Marmon Enters Playa Del Rey Inaugural

The article in attachment Marmon011310 concerns entries to the inaugural Playa Del Rey board track race event was published in the January 13, 1910, Indianapolis Star. It credits H.H. Rice (I learned from other sources he was the sales manager of Marmon) with entering a Marmon racer in the first races for the first board track in the United States. Ray Harroun was named as the driver. Playa Del Rey, located near Los Angeles, was a mile in length.
 
The article notes the accomplishments of Harroun up to that time, which included victories at Long Island, Atlanta Speedway and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during their first auto races in August 1909. Rice had been attending the New York Auto Show where Marmon had a huge presence. They displayed the car that Harroun had driven to victory in the 1909 Wheatley Hills Sweepstakes at their booth. The car was surrounded by trophies it had collected.
 
The article also reports that the Cole Motor Car Company had entered a Cole "30" stock car for some of the Los Angeles races. The car used may have been the same one Bill Endicott drove in the December 1909 time trials at the newly paved Brickyard. The car was on exhibit at the Crescent Auto Company dealership at 23 East Ohio Street in Indianapolis.
 
The article also reports on the New Orleans Automobile Club's efforts to prepare for their annual Mardi Gras Speed Carnival. Director of Contests Homer George was apparently interviewed and reported that top drivers had already entered: George Robertson (Simplex); Ralph DePalma (Fiat Cyclone); Barney Oldfield (I don't believe this was the Blitzen Benz but probably the Benz Oldfield drove to victory at Indianapolis in August 1909) and Ben Kirschner in the Darracq that Victor Hemery drove to victory in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup. Given that Hemery also drove the Blitzen Benz that Oldfield purchased about this time I have to wonder if there was some Hemery connection to his acquisition of the Darracq, but that is pure speculation.
 
The New Orleans group planned a two-day event with 14 races including two "free-for-all" (open to any car) events. Among the Indianapolis factories entered were National and Cole. Jackson Automobile Company also is listed as an entrant. There were events for all classes of cars as defined by the American Automobile Association (AAA). Three amateur events were listed: the Mabel McCane $500 trophy (McCane briefly dated Joe Dawson), the Klaw & Erlanger $500 trophy and the New Orleans championship $500 trophy.
 
Attachment PlayaDelReyNews010810 contains an Indianapolis News article published a few days prior on January 8, 1910. It also focuses on Play Del Rey entries. These were for Lewis Strang, Ralph De Palma, and George Robertson. Note that Strang's first name is misspelled. 
 
With respect to De Palma, the article indicates that he had recovered from injuries sustained at the Danbury track the previous October. Strang was reported to be entered in the big Fiat, while Robertson had a Simplex. Fred J. Wagner is mentioned as well, as the AAA starter officiating the event.
 
The announcement of the entries was made by Fred Moskovics, the president of what was called the Los Angeles Motordrome, or Playa Del Rey. He was at the Grand Central Palace automobile show in New York.
 
Attachment MarmonNews020110 contains another Indianapolis News article. This is a digest but leads with a report on how Marmon was sending two of the stock race cars to Los Angeles. The plan was to compete both at Playa Del Ray and Ascot Park. Note that the article makes a point that the shipment not only included the two cars but also "considerable paraphernalia necessary to racing and required a special car." I believe the reference to a "special car" is not about some sort of truck, but a custom railroad boxcar. People of the age would understand this immediately and without confusion.
 
The article also stresses that Ray Haroun would drive in the California races for Marmon. It also reports that Harroun, a top-drawer mechanic, and engineer, was supervising the preparation of the machines. He was a resident of Chicago but spent a lot of time in Indianapolis. We also learn that Harroun was reviewing work on the Marmon Wasp, which was under construction at the time.
 
Harroun's reputation as an expert in engine design and construction was extolled in the article as it discusses his work on airplane engines. It is unclear from this report whether this was a pursuit of Harroun as an entrepreneur, or was affiliated with his employment at Marmon. The article says he leased space in the "old Industrial building" on the West side of Indianapolis. His plans called for this project to take up much of his time during the summer.
 
The article then segues to a discussion of AAA plans for meetings concerning their sanction for races occurring on the July 4 weekend. Both the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the organizers of the Lowell, Massachusetts road race were vying for the date. Indianapolis eventually secured the calendar spot.
 
Finally, there is a paragraph concerning work of the Indianapolis Automobile Trade Association (IATA) at the offices of the Willis-Holcomb sales agency. This concerned planning for the Indianapolis automobile show beginning the week of March 28. "A guaranty fund" of $2,500 was being requested of the dealers.