Moto Montage

This image ran in association with an article published in the August 1, 1909 Indianapolis Star in the days leading up to the August 1909 Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) national championship race meet at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The article focused on one the individuals pictured in the montage of images, Ed Lingenfelder. Known as the "The Champion of the West," Lingenfelder of Alhambra, California and "The Champion of the East," Jack DeRosier were pitted against one another in a match race on what proved to be the event's final day. The improvised event was thrown together because all the other riders flat refused to take part in the promised full field national championship race. The deteriorating crushed stone running surface was deemed excessively treacherous. Lingenfelder would prevail as DeRosier was thrown from his bike to suffer serious injuries.
 
Note that one of the images includes a group photo of riders on bikes and the names listed are Walter Berner, John Merz, Erwin Baker, John McCarver and Harry Britney. Baker would later earn the nickname "Cannon Ball" for his daring transcontinental endurance runs. As for local rider McCarver his name was spelled differently in another report as "McCarber," but it was twice spelled as McCarver so I am betting the "v" version is accurate.
 
In another excercise is guessing which variety of name spellings is accurate we have FAM President Earl Orington or, as I have seen it elsewhere, "Earle Ovington." I believe the latter to be accurate as I think I have seen additional references to this gentleman and that spelling is what has been employed.
 
Another rider/bike image is of Fred Huyck who would emerge as the star performer of the Speedway races with three wins. His performance was overshadowed by the general carnage of the fiasco. Huyck rode an Indian bike.