One of the most unique chapters of Indianapolis Motor Speedway history was the June 1910 aviation show. Speedway President Carl Fisher loved leading edge technology, and he was almost as fascinated with aviation as race cars. This folder is packed with articles about that six day event which featured appearances by the Wright brothers and their star pilot, 21 year old Walter Brookins, who set a world altitude record at the meet. Carl Fisher got into the act, riding with Orville Wright in one of his pipe and stretched silk biplanes at dusk on one of the evenings. Fisher and Wright, fully exposed to the elements, laid on their stomachs, the Speedway president white-knuckling the metal pipe structure.

Walter Brookins Altitude Record

This lengthy article details events during the second day of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway aviation meet that was hampered by rain and clouds. Nonetheless, the hero of the meet, Walter Brookins set a new altitude record. This came from the Indianapolis News evening edtion for June 14, 1910.
Flying at Sundown

Great article describing the ideal conditions of wind and visibility near sundown on the fifth day of the meet, June 17, 1910. Good image of officials using their instruments to measure altitude of planes from the ground. More on the amazing Walter Brookins, his brilliant recovery from a stalled engine the day before and his relationship with the Wright Brothers. Even the Wrights were astonished by the daring of this young man.
Aviators in "Choppy Sky"

This is from the June 14 Indianapolis News (evening paper) and describes the events of the second day of the aviation show. The legibility of very end of the feature article is poor, but usable. A list of the day's program events is included. There is a romantic sidebar of Orville Wright flying above the horizon at dusk to peer over the edge of the world to view the sun in its full glory. Colorful stuff. Down to Earth, there's another sidebar reporting on the abolishment of a patent infringement injunction the Wright Brothers had against Glenn Curtis. Another point worth noting.
A Ride on the Wind Wagon

This article is a jewel. The curious Overland Company "Wind Wagon" gets a test drive around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with an Indianapolis Star reporter riding shotgun. Interesting copy. Plus, a grainy image of the Wright Brothers aviators - with their names in the cutline - is included in this package. All of this was published June 18, 1910.
Aviators Good for Indianapolis Business

This package of articles from the Indianapolis Star on June 16, 1910 is largely dominated by a focus on the boon to business the air show produced. A feature story reports on the advantages and quotes prominent businessmen. Also included are a few ads that ran in the newspapers that week, all using an airplane theme. Another article focuses on the events of the day, especially flights that took place as the sun set behind the homestretch grandstands.
Morning of Aviation Meet's First Day

This article is final major piece before the aviation meet began on Monday, June 13, 1910. The program started at 2 p.m. and the card of events for the initial day is included. Good description of the grounds as it stood in readiness for the aviators.
Brookins Records, Fisher Flys with Wright

The feature article in this package describes the events of the first day of the meet - June 13, 1910. The article ran the morning of June 14. The big news was the "birdman" marvel Walter Brookins setting four world records. Another article about aviation but unrelated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway meet was the feat of aviator C.K. Hamilton in flying from New York to Philadelphia.
Brookins in Flight

This is a poor quality image of Walter Brookins's Wright Brothers airplane soaring through clouds. Cutline included.
Brookins Amazes with Stunts

This package from June 15, 1910 provides a nice summary of the third day of the meet where Wright Brothers aviator Walter Brookins continued to astonish specators and birdmen alike. Brookins performed a series of daring arial stunts that thrilled the gathering. There is also a poor quality image of an official laying on the ground with an instrument that is reminiscent of a telescope which he was using to assess altitude for competitors.

These articles appeared in local Indianapolis papers about three weeks after the July 4, weekend of 1910. One article (July 28) reports the disqualification of the Buick team from the race meet. The reasoning was that the races were for stock cars, and apparently the Buick racers did not meet that standard. Another article reports the resignation of Ernie Moross, formerly associated with Barney Oldfield, as Director of Contests at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Another article reports an attempt by the Speedway to attract foreign manufacturers and drivers such as Felice Nazzaro and Lewis Wagner to the Speedway for its upcoming September 1910 races. An additional item reports on a project to pave Indianapolis streets with bricks, as with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Speedway Opens Gates to Visitors

This is a unique article that highlights early cooperation between local automobile manufacturers and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At the request of manufacturers in the summer of 1910, Speedway management agreed to leave their gates open so their inquisitive customers could come see the wonder of the new Brickyard. Previously, admission was granted only through a special credential issued by track management. This article was published July 29, 1910.