1909 Balloon Race

The first competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a national championship gas filled balloon race organized by Speedway President Carl Fisher. Fisher and his co-founders James Allison, Frank Wheeler and Arthur C. Newby were anxious to recover their investments in the Speedway. Since construction of the track did not begin in earnest until April 1909 it took months to prepare the track for motorized competition. Fisher, fascinated with aviation, sought to host the national championship balloon racing competition - and generate revenue for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company. He formed the Aero Club of Indiana, became the 21st person to earn a balloon pilot's license in the United States and worked with mentor George Bumbaugh to develop balloon vehicles. Their craft was called the Indiana and together they survived a harrowing ride through turbulent wind currents. Check out a photo gallery of this great event elsewhere on First Super Speedway.

The Governor & Balloonists

The June 4, 1909 Indianapolis Star article in attachment BalloonGovernor060409 announced the intentions of Indiana Governor Thomas Marshall (who would later serve as vice president of the United States under Woodrow Wilson) to perform the ceremonial duties of seeing off the competitors in the June 5, 1909 national balloon championship as they were launched fro
Balloon Race Morning

The attached article published in the Indianapolis Star on June 5, 1909 (attachment BalloonRace060509) - the morning of the national championship balloon race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - describes the preparations of competitors and organizers for the big event. It starts with a callout box providing essential weather information and the schedule for the ascension of each balloon.
40,000 Watch Balloons Fly

In this attachment are a pair of front page articles from the June 6, 1909 Indianapolis Star that report on the start of the 1909 national championship balloon race of the Aero Club of America. The article in the left column from your POV focuses on the setting for the event in the hours leading up to it. The start of the multiple day event was hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, still under construction at the time.
Early Progress - Ohio Fails

This article from the June 6, 1909 Indianapolis Star reports on the early progress of competitors just hours after the start of the 1909 national championship balloon race of the Aero Club of America.
Ballooning History 1783 - 1908

Published June 6, 1909 in the Indianapolis Star the attached article is a sidebar to stories covering the 1909 national championship balloon races hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race, which would take several days to complete, started at the Speedway the day prior on June 5. The facts contained in this concise piece are presented more as a list of facts than a narrative. The results of an October 1908 race hosted in St. Louis are presented.
James Whitcomb Riley Balloon Poem

James Whitcomb Riley was a national figure in an era where authors and poets were in demand for public readings. Extremely popular and quite wealthy Riley nonetheless struggled with alchohlism and poor health.
Balloon Race - Gas Controversy

This article was published in the June 7, 1909 Indianapolis Star and reports on developments occurring Sunday, June 6 or the second day of the national championship balloon races hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where the event started.
 
Balloon Race - Day 3

In this attachment are a pair of front page articles from the June 8, 1909 Indianapolis Star that report on the third day of the 1909 national championship balloon race of the Aero Club of America.
Fisher's View: Balloon Controversy

The articles in this attachment were published June 9, 1909 in the Indianapolis Star. It reports on the results of the national championship balloon race hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race started on June 5 but was pretty much over by June 7 as all the balloons had touched down.
Fisher's Ballooning Enthusiasm

The article in the attachment appeared in the June 18, 1909 Indianapolis Star. It is a brief item and a follow-up on the national balloon championship hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier in the month. The article was generated by comments made by Speedway Founder and President Carl Fisher who competed as pilot of the balloon Indiana in the event.