Grim Irony - 1909

The article in the attachment below is from the July 16, 1909, Indianapolis News touted the excitement of the upcoming first automobile races at the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This article focuses on the entries of the Knox and Lozier factories. Given that Knox driver William Bourque became the first competitor to lose his life at the Speedway during that very race meet in August 1909 the article carries a bit of grim irony.
 
The article points to the fact that the two firms were east coast-based as significant because it was evidence the Speedway's races attracted far-flung forces in the automobile industry. It is critical to underscore that Lozier is best known as a Detroit company but it was not until 1910 that it relocated from New York. Knox was based in Springfield, Massachusetts.
 
Good history is provided as evidence of the importance of the two race teams representing the powerful companies. Lozier had recently won what the article calls "one of the greatest twenty-four-hour events ever run" at Brighton Beach. The article also asserts that the marques had shown well at important 1908 road races at Briarcliff and Savannah.
 
Evidence of Knox' prowess is noted by a mention of a strong showing in the June Cobe Trophy at Crown Point, Indiana. Driver Al Dennison is called out as a powerful force in that historic contest. Both teams were expected to be in feature contests on different days of the meet: the  Wheeler-Schebler Trophy which was reported elsewhere to be valued at $10,000, as well as the Prest-O-Lite Trophy, donated by the company of the same name - the feature race of the first day of racing. 
 
E.R. Hollander, the New York automobile import agent is mentioned for his plans to secure the exalted entry of Felice Nazzaro's Fiat which had reportedly hit 212.6 MPH at Brooklands. Private Fiat entries from Eddie Hearne described as a young Chicago millionaire and Ralph DePalma are also mentioned as likely entries.
 
The article points to still other noteworthy entries such as the "Old Glory" National of Barney Oldfield as well as Appersons for Herb Lytle and Harris Hanshue. Hanshue had recently scored a race victory in Los Angeles.
 
There is a sidebar item to this article reporting on the planned August 9 motorcycle ride to Kokomo for riders associated with the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM). FAM was not only sanctioning the Speedway's first motorized race meet a week prior to the inaugural auto races but also hosting their annual convention that same week in Indianapolis. The run, which ended up being canceled, was to be sponsored by the Kokomo Rubber Company. They planned a tour of their factory, a banquet at the Kokomo country club and what is described as a "beautiful souvenir" in the form of a medallion with an imprint of Chief Kokomo. That reference is not explained but was probably well-known to newspaper readers in Indiana during this age. The reference is to a Miami Native American tribe chief, Chief Ma-Ko-Ko-Mo.