Stoddard-Dayton Banquet for Clemens

After all the events ended for the first day of auto racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway the executive team at Stoddard-Dayton staged a banquet honoring their star driver Jap Clemens. The celebration was held at the Denison Hotel, a favorite convention facility at the time in Indianapolis. The attached article from the August 20, 1909 Indianapolis Star provides the details.
 
Clemens enjoyed a second place finish in the biggest event of the day, the 250-mile Prest-O-Lite Trophy won by Bob Burman. Stoddard-Dayton Team Manager Harry Tuttle commented on Clemens' popularity in the city:
 
"Why, this Hoosier crowd seems to be crazy on the motor subject, and when it comes to building tracks and then inviting the world and beating it in their own playgrounds, these Hoosiers have to be saluted."
 
The article reports that a "large" automobile figure illuminated with electric lights was the centerpiece for the banquet table. Reportedly there were more than 1,200 company employees in attendance at the convention. The company planned another banquet for their sales agents.