Barney Hobnobs in Indy

Check out this article written by Barney Oldfield about his interactions with racing contacts from around the world during the week leading up the the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. I love the image of Barney chatting up an old Japanese acquaintence who had traveled from the great Asian country to see the historic race. The more I read first hand accounts of the 1911 Indianapolis 500, the clearer it is this race and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were immediately recognized as huge developments for the sport of auto racing and for the automotive industry in general.