Carl Fisher Match Race

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Founder Carl Fisher was a betting man for sure. Just a couple of weeks after he put $1,000 on a match race between Charlie Merz in his Stoddard-Dayton and Paul Smith's Haynes automobile with Loring Wagner at the wheel, the Fisher Automobile Company president placed another grand on the same car and driver combination against a Pope-Toledo stock car with an unnamed driver. Just as Merz had prevailed in the earlier race he again earned Fisher more money by dusting off the Pope-Toledo. Both races were held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds 1-mile oval horse track. The article in attachment FisherMerz100408 contains a short article on the event - which attracted a few hundred onlookers - and image of Merz sitting in the car.