Officer Gibney Injured; Men Enjoy "Smoker"

This content was originally published in the August 14, 1909 Indianapolis News. The package contains three very brief items. The first is a report on injuries to police officer Albert C. Gibney, an Indianapolis motorcycle patrolman who entered the first races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was injured in a practice spill on the Speedway the day prior. The scond item is not about motorcycles, but race cars, which staged their first races on the historic track just a week later. Lewis Strang, who had a very successful year in 1908 and again in 1909, is mentioned as the pilot of a new Buick that the factory claimed could attain 130 mph. Finally, there is a brief item on the "smoker," which was staged as part of the festivities around the motocycle week in Indianapolis. This was presented at Avondale Heights and include boxing matches and vaudeville entertainment.