Related Links:
SPEED RECORDS MADE/BROKEN THIS DAY
Distance
10 miles
15 miles
Time
7:56.45
11:46.4
Winner
Bob Burman
Bob Burman
301-450 cubic inch engines
Race
Distance
10 miles
20 miles
30 miles
40 miles
50 miles
281-300 cubic inch engines

Time
8:14.4
16:25.1
24:17.1
32:06.5
40:03.1

Winner
Bob Burman
Bob Burman
Bob Burman
Bob Burman
Bob Burman
Race
Distance
5 miles
161-230 cubic inch engines

Time
4:40.8

Winner
Louis Chevrolet
Car
Buick-Marquette
Buick-Marquette

Car
Buick

Car
Buick-Marquette
Buick-Marquette
Buick-Marquette
Buick-Marquette
Buick-Marquette
DAY 1 - FRIDAY
July 1, 1910
First Event
Time Trials

CAR
#42 Buick
#43 Buick
#22 Benz
#8  National
#18 Chadwick
#46 Simplex
#4 Empire

DRIVER
Louis Chevrolet
Bob Burman
Eddie Hearne
Johnny Aitken
Len Zengle
WB Tousley
Emmitt Meddock
MILE
TIME
:37.95
:38.45
:39.64
:41.74
:44.49
:49.80
1:02.70
Second Event
Five Miles - 2 Laps
Engine Class: under 160 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,100 lbs
Third Event
Five Miles
Engine Class: 161 to 230 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,400 lbs
1st - Louis Chevrolet - #35 Buick        time 4:40.80
2nd - Bob Burman     - #36 Buick
3rd - Miller                  - #24 Warren-Detroit
4th - H. Endicott         - #26 E-M-F
5th - NJ Sutcliffe         - #2 Maytag

5 cars entered this race.
Miller got past Endicott on the 2nd lap.
Fourth Event
Ten Miles -  4 Laps
Engine Class: 231 to 300 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,700 lbs
1st - Bob Burman     - Marquette-Buick     time 8:14.46
2nd - Joe Dawson    - Marmon                   time 8:25.01
3rd - Ray Harroun      - Marmon                  time 8:25.35
4th - WH Pearce        - #45 Fal
5th - Louis Chevrolet - #37 Buick
6th - Heineman          - #44 Fal
7th - Moore                - #14 Great Western
8th - Cook                  - #16 Black Crow
OUT - Davis               - #15 Great Western

9 cars entered this race.  Not one car carried a mechanic.
Davis dropped out on 3rd lap due to a blown plug.
Burman made a new 10-mile record.
Fifth Event
Fifteen Miles -  6 Laps
Engine Class: 301 to 450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
1st - Bob Burman      - Marquette-Buick           time 11:46.42
2nd - Johnny Aitken   - #7 National                   time 11:48.78
3rd - Louis Chevrolet - #39 Marquette-Buick  time 11:48.97
4th - Howdy Wilcox    - #1 National
Last - Ray Harroun    - #31 Marmon
OUT - Tom Kincade  - #6 National

This race was reportedly "spectacular."  
From the 2nd lap, Burman drove from 5th-place to 1st.
Aitken started in 4th, moving up to 2nd.
L. Chevrolet dropped from 3rd to 4th.
KIncade quit on lap 3.
Sixth Event
Ten Miles- 4 Laps
Engine Class: 451 to 600 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,300 lbs
1st - Harry Grant         - #27 Alco             time 8:03.09
2nd - Howedy Wilcox - National
3rd - Art Greiner          - National

Grant, who won the last Vanderbilt Cup, was the only car to
carry a mechanic.
Seventh Event
Ten Miles
Free-for-all Handicap
1st - NJ Sutcliffe     - #2 Maytag               
2nd - Davis             - #15 Great Western
3rd - H. Endicott     - #26 E-M-F
4th - Bill Endicott    - #24 Cole
5th - Scoot Miller    - Warren-Detroit       
6th - David Cook     - #16 Black Crow
7th - Eddie Hearne - #16 Diamond T
8th - Charlie Merz   - #4 Empire
9th - Johnny Aitken - #8 National
10th - WH Pearce   - #45 Fal

This was the debut race for Davis, of Winchester IND.  He
went from 4th to 2nd.
Aitken made a great start, but slowed down to finish 9th.
Eighth Event
Five Miles
Amateurs
1st - Art Greiner - #12 National         time 4:14.95
2nd - Tousey      - National

Only 2 starters.
Nineth Event
Speedway Helmet Race
Ten Miles
Free-for-all Open
1st - Eddie Hearne - #22 Benz             time 7:13
2nd - Ray Harroun  - #32 Marmon        time 7:22.70
3rd - Len Zengle     - #18 Chadwick      time 7:39.65
4th -  R.H. Ireland - Stoddard-Dayton
OUT - Johnny Aitken - #8 National 3rd lap
OUT - Howdy Wilcox - #46 Simplex 3rd lap
OUT - Bob Burman   - #43 Buick Special  1st lap
OUT - Louis Chevrolet - Buick Special


8 cars started.
Some drivers had surged ahead during the intended flying
start, so the officials sent them around and the race was
started from a standing stop.
Hearnes took the prize helmet away from Bob Burman.

Harroun's Marmon engine had a displacement of 467.1 c.i
Hearne's big Benz engine had a displacement of 995.4 c.i.
Tenth Event
G&J Trophy
50 MIles - 10 Laps
Engine Class: 301-450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
1st - Bob Burman       - #38 Marquette-Buick    time 40:03.7
2nd - Louis Chevrolet - #87 Marquette-Buick    time 40:07.61
3rd - WH Pearce        - #45 Fal                           time 45.12.83
4th - L. Heineman       - #44 Fal                                

Joe Dawson - Marmon
                  - #3 Pope-Hartford
                  - #14 Great Western
                  - Black Crow
LAST - David Cook     - #15 Great Western
OUT - Ray Harroun      - Marmon

Chevrolet and Burman fought neck and neck the whole race.
Prize $1,000.  G&J was a tire manufacturer.
Note: Weather was very humid and the temperature hit 94 degrees Friday.
RACE SCHEDULE & RESULTS
DAY 2 - SATURDAY
July 2, 1910
First Event
1-mile Time Trials
One car at a time
CAR
#43 Buick Special
#8 National
#22 Benz
#47 Simplex
#46 Simplex
#4 Empire
DRIVER
Bob Burman
Johnny Aitken
Eddie Hearne
George Robertson
Howdy Wilcox
Charlie Merz
TIME
:38.36
:40.54
:40.83
:41.48
:45.94
1:03.38
Ninth Event
Five Mile Race
Free-for-all Open
1st - Johnny Aitken          - National      time 3:39.74
2nd - George Robertson - Simplex
3rd - Eddie Hearne         - Benz
4th - Howdy Wilcox          - Simplex
5th - Bob Burman            - Buick
6th - Len Zengle               - Chadwick

Six entrants.  This race had a rolling start!
Robertson's car broke its flywheel and pieces fell all
over the track.  This took a long time to clean up which
delayed the start of the last race until after 4 p.m.
Eighth Event
10 Mile Race
Amateurs
1st - Art Greiner             - National      time 8:16.66
2nd - Tousey                   - National
3rd  - Spencer Wishard - Mercedes
Fifth Event
Ten Miles Race
Engine Class: 301 to 450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
1st - Chevrolet          - #37 Buick         time 7:54.80
2nd - Johnny Aitken - #7 National
3rd - Joe Dawson    - #31 Marmon
4th - Ray Harroun    - #30 Marmon
5th - Bob Burman    - #40 Buick
Last - Tom Kincade - #0 National

7 cars entered, 4 of which were homemade
Class B, division 4
Sixth Event
Twenty Mile Race
Engine Class: 451 to 600 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,300 lbs
1st - Harry Grant      - #27 Alco              time 16:27.13
2nd - Art Greiner      - #12 National
3rd - Howdy Wilcox - #1 National

Only 3 cars entered.  Grant had a riding mechanic.  He
easily won, lapping Wilcox on lap 5 and Greiner on lap 6.
Seventh Event
Ten Miles Race
Free-for-all Handicap
1st - George Robertson - Simplex
2nd - Smith                      - #25 National
3rd - RH Ireland               - #9 Midland
4th - Johnny Aitken         - National

?  - Mortimer Roberts     - #19 Herreshoff
20th - Emmet Meddock - #4 Empire

21 cars started.  
This event was hard on the timers as the cars flew by in a
bewildering mass.  The smoke at the finish almost kept
the officials from seeing the numbers on the cars.
Eighth & Main Event
100 MIles - 40 Laps
Remy Grand Brassard Trophy
Engine Class: 301-450 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 2,000 lbs
RACE SCHEDULE & RESULTS
It rained in downtown Indianapolis, which kept the crowds way down.  However, the rain did not land in Speedway.
DAY 3 - MONDAY
July 4, 1910
Supposed to be 7th Event, but was 4th
200 Miles - 80 laps
Cobe Trophy Race
Engine Class:  600 c.i. and under
Minimum Weight:
Supposed to be 2nd Event, but was 1st
Ten Mile Race
Engine Class: 161 to 230 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,400 lbs
Third Event
Five Mile Race
Engine Class: 231 to 300 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,700 lbs
RACE SCHEDULE & RESULTS
20-25,000 in attendance
Fifth Event
Five Mile Race
Amateurs
Note:  No wrecks on Opening Day!
1st - Spencer Wishart - Mercedes           time 4:21.34
2nd - Art Greiner          - National
3rd - Tousey                 - National

This race started at 6:20 p.m.
1st - Heineman     - #44 Fal         time 4:44.3
2nd - WH Pearce  - #45 Fal
3rd - Fred Stinson - #17 Black Crow
4th - Fox                 - Pope-Hartford
5th - Davis              - #15 Great Western
6th - Cook              - #16 Black Crow
OUT - Moore          - #4 Great Western

7 cars started.
Moore had engine trouble at the finish line and left the
track.
1st - Joe Dawson      - Marmon   time 2:43.20.13  -World Record
2nd - Bob Burman     - #16 Marquette-Buick
3rd - Ray Harroun      - Marmon
4th - Harry Grant         - #27 Alco              - 190 miles
5th - L. Chevrolet        - Marquette-Buick - 177.5 miles
6th - Fred Stinson       - Black Crow          - 172.5 miles
7th - Cook                    - #17 Black Crow  - 165 miles
8th - Spencer Wishart - $48 Mercedees - 150 miles
9th - Howdy Wilcox      - National              - 137.5 miles
10th - Tom Kincade     - #6 National         - 135 miles
11th - Johnny Aitken    - #7 National         - 135 miles

14 cars started.  Two Great Western cars and a Fal did not.

Burman's car is the same one which he won the 24-hour race at
Brighton Beach.  He ran 1000 miles in the time alloted, and he
spent 6 hours in the pits with repairs following a crash through the
fence. The riding mechanic from that race, Jack Tower, was
injured in that race and was reported to soon being rejoining the
Buick team.

Grant drove the Alco with which he won the Vanderbilt Cup.  He
was the only one carrying extra tires.  This would allow him to
change his own tire if he had a flat far from the pits.

The $3,000 silver cup was given by Ira M. Cobe, president of the
Chicago Automobile Club.  He had no connection with any of the
racing, but provided the trophy as genrous offer as a fan.

IMS awarded $500 for 1st, $300 for 2nd, $200 for 3rd and
$100 for 4th.
Bosch Magnetos awarded $300 for 1st, $200 for 2nd and
$100 for third if the cars were equipped with a Bosch magneto.
Michelin awarded $400 to the winning driver if he had Michelin
tires.

The previous Cobe Trophy race was held at Crown Point Indiana
in June, and was won by Louis Chevrolet
Sixth Event
Twenty Mile Race
Free-for-all Open
1st - Eddie Hearne  - Benz      time 14:06.72  World record
2nd - Johnny Aitken - National
3rd - Bob Burman    - Buick Special
- Howdy Wilcox - Simplex
- Len Zengle      - Chadwick lost a rear tire
OUT - Charlie Merz - Stoddard  Dayton on 7th lap

One of these cars also competed:
Ray Harroun            - Marmon
L. Chevrolet             - Buick Special
George Robertson - Simplex

7 cars started.  This race had a flying start!
At one point, Wilcox ran into Zengle.  He cold not see
because of the smoke.  Neither were hurt and neither
stopped.

Taps was played ending the day's events.  The 10-mile
race for 301-450 ci cars and the 10-mile Free-for-All
Handicap racers scheduled were cancelled.  And of
course, the special Sweepstake race that was discussed
was never even added to the schedule.
1st - L. Chevrolet   - #35 Buick        time 9:12.2
2nd - Bob Burman - #36 Buick
3rd - H. Endicott     - #26 E-M-F
4th - NJ Sutcliffe - #2 Maytag
5th - Schwitzer - $5 Fuller
OUT - Miller - Warren-Detroit

6 cars started on a wet slippery track.
U.S. SPEED RECORDS BROKEN THIS DAY
Supposed to be 1st Event, but was 2nd
Five Mile Race
Engine Class: under 161 c.i
Minimum Weight: 1,100 lbs
1st - Mortimer Roberts     - Herreshoff         time 5:22.8
2nd - ER McCormick        - Herreshoff
3rd - Charles Herreshoff   - Herreshoff
4th - Emmet Meddock      - Empire  [was he in this race?]
Distance
20 miles
30 miles
40 miles
50 miles
60 miles
70 miles
75 miles
90 miles
100 miles
Time
15:54.8
23.42.3
32:30.87
40:28.1
48:15.20
54:05.65
1:08
1:12:27.8
1:20:35.6
Driver
Tom Kincade
Tom Kincade
Bob Burman
Bob Burman
Joe Dawson
Joe Dawson
Joe Dawson
Bob Burman
Bob Burman
Car
National "Forty"
National "Forty"
Marquette-Buick
Marquette-Buick
Marmon
Marmon
Marmon
Marquette-Buick
Marquette-Buick
Records Made During Remy-Brassard and Grand Trophy
Distance
10 miles
Time
8:55.4
Driver
Louis Chevrolet
Car
Buick "Ten"
Engine Catagory: 161 to 230 c.i.
Distance
10 miles
Time
7:54.8
Driver
Louis Chevrolet
Car
Marquette-Buick
Engine Catagory: 301 to 450 c.i.
Second Event
10 Mile Race
Engine Class: 160 c.i and under
Minimum Weight: 1,100 lbs
1st - Bob Burman - #16 Marquette-Buick     time 1:20:35.6
2nd - Joe Dawson - Marmon
3rd - Ray Harroun - Marmon
4th - Tom Kincade - National

Other Drivers:
Moore              - Great Western
Johnny Aitken - National  - quit on the 26th lap
Cook                - Black Crow
Davis               - Black Crow
WH Pearce     - Fal
Louis Chevrolet - Marquette-Buick  - quit on the 27th lap
Arthur Chevrolet- Buick
OUT - Howdy Wilcox - -#1 National

13 cars started.  Average speed was 74.44 mph.

Wilcox, driving the #1 National, steering gear broke in the
3rd turn and the car mounted the wall, lost a wheel and
bounced back onto the track and into a ditch.  He remained
in the car and was not hurt.  That was the only accident of
the day.

Kincade led the first 30 miles until he had to stop on lap 15
for rear tires.  Burman led the next 30 miles, then Dawson
led until the 80-mile mark.  Dawson had to stop again on
lap 37 due to a bad tire.  Burman took over the lead and
held it.  That bad tire may have cost Dawson the race.

Aitken lost laps as he pitted for new plugs.  A. Chevrolet
suffered the same fate.  L. Chevrolet had trouble with tires.

The Brassard is a small silver arm shield bearing $75 a
week salary as long as the title is held.

Burman did not stop during the whole distance and finished
with a quarter of tread missing from one tire.  He took the
prize away from Ray Harroun as well as setting a new speed
record.  
FRED WAGNER

Getting to wave the green flag to start the
Indianapolis 500 is an honor which goes to
someone famous each year.

From 1905 until the 1920's, there was one
guy who was famous through out America
for waving the flags at all the big races.  His
name was Fred J. Wagner.  He was the
official starter for the contest board of the
AAA, the organization that sanctioned races
back then.

At Indy, he waved the green and checkered
flags at all races from 1909-1912.   



This photo shows Fred starting a 5-mile
race at the Brickyard.
Independence Day Weekend 1910
A 2nd attempt was allowed, but only Aitken improved his time,
moving up 1 position.
Tousley drove his own personal car.
1st - Mortimer Roberts - #19 Herreschoff    time 5:30.61
2nd - Emmit Meddock -  #4 Empire
3rd - ER McCormick    - #20 Herreschoff

The Herreschoff were painted red, white and blue.
The little Empire was white and red.
Meddock led until the end when Roberts edged by and
won by half a car length.  McCormick was way back.
"Wild Bob" Burman set a new world
record in the 1/4-mile during the
opening session driving this big
Buick Special

Thought to have 100 horses or more
the "low-slung black car was
emblazoned with the glaring figure
of a buck's head on the snout.  

The team bought a goat locally (for
$1.50) and used it as a mascot, taking
it with them when they left town.
Regardless of Class
Race
Distance
1/4 mile

Time
:08.5

Winner
Bob Burman

Car
Buick Special
Average
75.55 mph
76.45 mph

Average
72.46 mph
73.36 mph
74.02 mph

74.89 mph

Average
64.1 mph

Average
105.87 mph
Race
Distance
5 miles
Under 160 cubic inch engines

Time
5:30.61

Winner
Charles Herrechoff

Car
Herrechoff

Average
55.44 mph
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.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Event began at 1 p.m.
Two Coles Ruled Out

Prior to the start of the day's races, referree
A.R. Pardington disqualified two Cole "30"
cars from competing in the Class B events.

The cars are the same that competed here
in May, but according to the technical
commitee, the had been modified.  The
four-inch cylinders had been bored out 1/8
of an inch which increased displacement.  
Also the connecting rods had been made
lighter.
Cars practiced on Wednesday and Thursday.  Louis Chevrolet wrecked his Buick Special, turning it upside down.  
1st - Mortimer Roberts    - #19 Herreshoff      time 10:37.60
2nd - Charlie Merz           - #4 Empire
3rd - Charles Herreshoff - #21 Herreshoff
OUT - ER McCormick     - #20 Herreshoff - engine trouble lap 2

4 cars entered.
Third Event
10 Mile Race
Engine Class: 161 to 230 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,400 lbs
1st - Louis Chevrolet - #36 Buick       time 8:55.40
2nd - Bob Burman     - #30 Buick
3rd - H. Endicott         - #26 E-M-F

OUT - NJ Sutcliffe       - #2 Maytag
OUT - Miller                 - Warren-Detroit   out on first lap
OUT - Kenyon             - Fuller                    out on first lap

6 cars entered.
Sutcliffe was so far behind he was not allowed to finish.
Fourth Event
Five Mile Race
Engine Class: 231 to 300 c.i.
Minimum Weight: 1,700 lbs

1st - Louis Chevrolet - #37 Buick    time 4:08.30
2nd - Bob Burman     - #38 Buick
3rd - Joe Dawson      - #34 Marmon
4th - Moore                 - #14 Great Western
5th - Fred Stinson      - #17 Black Crow
6th - Davis                  - #15 Great Western

9 cars entered.  No car carried a mechanic.
Stinson had to stop short of the finish line with engine trouble.
3 cars did not finish.
Races began at 1:40 p.m.
The speedway cancelled plans to hold a 24-Hour race on
August 12-13th.   The balloon races scheduled for those
dates was also cancelled.
The Remy Grand
Trophy and
Brassard Armband
are on display at
the IMS museum
Distance
10 miles
Time
10:37.6
Driver
Mortimer Roberts
Car
Herreshoff
Engine Catagory: 160 c.i. and under
The Herreshoff was an automobile built in both Detroit,
Michigan, and Troy, New York, by the Herreshoff Motor
Company during 1909–14.  The Herreshoff Motor
Company was founded by Charles Frederick Herreshoff
(1880–1954), nephew of famed yacht builder Captain
Nathanael Greene Herreshoff I. In addition to the Model
25 roadster, the company in 1911 offered a Touring Car,
Tourabout and Runabout, each $1500
Start of the 10-Mile Free-for-all Handicap race
Howard "Howdy" Wilcox wreckage from the Remy race.
Monday was made "Chicago Day" at the speedway in honor of all the Chicagoans journying to Indianapolis for the Cobe Race,
which was staged by the Chicago Automobile club.  300 Windy City car enthusiast drove to Indyand several hundred more came
by special train, stopping at the speedway entrance.
The race cars back then left an oily mess on the race track's surface which had to be cleaned off.  Back in May, the speedway was
using gasoline to remove the oil.  This month they began using Lye.  They used 8 barrels yesterday.
A special sweepstakes race of 20 miles, to be added to today's events, had been talked about all weekend.  It would include the
fastest drivers in the biggest cars.  As of Monday morning, it was still not known if the race would be run, or what the prize would be.
When the Cobe Trophy race started at 3:10 p.m.,
conditions were about perfect.  The rain had ceased and
the sun poked its head out enough to help dry the track.  
A motor-drawn sweeper  aided in removing most of the
water.   A nice breeze swept the grounds offering much
relief.

"Wild Bob" Burman, the experienced racer from Flint
Michigan, grabbed the lead on the 14th lap and held onto
it most of the way, except for twice where his teammate,
Arthur Chevrolet, led for a couple of laps.  It looked to be
Burman's race.  However, with just 8 laps to go, he had
to pit and a tire blown out kept him in the pits for a long
45-seconds.  Young Joe Dawson took over the lead.  He
needed desperately to pit for tires as well, but his pit
crew signalled for him to stay out.  Dawson held on as
Burman drove as fast as he could to catch him.  The 20
y/o kid from Indianapolis, who had only started racing
last Spring, won the feature race over the tough veteran
racer - Burman and Harroun.  

Dawson had the correct magneto and tires, winning
$1,200 cash.  His time set a new record.
Due to rain, the race schedule got rearranged.  The first two events were switched.  The 200-mile feature race was moved
from last to 4th and some races were cancelled.
The silver Cobe Trophy was
valued at $3,000
Joe Dawson
- The Buick Special

To you and I this car looks way ahead of
it's time, but in 1910, it was called oddly
constructed and strange.
U.S. SPEED RECORDS BROKEN THIS DAY
Distance
20 miles
Time
14:08.72
Driver
Eddie Hearne
Car
Benz
Free-for-all Class
Distance
5 miles
Time
5:22.87
Driver
Mortimer Roberts
Car
Herreshoff
Engine Catagory: 160 c.i. and under
Records Broken During Cobe Trophy Race
Distance
100 miles
150 miles
200 miles
Time
1:22:10.9
2:01:54.2
2:43:20.14
Driver
Alfred Chevrolet
Bob Burman
Joe Dawson
Car
Marquette-Buick
Marquette-Buick
Marmon
Harry Grant
George Robertson
"Farmer Bill" Endicott
Eddie Hearne Wearing
Speedway Helmet Pize
Bob Burman
Louis Chevrolet, The Intrepid Swiss
Len Zengle
Harry F Grant

COBE TROPHY --- 200 MILES
       REMY TROPHY --- 100 MILES
                 G & J TROPHY --- 50 MILES
KM
TIME
:22.43
:22.65
:23.84
:25.99
:26.61
:30.52
:38.65
1/2
MILE
:17.54
:17.66
:18.86
:28.63
:21.07
:24.32
:30.92
1/4
MILE
:8.60
:8.51
:9.29
:9.32
:10.32
:12.21
:15.37
The Overland Automobile Company 's Band performed during the afternoon.
1910 SPEEDWAY STATISTICS
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