Purpose of the Brickyard

The article in attachment IMSavail102109 was published in the Indianapolis Star on October 21, 1909. The story reads like a public announcement as it declares that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway would not only be a facility simply for racing but also a test track for automobile manufacturers. The article forecasts that the Speedway would be open and available for testing by November 1.
 
This is a very brief article of no more than four column  inches. It reports that Speedway officials mailed letters notifying manufacturers of the availability of the track for their use. Among those specifically mentioned were:
 

• Stearns
• Peerless
• Packard
• Pierce