Ernie Moross @ December Time Trials!

This image of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Director of Contests Ernie Moross appeared in the December 12, 1909 Indianapolis Star. It was part of a collection of pictures supporting the Sunday edition of the paper's coverage of the upcoming time trials at the . The track had only recently been paved with 3.2 million bricks. It's interesting to note that the caption to this image identifies Moross as the event starter but he was actually the announcer. Legendary American Automobile Association (AAA) official Fred Wagner served as starter for the event. 
 
The time trials were precipitated by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Founder & President Carl Fisher's determination to bury the memory of the track's first (and tragic) auto race meet the previous August as well as establish the Brickyard as the fastest track in America. This mantle had been claimed by rival Atlanta Speedway during their inaugural race meet in November. Fisher wanted to squeeze into 1909 new, official speed records so year-end reflections would list his facility at the top in America if not the world. The rivalry between the Brickyard and the Atlanta track was so strong that the southerners later cried foul, charging in a protest that Moross had falsified records set at the time trial meet.
 
Moross was an important figure in the early days of the Speedway serving more as a general manager directing day-to-day activities and planning the major events the venue hosted. For more information on Moross elsewhere on First Super Speedway check out these links:

• The decision to hire Moross.
• His obituaries.
• His role in trying to build the Speedway's aircraft development business.
• His induction into the Sprint Car Hall of Fame.