Aerodrome, Brickyard, 1910

This image first appeared in the Sunday, April 17, 1910, Indianapolis Star and supported an amazing article written by the outstanding motorsports journalist Peter Paul "P.P." Wllis who reported on the growing field of entries for the upcoming June air show at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well as the burgeoning interest in the Hoosier state for all things aeronautical.
 
The pen & ink drawing dubbed "the nest" depicts the Brickyard's aerodrome, designed specifically to house aircraft - including balloons and dirigibles. The aerodrome was the central piece of an extensive effort emblematic of the vision and interests of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway founders, especially Speedway President Carl Fisher.
 
Fisher was a promoter extraordinaire but also a man fascinated with the possibilities of technology and its potential impact on the lives of people. The aerodrome housed shop equipment for working on aircraft and complemented the garages, gasoline and gas company pipes for balloon inflation already in place. An added benefit of the Speedway as an airfield was that it offered enclosed grounds for "secret" flights. The track's June 13 - 18 1910, aviation show was one of the first ever conducted in America.