This folder has numerous articles on the inaugural auto races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. These races occurred only days after the Speedway hosted the Federation of American Motorcycles (FAM) race meet. The auto races were a blend of success and tragedy. Most of the major American drivers entered – Barney Oldfield, Ray Harroun, Bob Burman, Tom Kincaid, Lewis Strang, Louis Chevrolet, Jap Clemens, Charlie Merz, Eddie Hearne, Ralph De Palma and Tobin DeHymel among them. With the exception of a Fiat and a Benz, the entries were American, including: Marmon, Marion, Stearns, National, Jackson, Stoddard-Dayton, Buick and Apperson. Tragedy came in the loss of several lives, including Willfred Bourque, who became the first driver to die in a racing accident at the Speedway.

First Day of Racing, Bourque's Death

The two attachments below offer three articles originally published August 20, 1910, summarizing the first day of auto racing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Jackson Co. & Wheeler-Schebler Cup

This article (published August 26, 1909) details the Jackson Company's claims against the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The company sued for rights to the Wheeler-Schebler Trophy.

This folder contains three excellent articles on the early days of the French Grand Prix. The race was initiated in 1906 but canceled from 1909 through 1911 as the French absorbed disappointing losses in 1907 and 1908. The race returned in 1912 only to be interrupted after 1914 by World War I.

1906 French Grand Prix

This article was originally published in the June 28, 1906 issue of The Motor World. This is a very strong summary of the first French Grand Prix in 1906 - the first auto racing grand prix in the world.
The First French Grand Prix 1906

This article was originally published in the July 1906 issue of Motor Age. Like other coverage of the first French Grand Prix in 1906, this article is critical of how the event was conducted and the ulterrior motives behind staging it. This is historically significant because it was not just the first French Grand Prix, but the first grand prix auto race anywhere.
 
DePalma, Harroun Win Hill Climb

This brief article originally appeared in the one of the Indianapolis daily newspapers on June 16, 1910. The report describes the events at the 1910 Giant's Despair Hill Climb, a contest that is still conducted today. Several races were conducted across a number of classes of cars with Ralph DePalma and Ray Harroun the most noteworthy winners.
Marmon Wasp Repaired

This content was originally published in the June 11, 1910 edition of the Indianapolis Star. While it is a brief item, it contains several intriguing historical reference points. The primary article reports on the status of the Giant's Despair Hill Climb (which is still conducted today), which was postponed due to rain.
 

1905
By 1905, the James Gordon Bennett Cup was the biggest race in the world. It was also its final running. The French, far and away the leaders of the global automotive industry, did not like the rules of this international race which restricted countries to but three entries. France, with more high quality automobile manufacturers than the rest of the world combined, felt this was an unfair restriction. By 1906, they introduced the Grand Prix and changed history. This folder contains comprehensive information about the last running of this classic race and highlights great European road racers such as winner Leon Thery (Richard-Brasier); Ferenc Szisz (Renault); Fernand Gabriel (De Dietrich) and George Heath (Panhard). American entries included Joe Tracy (Locomobile); Herb Lytle (Pope-Toledo) and Bert Dingley (Pope-Toledo).

1905 Gordon Bennett Cup

This articile was originally published in the July 20, 1905 issue of The Automobile, an industry trade newspaper. This is a 20 page (PDF) report on the running of the 1905 James Gordon Bennett Cup held in France. This was the biggest race in the world in 1904 and 1905, but destined for oblivion the following year in 1906. This was because the Gordon Bennett Cup restricted each industrialized nation to only three cars.
Gordon Bennett Cup Course (1905)

This article originally appeared in one of the automotive trade publications of the day. It is only one PDF page and is an interesting read as it describes the Auvergne course in France that was used for the 1905 (and final) James Gordon Bennett Cup auto race. Note that the course was "discovered" by Michelin Tire Company founder Edouard Michelin. The area is a mountainous region and the roads were underdeveloped. The result was a course that stressed durability and driving skill, not speed.
Prep for 1905 Gordon Bennett Cup

This content was originally published in the March 25, 1905 issue of the Automobile. This is an interesting digest of activities leading up to the running of the 1905 James Gordon Bennett Cup auto race. There are three items rolled up into one PDF page.
Joe Tracy Interviewed

This article was originally published in the August 3, 1905 issue of The Automobile. This is a nice piece that provides a great of the 1905 James Gordon Bennett Cup race from the point-of-view of one of America's adopted sons, Irish-born Joe Tracy. Tracy immigrated to the United States at 19 and proved himself as a talented mechanical engineer and race car driver.