Prest-O-Lite Illuminates 24-Hour Speedway Shifts

This article originally appeared in the August 12, 1909 Indianapolis News. This is a precious article that provides a primary reference on Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Carl Fisher's decision to work around-the-clock shifts in order to prepare the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for its first motorized competition, an August 14 motorcycle race meet.
 
In order to provide illumination in the night time hours, Fisher utilized 100 Prest-O-Lite headlights from the company by the same name that he founded in 1904 with James A. Allison, one of his partners at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fisher and Allison became millionaires with Prest-O-Lite as the product proved to be the first viable headlight for the exploding automobile market. These headlights preceded electric headlights, but utilized a compressed acetylene gas technology very effectively.
 
The article also provides rare information on the Remy Brassard (sponsored by Remy Electric Company), one of the most unique trophies not just for the Speedway, but all of motorsport. A brassard is an armband and this one was made of silver and devised to recognize the work of drivers who too frequently were seen as secondary to the automobiles. The brassard was won by Barney Oldfield.