Indy Speedway Timeline: 1909

Yesterday I mentioned Donald Davidson's excellent blog timeline celebrating the events in 1909 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is essentially a wonderful digest of the news reporting that went on during year focused on the new Speedway.
 
Some highlights (many of these have links to content on First Super Speedway directly relevant to the timeline):
 

• The incorporation of the Speedway.
• The Aero Club of America announces their plans to stage the U.S. National Balloon Championships at the Speedway.
• The various proposed dimensions of the new Speedway until management finally settled on the 2.5 mile rectangle.
• The commissioning of the Speedway's first major trophy: the seven-foot Tiffany sterling silver Wheeler-Schebler Trophy.
• The arduous process of constructing the track.
• The preparations for and finally the hosting of the U.S. National Balloon Championships - an event Speedway founder Carl Fisher competed in.
• The hiring of Ernie Moross as the first director of contests for the Speedway - essentially the track's general manager.
• The mad race to get the track ready for the August motorcycle and auto races.
• The disastrous motorcylce races - the first motorized competition at the Speedway.
• The tragic first auto races at the Speedway.
• The effort to pave the track with bricks.
• Carl Fisher's surprise marriage to Jane Watts.
• The interest in auto racing of heavyweight champion boxers Jack Johnson and Jim Jefferies - Johnson wanted to race!
• The Speedway founders tremendous interest in aviation - and even founding an aviation company.
• The Speedway's attempt to host the Olympic Games at the track!
• The battle to host the Ira Cobe Trophy race.
• The record-busting December speed trials - the first speed event at the Brickyard - in bitter cold!!!