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SPEED RECORDS BROKEN THIS DAY
Distance
5 miles
10 miles
20 miles
30 miles
40 miles
50 miles
60 miles
70 miles
80 miles
90 miles
100 miles
Amateur Class - 301-450 cubic inch engines

Time
4' 5.76"
8' 8.36"
15' 57.63"
24' 18.15"
32' 30.37"
40' 28.10"
48' 21.74"
56' 17.40"
64' 18.70"
75' 51.30"
83' 43.12"

Winner
Tom Kincade
Johnny Aitken
Ray Harroun
Ray Harroun
Joe Dawson
Joe Dawson
Joe Dawson
Joe Dawson
Joe Dawson
Tom Kincade
Tom Kincade
Race
Distance
10 miles
301-450 cubic inch engines

Time
4' 9.30"

Winner
Art Greiner
Race
Distance
10 miles
281-300 cubic inch engines

Time
8' 16.80"

Winner
Ray Harroun
Race
Distance
5 miles
161-230 cubic inch engines

Time
4' 41.77"

Winner
Louis Chevrolet

Car
National "Forty"
National "Forty"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
National "Forty"
National "Forty"

Car
Buick "Ten"

Car
Marmon "Thirty-Two"

Car
National "Forty"
DAY 1 - FRIDAY
May 27, 1910
First Event
1-mile Time Trials
Begins at 1 p.m.
CAR
Fiat "Ninety"
Marmon "Six"
Darracq "100"
National "Seventy"
American
National "Sixty"
DRIVER
Caleb Bragg
Ray Harroun
Ben Kerscher
Johnny Aitken
Herb Lytle
Tom Kincade
TIME
:39.5
:41.05
:43.4
:44.3
:46.05
:46.55
Second Event
Five Miles - 2 Laps
Engine Class: under 160 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,100 lbs
Third Event
Five Miles - 2 Laps
Engine Class: 161 to 230 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,400 lbs
1st - Louis Chevrolet - Buick          time: 4:41.7
2nd - Endicott             - Cole
3rd - Miller                   - Warren-Detroit
4th - LA Frayer           - Firestone-Columbus
5th - JL Edmunds       - Cole
6th - Bob Burman       - Buick

Class R, Division 2
Fourth Event
Ten Miles -  4 Laps
Engine Class: 231 to 300 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,700 lbs
1st - Ray Harroun  - Marmon "Thirty-Two"   time: 8:16.8
2nd - Joe Dawson - Marmon
3rd - Fox                 - Pope-Harford
4th - Scheifler         - Jackson
5th - Clark               - Cutting
6th - Ray Tinkler     - Marion
7th - Gil Andesron  - Marion

$100 for first place, $50 for 2nd
Class B, division 3
Fifth Event
Five Miles -  2 Laps
Engine Class: 301 to 450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
1st - Tom Kincade - National            time:  4:05.76
2nd - Joe Dawson - Marmon
3rd - Ray Harroun  - Marmon
4th - Johnny Aitken - National
5th - Charlie Merz   - National
6th - Leigh Lynch    - Jackson

Six cars started
Sixth Event
Ten Miles- 4 Laps
Engine Class: 451 to 600 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,300 lbs
1st - Johnny Aitken - National       time:  8:25.94
2nd - Tom Kincade - National
3rd - Howdy Wilcox - National

Barney Oldfield had a broken steering knuckle in his
Knox leaving just these three Nationals to compete.
Seventh Event
Five Miles - 2 Laps
Handicap
1st - Art Greiner  - National    time 5:44.9
2nd - Tousey       - National
3rd - Jack Reed - Stoddart-Dayton
3th - Motsinger   - Empire
5th - Don Herr     - National

There were 14 starters, including Aitken, Fox, and Miller.
6 prizes ranging from $20-$100
Eighth Event
Five Miles - 2 Laps
Private Owners' (aka Millionaire Race)
1st - Art Greiner  - National                time: 4:09.30
2nd - Tousey - National                      time: 4:22.34


$150 trophy for winner.
Only two entrants, there was a third, Bragg, who was
not allowed to compete as his Fiat had not been cleared.
Nineth Event
Five Miles - 2 Laps
Free-for-all Open
1st - Bob Burman   - Buick          time 3:37.24
2nd - Caleb Bragg - Fiat
3rd - Ray Harroun   - Marmon
4th - Herb Lytle        - American
5th - Johnny Aitken  - National
6th - Tom Kincade   - National

The winner got the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Helmet and $50 a week as long as he defends it.
2nd place earns $200.
Tenth Event
100 MIles - 20 Laps
Prest-o-Lite Trophy
Engine Class: 301-450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
1st - Tom Kincade - #10 National             time: 1:23:43.12
2nd - Charlie Merz - National
3rd - Leigh Lynch   - Jackson
4th - Joe Dawson   - Marmon
5th - Ray Harroun   - Marmon
OUT - Johnny Aitken - National
OUT - Fox                  - Pope-Hartford

$1000 trophy
Cancelled due to lack of cars.

They had also planned for a 601-750 c.i. class which
didn't pan out either due to lack of such cars.
Some Other Drivers Present,
But Not Mentioned On This Page:

Fox (Terre Haute) drove a Pope-Hartford
Cunningham drove for E-M-F team
Skaggs drove for E-M-F team
Roy Beall drove a Knox
Ray Tinkler drove a Stutz for the Marion team
Eddie Hearne of Chicago drove a Benz
Motsinger drove an Empire "twenty"
Thornburg drove a Great Western
Schweitzer drove a Fuller
Scoot Miller drove a Warren-Detroit
For cars racing in the stock classes, the
manufacturer had to have made at least
25 cars with that chassis to be considered
stock.

However, any car could race in the Free-for-all
events or the big trophy races not for stock cars.

The following cars were barred from the stock
races by the ruling board of  the AAA :

Buick Model 16A
Buick Model 16B
Buick Model 100
Jackson Model 30
Cutting Model 50
Wesicott Model F
American Speedster
Fuller 1911 Roadster
Empire 1911 Model Cs

The makers of all barred cars were loud in their
protests.  The Buick company threatened to
withdrawal all their cars.  So referee A.R.
Pardington threatened to have all their cars
disbarred from competition for the rest of  the
year.  Needless to say, the qualifying Buicks
did show up to race.
Cars were practicing on Wednesday and Thursday.
Founders Father Collapses at Speedway

On Saturday, John Newby, 70, was in the stands at the
speedway watching the 200-mile race.   He is the father of
Arthur C Newby, a founder of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway and the National Motor Vehicle Company.

He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage which resulted in a
temporary complete paralysis of his left side.  Luckily there
was an emergency hospital on the grounds whose attendants
were able to keep Mr. Newby alive.   When he was released
he went to his son's home on north Meridian Street.

The doctor believe the attack was caused heat, excitement
and his age.


Famous driver Ralph De Palma announced he would be a
free-lance driver and not confine himself to just one make of
car.  He will continue to drive the Fiat "Cyclone" and E.W.C
Arnold's 200-horse Mephistpheles in open class races, but
would drive other makes in stock classes.
RACE SCHEDULE & RESULTS
CARS REJECTED
DAY 2 - SATURDAY
May 28, 1910
1-mile Time Trials
One car at a time
CAR
Fiat "Ninety"
Darracq "100"
Marmon
American
National
Empire
DRIVER
Caleb Bragg
Ben Kerscher
Ray Harroun
Herb Lytle
Johnny Aitken
Motsinger
TIME
:41.30
:41.83
:42.33
:44.44
:46.80
1:07.1
Seventh Event
Ten Miles
Class D Free-for-all
Postponed till Monday due to cars not being ready.
Sixth Event
10 Miles
Amateurs
Cancelled due to lack of entries.
Third Event
Ten Miles - 4 Laps
Engine Class: 301 to 450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
1st - Johnny Aitken - National "Forty"        time 8:08.9
2nd - Ray Harroun  - Marmon "Thirty-Two"
3rd - Charlie Merz  - National "Forty"
4th - Tom Kincade  - National
5th - Leigh Lynch    - Jackson
Joe Dawson   - Marmon - quit on lap 2

This race was for cars in class B, division 4
Fourth Event
Five Miles - 2 Laps
Engine Class: 451 to 600 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,300 lbs
1st - Barney Oldfield -  Knox                      time: 4:03.24
2nd - Johnny Aitken   - National "Forty"    time: 4:4.02
3rd - Don Herr            - National "Forty"    time: 4:4.54
Fifth Event
Ten Miles -  4 Laps
Free-for-all Handicap
1st - Howdy Wilcox      - National "Forty"  time: 10:55.33  
                                          started 13th
2nd - Leigh Lynch         - Jackson       started 9th
3rd - Clark                     -  Cutting         started 10th
9th - Mortimer Roberts -   Hereshoff   started 2nd
14th Edmunds         -   Cole           started 5th

Other Drivers:
JF Gelnaw          - Hupmobile
Art Greiner          - National
Johnny Aitken     - National
Herb Lytle           - American         Crashed on lap 4
Barney Oldfield  - Knox

19 cars entered this race.
Gelnaw started 1st and made a complete lap before some
cars even started - due to handicapping.
Eighth & Main Event
200 MIles - 80 Laps
Wheeler-Schebler Trophy
Engine Class: 301-450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
1st - Ray Harroun   - Marmon     time: 2:46:31
2nd - Leigh Lynch   - #16 Jackson
3rd - Johnny Aitken - #7 National "Forty" (was #9 yesterday)
4th  - A. Chevrolet   - Buick
5th - Fuller                - Pope-Hartford

Other drivers:
Tom Kincade - National
Charlie Merz   - National
Clemens         - Wescott
Ellis                 - Jackson
Clarke             - Cutting
Bisbee            - Cutting
Gelnaw            - Cutting
Joe Dawson   - Marmon
Keene             - Marmon
Bob Burman    - Buick
Louis Chevrolet - Buick
Barney Oldfield - Knox
Tousey               - National

19 cars started this race.
$10,000 trophy + $1,000 cash
RACE SCHEDULE & RESULTS
25,000 in attendance
15,000-20,000 in attendance.
CRASHES

During the 200-mile feature, Joe Dawson in the #32
Marmon, lost a tire on the back stretch, the car did a
complete somersault and crashed throught the fence.  
Dawson remained in the car and brought it to a stop
uninjured!

A Stoddard-Dayton car, driven by Jack Reed, of Dayton,
jumped the track at turn 4 during a practice spin, shortly
after noon.  Although the car was running 80 mph, neither
driver or Mahlen, his mechanic, was hurt.  Reed said the
tire rod dropped down and caused the steering gear to
break.  The car left the track and headed down the
incline into the soft mud.  It was not badly damaged.

During the last lap of the 10-mile Handicap race,  Herb
Lytle and mechanic William Clifton crashed in the north
short chute when their underslung American speedster's
rear tires both blew within 30' of each other.  The car
careened into the dirt at 90 mph, throwing Lytle from the
car.  Lytle broke his left leg above the knee and Clifton
sprained his right shoulder.  The big car was totalled.
First Event
Hazard Race
Drivers go up and over "wooden mountains" - two
in front of the grand stand and two in front of the
bleachers, then race once around the track.  
All cars used were Overland test cars.
1st - Myers     - time  3:28
2nd - McGee  - time 3:38
3rd - Gregg    - time 4:4.30

Other drivers included Baird, Ricketts and Shessler.
Current record held by Louis Strang in a Fiat -
:37.10 made at the Indy Speedway December 1909
DAY 3 - MONDAY
May 30, 1910
Eighth Event
5 Miles
Engine Class: 301 to 450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
Eleventh Event
Ten Miles
Engine Class: 301 to 450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
Seventh Event
Five Miles
Engine Class: 451 to 600 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,300 lbs
Third Event
Ten Miles - 4 Laps
Engine Class: 161 to 230 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,400 lbs
Fourth Event
Engine Class: 231 to 300 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,700 lbs
Sixth Event
Ten Miles -  4 Laps
Engine Class: 231 to 300 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,700 lbs
RACE SCHEDULE & RESULTS
60,00 in attendance
Before Fifth Event
Barney Oldfield Record Runs
The old newspaper articles were not consistant.  
Sometimes they would follow the name of a car
with a number written out.  Sometimes it meant
the car # and sometimes it meant the engine
size.  For instance:
"Sixty" meant it was a six cylinder and
"Forty" meant it was a four-cylincer
He broke American 1-kilometer record with :21.45


Oldfield was attempting to break world speed records
in the kilometer, half-mile and 1-mile driving the big
custom Benz he'd been racing for years.

His first pass was not timed due to a mistake by the
electrical operators.
1st - Johnny Aitken - National      time: 4:06.7
3rd - Charlie Merz - National
4th - Joe Dawson  - Marmon
5th - Ellis                 - Jackson

Aitken set a new record for this class.

Stock Cars, Class B, Division 4
Began at 1 p.m.
1st - Joe Dawson - Marmon      time:4:41.34
2nd - Ray Harroun - Marmon
3rd - Gil Anderson - Marion (car made in Indy)
Cutting cars finished 4th and 5th

5 cars started this race.

Stock Cars, Class B, Division 3
1st - Louis Chevrolet  - Buick       time: 9:3.60
2nd - Bob Burman      - Buick
3rd - Frayer                 - Firestone-Columbus
4th - Miller                    - Warren-Detroit

The 5-mile race for this class was cancelled due to
lack of entries.

Stock Cars, Class B, Division 2
1st - Ray Harroun  - Marmon   time: 9:25.31
2nd - Joe Dawson - Marmon
3rd - Clarke            - Cutting
4th - Gill Anderson - Marion
5th - Bisbe              - Cutting

Anderson led the race until the last lap.

Stock Cars, Class B, Division 3
1st - Barney Oldfield - Knox            time: 4:01.36
2nd - Johnny Aitken  - National
3rd - Tom Kincade    - National
4th - Charlie Merz      - National

Oldfield set a new record for this class and was far
ahead of the rest of the field.

Stock Cars, Class B, Division 5
1st - Johnny Aitken  - National     time: 7:57.1
2nd - Tom Kincade - National
3rd - Charlie Merz   - National
4th - Joe Dawson    - Marmon
5th - Ellis                  - Jackson

Stock Cars, Class B, Division 4
Before Thirteenth Event
Barney Oldfield Record Runs
Second Event
John A. Wilson Trophy
Thirteenth Event
Fifty Miles - 10 Laps
Remy Grand Brassard Trophy Cup
Engine Class: 231 to 300 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,700 lbs
Fifth Event
Ten Miles
Free-for-all Open
Nineth Event
Five Miles
Free-for-all Handicap
Oldfield set a new American track record in
the 1-mile in a time of 35.63 in his Benz.
1st - Caleb Bragg    - Fiat             time 3:34.7
2nd - Ben Kerscher - Darracq
3rd - Johnny Aitken  - National
4th - Tom Kincade   - National
5th - Art Greiner        - National
6th - Bob Burman      - Buick        -  out 1st lap w/ gear trouble

Cars Class D - Open to all cars
1st - Jack Reed           - Stoddard-Dayton    time: 4:55.65
2nd - Tousey                - National
3rd - Johnny Aitken     - National  (started 14th)
11th - Miller                  - Warren-Detroit
15th - Motsinger          - Empire  (started first)

Reed, a rookie who was associated with the Fisher
Automobile Co., drove car belonging to A. Allison (secretary
of the speedway)
15 cars started this race.

Cars Class D - open to all cars
1st - Ray Harroun  - Marmon           time 42:31.33
2nd - Joe Dawson - Marmon
3rd - Fox                 - Pope-Hartford

Other drivers:
Gil Anderson  - Marion
Miller               - Warren-Detroit
Tom Kincade - Great Western
Clarke             - Cutting
Bizbe              - Cutting

9 cars started.
Stock Chassis
$150 Trophy awarded to stock touring car that first
makes a full mile in one minute or less under regular
touring conditions and carrying four passengers.

Stock Cars, Class E
Twelthe Event
10 Miles
Engine Class: 450 to 600 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,300
1st - Caleb Bragg   - Fiat       time: 7:20.6
2nd - Ben Kirscher  - Darracq
3rd - Johnny Aitken - National
4th - Art Greiner      - National

Stock Cars, Class B, Division 5
10 U.S. SPEED RECORDS

Attendance was larger than at any race ever before,
estimated at 60,000. (100,000 for all 3 days.)
Ray Harroun was out practicing his fast Marmon Wasp,
when the right front tire blew out, then the steering broke,
sending him out of control at nearly 100 mph.  He
smashed through the concrete retaining wall,
tearing out a four-foot section.  The bottom of the car hit
a telephone pole and bounced up atop the wall and slid
along it for 100-feet before spinning and jumping back
onto the track.  Harroun was unhurt.
First Event
Ten Miles
Class D Free-for-all
1st - Caleb Bragg   - FIat             time: 7.21:98
2nd - Tom Kincade - National
3rd  - Art Greiner      - National     time: 8.26.87
OUT - Ben Kirscher      - Darracq       - blew tire while leading
OUT - Johnny Aitken      - National      - quit on 3rd lap



5 cars started.  
Barney Oldfield  made 2 attempts in a Knox but the
best he could do was 1'10.45"

Howard Wilcox also tried in a National, but met with
trouble and did not finish.

So trophy was not awarded.
Tenth Event
10 Miles
Engine Class: 450 to 600 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,300
1st - Barney Oldfield - Knox          time 7:50.75
2nd - Howdy Wilcox  - National
3rd - Tom Kincade   - National
4th - Johnny Aitken   - National


Stock Cars, Class B, Division 5
Distance
5 miles
25 miles
30 miles
40 miles
50 miles
Time
4:04.13
21:48.90
26:06.11
34:25.40
42:03.33
Driver
Joe Dawson
Ray Harroun
Ray Harroun
Ray Harroun
Ray Harroun
Car
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Marmon "Thirty-Two"
Engine Catagory: 231 to 300 c.i.
Distance
10 miles
Time
9:03.60
Driver
Bob Burman
Car
Buick "Ten"
Engine Catagory: 161 to 230 c.i.
Distance
10 miles
Time
7:57.10
Driver
Johnny Aitken
Car
National "Forty"
Engine Catagory: 301 to 450 c.i.
Distance
5 miles
Time
4:01.30
Driver
Barney Oldifeld
Car
Knox "Sixty"
Engine Catagory: 451 to 600 c.i.
Distance
1 kilometer
1 mile
Time
21.45
35.60
Driver
Barney Oldifeld
Barney Oldifeld
Car
Benz
Benz
Engine Catagory: 200 horse power
Frank Wheeler & George
Schebler posing with the
trophy their carburator
company sponsored
Caleb Bragg, 22, was a
rich kid who sprang on the
racing scene a month prior
when he raced the famous
Barney Oldfield in his
Blitzen Benz.

Bragg beat him in his Fiat
"Ninety" twice in a row!
That race was at the new
board track in Playa Del
Ray, CA.
The Blitzen Benz resides today in the Jay Leno collection.
Art Greiner
Robert "Wild Bob" Burman
Ray Harroun accepting $1,000 check
for winning Wheeler-Schebler Trophy race
Auto Races
Pre-Indy 500 Races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was completed in 1909.

In the two years before the first Indy 500 in 1911,
multiple shorter races were held at the historic track.  

Information about those races can be found on these pages.
Herb Lytle's crashed American Speedster
Memorial Day Weekend 1910
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Weather conditions were ideal - sunny and 70-degrees     
Halley's comet was passing by the earth.
Several companies of Indiana Guard patrolled.
Another nice day reaching 72-degrees.  A strong wind blew from the south.
Harroun and Dawson's Marmons had a photo finish!
Miss Blanche Scott, a young society woman from NY, visited the track today.  She was famous at the time as she was driving her
car from her home to San Francisco.  A female reporter accompanied her.  Scott performed all the work needed on the car herself.
Fox's Pope-Hartford after a wheel gave way
on the 15th mile.
Complaint of Bleachers

Some people reported to the mayor concern that the bleachers
at the south end were seen swaying, indicating they were not
sturdy enough to hold the crowd filling them.

The bleachers are built above the 14-foot banking.  If the
bleachers collapsed, people would fall 25 feet.

Superintendent Hyland was unable to locate the building
inspector and he could not send in Indianapolis police to make
sure the bleachers were not overcrowded because the police
were not allowed in without buying a ticket. (The speedway
employed their own guards and special police.)    So Hyland
made some calls to speedway management to warn them.
Another nice day with temperatures rising to 75-degrees.
The start of the 100-mile race.
Trophy now
resides in
IMS museum
Johnny Aitken drove the #7 National to 3rd-Place in the Wheeler-Schebler Trophy race.
Jack Reed winning the Free-For-All Handicap race
Jack Reed in the Stoddard-Dayton
Lynch Finsihed 2nd in his Jacksonl
Winner Tom Kincade
A.R. Pardington, referree

Wheeler Schebler TROPHY --- 200 MILES
Prest-O-Lite TROPHY --- 100 MILES
     Remy TROPHY --- 50 MILES
Ray Harroun with the Wheeler-Schebler $10,000 Trophy
The hill obstacles sitting off to the side
of the track in 1910.
1910 SPEEDWAY STATISTICS
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