Strang Contemplates the Future

There is a famous photo of American superstar driver Lewis Strang contemplating a model of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the grounds of the great facility while it was under construction. This is not it, but is perhaps more interesting because it was undoubtedly taken the same day but a slightly different pose. The photo appeared in the March 21, 1909 Indianapolis Star. Strang would win the G&J Trophy race during the first auto race weekend at the Speedway and later be assigned the pole position for the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Ernie Moross, contest director at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is credited for coming up with the idea for the model. An article elsewhere on First Super Speedway reports that the building in the back was a "Poor Farm."