Return of the Cobe Trophy

This article was originally published in the August 15, 1909 Indianapolis Star and concerned the Cobe Trophy race that had been ran weeks earlier in June with Louis Chevrolet winning. While it was a financial failure on a course that was later deemed inadequate it was and is historically significant as the first major race conducted in Indiana. In fact this was the first major auto race staged west of the eastern seaboard.
 
Despite heavy losses suffered by the Chicago Automobile Club and Ira M. Cobe who had organized the event the men wanted to produce a second run for Cobe's trophy. Interest in the future of the race was triggered by the first automobile races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway held the same week the article appeared in the Star. No coincidence as all of Indianapolis had a huge appetite for motorsports news. The Chicago enthusiasts planned a tour south to the Speedway to attend the track's first auto race weekend.
 
Although not mentioned in the article the Cobe Trophy would be the object of competition one more time in 1910. The venue would be the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.