" was Buick with entries for Louis Chevrolet, Bob Burman and George DeWitt. Buick had far and away the largest number of entries with a ten-car team and their manager Dr. Wadsworth Warren threw down the gauntlet proclaiming that, "Indianapolis cars will not have the cinch they had at Atlanta."
 
Other Detroit entries came from Hupmobile, Herreschoff and Warren-Detroit. Jackson, Michigan-based firms Cutting and Jackson filed a combined six entries. Additional Michigan entries were expected at the time of publication.
 
Speedway Contest Director Ernie Moross had left Detroit by train the previous day on travel to Cleveland, another hub of automobile construction. He had a date with management of the Stearns Company in an attempt to secure their participation. 
 
Note that at this early stage of practice drivers reported that while the track was in excellent condition and quite fast their fresh engines were for the most part "stiff" and not ready to achieve full speed potential. In these days internal engine parts, especially pistons against cylinders required some wear before they were deemed optimum for maximum RPM. Also note the reference to "surface machines" being at work to smooth out the track. I believe this to be a reference to the "shaving process" of using 15 test cars donated by the Overland Company to drag weights behind them and chip off the sharp edges of the brick running surface.