Brighton Beach - July 1909

The Brighton Beach track originally opened as a horse track in 1879 and was exceptionally successful until betting on horse races was outlawed in New York in 1908. Auto racing was introduced to the venue and in 1909 the Motor Racing Association (MRA) leased the track and modified it with the idea of dedicating it to motorsport. The attached articles note the announcement of the change (BrightonNews071009), the lead-up to the first race (BrightonNews073009) and mid-race coverage (BrightonNews073109). All three attachments are from the Indianapolis News.
 
The initial race was a 24-hour contest (called "grinds" in the vernacular of the day) which is what the track is best known for in the realm of auto racing. The event was won by George Robertson in a Simplex - see the Indianapolis Star attachment Brighton080109.