IMS "Spin" on Track Quality - 1909

The attached Indianapolis News article (download below) on the new, rushed-into-service  Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a curiosity if for no other reason than it discusses track's suitability for upcoming auto races on the very day it was opening for the motorcycle racers of the first motorized competition at the Speedway. Efforts to not only construct the track in five short months from a completely undeveloped cornfield had been much in the news.
 
The coverage had been more challenging as deadlines loomed larger. An obviously stressed-out Speedway President Carl Fisher had already proclaimed that his Speedway was "Better than Brooklands ever will be," in reference to the high-banked, concrete-paved closed circuit in England that had become a favorite venue for record-setting since two years earlier in 1907.
 
The article begins by reporting on the Speedway management assertion that the track would be "in lightning fast shape" by the time practice for the auto races would begin the following week. "Workmen" were busy night and day and planned they would continue that schedule up to the very moment the races were to begin.
 
Four new entries had been filed:

Walter Christie and his Christie machine arrived the previous evening. The article said that Buick had an armada of 15 cars with a crew, counting drivers, of 30 men.
 
A list of American Automobile Association (AAA) officials is also available.

 
The article then segues to a report on the upcoming September 7 road race planned in Lowell, Massachusetts. The AAA had issued entry blanks and announced six classes of cars. Apparently, there were support races scheduled for September 6 and 8 and the entry deadline was the day the article was published - August 14. Four Chalmers-Detroits, four Stoddard-Daytons, two Benzes, and five Knox racers were on the entry list.
 
The article also indicates that a Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) event would be part of the race meet. Those contests were planned for Friday, September 10. Isn't it odd they planned to run the auto races during the week? Motorboat racing and even a marathon foot race were scheduled as part of the festivities, scheduled for September 9.
 
A Philadelphia dealership for Premier automobiles known simply as "The Motor Company" was organizing a touring car party for their patrons. This was scheduled for September 11 and 12. A total of 37 Premier owners had registered by the time the attached article was published. The run was a trip to Cape May and back. The event was to be scored as a reliability run and H.O. Smith, president of Premier was scheduled to present a solid silver two-gallon punch bowl. Allen Sheldon was president of The Motor Company.

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IMSNews081409a.pdf3.25 MB