Christie Racer - 1909

This image is derived from a photo that appeared in the August 15, 1909, edition of The Automobile. This was just days before the first auto races held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - a race meet the car was entered in.
 
The front-wheel drive machine was the brainchild of its owner and driver, J. Walter Christie. Christie was a peculiar figure in the early era of auto racing. He was an innovator and independent thinker. An entrepreneur, his ideas attracted attention but he was never successful in business. While he did race in the seminal contests at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he never competed in the Indianapolis 500. He did race the French Grand Prix, the Vanderbilt Cup, the Ormond-Daytona speed tournaments and barnstormed the country with the legendary Barney Oldfield. Oldfield purchased one of Christie's cars and after several years pushed the aging machine to the Brickyard's first lap at over 100 mph in an exhibition run in 1916.

 
There are numerous references to Christie and his cars elsewhere on First Super Speedway. I suggest you get your exploration started at the following links:

• Christie at speed.
• Christie in 1909.
• Patents of J. Walter Christie.
• Christie at Ormond.
• Christie at IMS.
• Christie & Oldfield at Latonia.
• Christie at Time Trials.