Tom Cooper Articles

A little known but important figure in the formative years of the automobile and motorsport is a gentleman by the name of Tom Cooper. He was a business partner of Henry Ford prior to the latter's formation of Ford Motor Company, a bicycle champion, race driver and sidekick to Barney Oldfield.
Guy Vaughan

A bright young driver of the early 20th Century was Guy Vaughan, who is most frequently noted for his heroics in 24 hour speed tests.
1906 Atlantic Beach Races

This is a report on the Atlantic Beach races of 1906 that was published in The Automobile. It is siginificant due to its focus on automotive pioneer J. Walter Christie. I also include a brief item from the April 27, 1906 edition of the Indianapolis Star. It also covers the same event but in much less detail. It is useful in that it nails down the precise date of the event, something the extensive report fails to do.
24 Hours of Indy

This 24 hour race held at the Indiana State  Fairgrounds was actually a follow up to an earlier race meet that offered a menu of events including a 100 mile race.
Promoting Fisher's 1905 Race Meet

This article announces what proved to be a significant race meet in the autumn of 1905 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. This event's importance was less about the contest than what it precipitated. One of the events was a 100 mile race which was won by a National Motor Vehicle stock car.
Indiana State Fairgrounds Race Meet - 1905

Now is your chance to read about the November 5, 1905, race meet that was a precursor to the 24-hour record-setting event where the concept of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was first discussed among

Fisher Automobile Company

This is a collection of advertisements Carl Fisher purchased in the Indianapolis Star for his automobile dealership, the Fisher Automobile Company. Some of the ads tout National Motor Vehicle Company's accomplishment in the great 24 hour record setting performance of 1905.

These epic speed trials occurred on the sands of Ormond and Daytona Beach from 1904 through 1910 and established the Daytona area as a speed center.

Freak Racers

This article from The Automobile was published shortly after the 1906 Ormond Beach Speed Tournament. It addresses one of the issues of the early days of American auto racing as people in the automobile industry frequently criticized the use of purpose-built race cars in racing competition. The debate was firmly on the agenda of the American Automobile Association (AAA) agenda at the time.
 

Fifteen articles in this collection document significant events in Carl Fisher’s life. His “palimony” suit with Gertrude Hassler is an interesting example. Another important point is the Zanesville, Ohio county fair horse track accident in September 1903 that involved his teammate Earl Kiser and resulted in the death of several spectators. Also, there is Carl’s wonderful first hand account of his balloon ride when he competed in the Speedway’s first competition – the national balloon championships of June 1909.

Fisher's Airship

Carl Fisher was a curious man and embraced the leading edge technology of the day. In addition to automobiles and other motor powered vehicles such as powerboats, Fisher was fascinated by the emerging capabilities of air travel. He was among the first Americans to become a licensed balloonist and eventually hosted the Wright Brothers among others at the first national air show at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1910.
Glenns Valley Hill Climb - 1906

These articles report on the first hill climb contests held in the Indianapolis area in May 1906. Three are from the Indianapolis News and one is from the Indianapolis Star. I want to note that this contest was conducted within a week of the Decoration Day races held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.