The first competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a national championship gas filled balloon race organized by Speedway President Carl Fisher. Fisher and his co-founders James Allison, Frank Wheeler and Arthur C. Newby were anxious to recover their investments in the Speedway. Since construction of the track did not begin in earnest until April 1909 it took months to prepare the track for motorized competition. Fisher, fascinated with aviation, sought to host the national championship balloon racing competition - and generate revenue for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company. He formed the Aero Club of Indiana, became the 21st person to earn a balloon pilot's license in the United States and worked with mentor George Bumbaugh to develop balloon vehicles. Their craft was called the Indiana and together they survived a harrowing ride through turbulent wind currents. Check out a photo gallery of this great event elsewhere on First Super Speedway.

News Declares Start the Best Part

 
This attachment contains an article published in the June 1, 1909 Indianapolis News and was part of the newspaper's coverage of the lead up to the June 5, 1909 national balloon championship hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Unlike any other event at the Speedway the balloons offered an interesting challenge for track management in that most of the activity would occur well beyond the grounds of the venue.
 
Pre-Race Buzz

The article attached here was published in the June 3, 1909 Indianapolis News and is part of the paper's ongoing buildup to the June 5, 1909 national balloon championship race hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
 
Night-Before Buzz!

The article in this attachment was originally published June 4, 1905 in the Indianapolis News – the evening before the national championship balloon race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. All concerned with the event hung on every word from meteorological experts such as H.B.
IMS Debuts

The article in this attachment was published in the Indianapolis News June 5, 1909, the same day as the first Aero Club of America national championship balloon races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The News was an evening paper and since the first balloons to be released did not ascend until the start of the handicap race after 3 PM news coverage was limited to the ceremonies and preparations of the morning hours.
Balloon Crop & War Stories

The article in this attachment was published in the Indianapolis News June 5, 1909, the same day as the first Aero Club of America national championship balloon races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The News was an evening paper and since the first balloons to be released did not ascend until the start of the handicap race after 3 PM news coverage was limited to the ceremonies and preparations of the morning hours.
Down to Two?

The article in this attachment was published in the Indianapolis News June 7, 1909, two days after the start of the first Aero Club of America national championship balloon races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A Second Coming of Jesus

The article in this attachment was published in the Indianapolis News June 8, 1909, three days after the start of the first Aero Club of America national championship balloon races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Unofficial Results

The article in this attachment was published in the Indianapolis News June 9, 1909, four days after the start of the first Aero Club of America national championship balloon races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Essentially this article announces the "unofficial" results of the national championship event as the winners and finishing order was all but confirmed.
Aero Club Deliberates

The attached article was published in the June 10, 1909 Indianapolis News a full five days after the start of the national championship balloon race hosted by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 5.
University City Projected Winner

Almost unfathomable in today's information age but six days after the 1909 national championship balloon race was hosted by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 5 the results were still something short of officially certified.