Edgar Apperson & His "Jackrabbit"

This image is derived from a photo that appeared in the September 21, 1906 Indianapolis Star. It shows Edgar Apperson, founder of the Apperson Automobile Company, at the wheel of the factory race car entered in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup. This was probably taken about one month prior because reports have it Mr. Apperson was seriously injured (he did fully recover) some three weeks before publication date.
 
Even more wonderful is my guess that this image was probably captured the Kokomo, Indiana factory where the car was designed and constructed. Just imagine that incredible summer day!
 
The reason for the newspaper's interest in the car is that it was wrecked a second time - far more seriously - by professional driver George Robertson during September 19 practice for the American Elimination Trial. That was a contest to determine the cars that would represent the United States in the upcoming Vanderbilt Cup.
 
Robertson lost control of the car and literally wrapped it around a telegraph pole. Both he and his riding mechanic escaped with serious injuries, but, again, nothing they could not recover from.
 
The original caption accompanying the photo appears below. The heading reads: "Apperson Bros. Vanderbilt Cup Entry, Edgar Apperson at the Wheel."
 
Note the reference "hoodoo" in the caption. This was essentially a word for "curse," as in superstition frequently used during this time period. Also, the caption refers to George Robertson as "J.W.," which is a mistake.
 
"There were those who affected to believe when the Apperson car wrecked on the elimination course for the Vanderbilt race left Kokomo that some sort of a hoodoo over it and that disaster would follow it. This was the prediction of those who knew of the accident befalling the same machine near Laporte in which Edgar Apperson was badly hurt and had a close call for his life. The machine was at once repaired and shipped East. The injury to driver J.W. Robertson and his machinist followed, which fulfills the predictions of some Kokomo soothsayers who claim the fates never intended the machine to win."