"Airship" Entries at IMS Air Show

This article first appeared in the March 29, 1910 Indianapolis Star. The subject is the growing entry list for the then-upcoming June 1910 aviation show at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
 
The underlying challenge and concern over the ability to pull together an impressive field and subsequently a quality event was the inhibiting factor of the Wright Brothers' court injunction against other airplane constructors based on patent infringement. Speedway Contest Director Ernie Moross and track Founder and President Carl Fisher had worked with the Wrights for special consideration with respect to their event.
 
Moross, in the attached article, announced agreements he had struck with several special aviators to appear at the Brickyard. The first mentioned is the entry of the plane that Glenn Curtiss used to win the James Gordon Bennett Cup at the 1909 Rheims International Aviation Show. While Curtiss was not to appear the plane's owner, Charles E. Strobel, had agreed to compete. Strobel also announced that he would bring an aircraft of his own design to the contest.
 
Strobel's comments to describe the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are worth noting: "There is nothing like it. The magnitude of the plant surprised me wonderfully. It is an ideal location for the holding of an aviation meet and certainly should see some new records created here in June. No one who has not seen this magnificent plant can appreciate it and understand the enterprise of the men who have built it on such a large scale and so completely."
 
A very interesting name among the list of pilots was Arthur Pratt "A.P." Warner, one of the founding partners of the Warner Speedometer Company known in racing for providing the first electric timing devices. Warner was scheduled to arrive in Indianapolis within a week to "negotiate" with Moross to enter his Curtiss Company-designed airplane.
 
Joseph Curzon, the only plane owner I have verified as housing his plane at the Speedway, had two confirmed entries. One was a plane of his own design the other one a Farman he had acquired from Henri Farman known for racing cars and flying planes.
 
To summarize the article states that entry list included eight Wright flyers, two Curtiss machines, one Stroble, one Curzon, one Farman and five Fisher aeroplanes as assured entries. Speedway management was reportedly working on attracting additional planes including a Bleriot (see Louis Bleriot).The meet, reported the article, was expected to attract the largest field of airplanes in history.
 
Beyond the Speedway  Glenn Curtiss reportedly was staging air flight exhibitions throughout the Southern United States. This was despite the Wright injunction and only possible by Curtiss taking on the risk by posting bonds to cover infringement penalties with promotional partners at the various venues.