Charlie Merz Enters IMS Moto Races

This image appeared in the July 31, 1909 Indianapolis News and reports the entry of local rider Charlie Merz  in the upcoming Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) race meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Merz was best known as an auto racer and in the end joined dozens of other riders in declining to compete in the motorcycle races due to dangerous track conditions.
 
The original caption associated with the photograph read as follows:
 
"Charlie Merz will ride as a professional in the coming race meet of the National Federation of American Motorcyclists, held under the auspices of the Indianapolis Motorcycle Club at the new motor speedway August 13 and 14. There will be only two races open to professionals, a ten-mile race on August 13 and a five-mile event on August 14. Young Merz is better known as an automobile driver, having a National in the state fairground races last fall. He will ride a seven-horsepower N.S.U., a foreign-made machine. This machine made several records on the 3.5-lap track at Los Angeles."