Motorcycle Speed Trophy

Speed records were very important to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in its earliest days because they established your venue as the place to compete or buy tickets to watch. Anticipating its first-ever motorized competition, the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) championship motorcycle races of August 1909, the Speeway announced that it would provide a silver loving cup, pictured here, as a reward for the fastest mile during the event weekend. The Speedway was under construction at the time this photo was published.
 
This image appeared in the June 30, 1909 Indianapolis Star. The caption originally published under the pnoto read as follows:
 
"The officials of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have signified intentions of giving a valuable trophy to the motorcycle racer who makes the fastest mile during the races here August 9-18. The races will be run in connection with the national motorcycle convention and will be executed on the Speedway course."