Buick With 15 @ IMS

This article was first published on August 11, 1909 in the Indianapolis Star. It reports the surprising news that Buick team manager William Pickens had filed an astounding 15 entries in the upcoming first auto races at the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway just eight days away. This the article proclaimed was the new "record" for the number of cars from a single team in a single auto racing meet. Just two weeks earlier both the Speedway and the Star gushed about the amazing number of entries - 10 - by Harry Tuttle of Stoddard-Dayton.
 
Pickens made news not only with number of Buicks he entered, but with the super-star team of drivers he had behind the wheels. The drivers were: Lewis Strang, Louis Chevrolet, Bob Burman, George De Witt and Jimmy Ryall. Strang was noted for his victories the previous year at Savannah, Briarcliff and Lowell road races. Chevrolet was fresh from his June victory in the Cobe Trophy. De Witt had won a 100-mile Florida Beach race over the winter. As for Ryall, he is described as a wealthy young sportsman.
 
The Buick team planned to transport their equipment in four special express train cars from their Flint, Michigan factory. In addition to the cars a force of 20 mechancis would represent the company.
 
The article reports that the Remy Electric Company of Anderson, Indiana had donated the Remy Grand Brassard, an arm band to serve as a unique "trophy" for a race by the same name at the Speedway meet. Made of silver, the brassard would be combined with a weekly "salary" of $75 until it would be defended at the next Speedway race meet.
 
The Chadwick Engineering Works of Pottstown, Pennsylvania also entered a car in several of the race meet events. The article reports that the Chadwick had recently won events at the Algonquin Hill Climb. Len Zengel (his name is misspelled in the article) was expected to be the car's driver. The Velie Motors Corporation was also expected to file entries.