The drama and madness of the first weekend of racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August 1909 hit its zenith of tragedy in the final race of the final day. This was the 300-mile Wheeler-Schebler Trophy when three men died, two of them spectators. The richness of detail in the reporting of the day periscopes into a tumultuous world of danger, bravado, and brutally-earned education.

I finally got around to reading this interview with Mario Andretti about the Associated Press' Jenna Fryer's opinion piece concerning Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso competing in the 2017 Indianapolis 500.

The August 18, 1909, Indianapolis News described the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway this way:
 

In 1909, as now, motorsport was a cross section of experts who clawed their way to prominence through a relentless work ethic and enthusiasts who provided the scarce lifeblood: money.