Inside INDY: Racing Before the 500

pg. 2

An Inside Look

Over 260 pages featuring more than 200 photographs!

Quotes
I was truly amazed at what he had done. Others have attempted to chronicle the early events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over the years, but nothing I had ever seen came anywhere close to comparing with the charts that he had compiled... The end result is really quite astounding... Pictorially, it is a real eye-opener, especially the 1909 stereoscopic shots when viewed through special three-D enhancing glasses... His intention was for it to stand the test of time as a cherished reference work. We believe that he has succeeded. Donald Davidson, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Historian in the Foreword of INDY: Racing Before The 500

The second lap was one of the most competitive of all time. The four lead cars waged a stunning battle that never let up throughout the final two-and-a-half miles. Each took a turn at the lead, shuffling to obtain the most advantageous position for the finish. This continued until the cars came thundering out of the fourth turn four wide! It was a drag race all the way down the frontstretch as two Marmons and two Nationals sprinted across the line in a virtual dead heat!... Less than one second had separated the first four finishers! From Chapter 9 of INDY: Racing Before The 500

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Table of Contents

	Introduction	xi
1.	A Dream Becomes a Reality	1
2.	"Gas Bags" Sail From the Speedway	13
3.	The Motorcycle Invasion	29
4.	Tragedy Strikes First Auto Races	37
5.	The Speedway Becomes the Brickyard	73
6.	Indianapolis Cars Dominate in May	85
7.	The Wright Brothers and the Brickyard	113
8.	Buick Controversy at July Races	133
9.	The Last Auto Races Before the 500	165
10.	Balloons Return to the Brickyard	191
	Summary	207
	Whatever Happened To?	209
	1909-1910 Racing Statistics	215
	August 1909 Stereoscopic Photographs	235
	References	257
	Notes	261