T
remendous excitement was
generated by the first an-
nouncement of MotoGP coming
to the fabled Indianapolis Motor
Speedway back in 2008. Seeing
the world's best motocycle rac-
ers speeding around the historic
Speedway is a milestone in the his-
tory of motorcycle competition and
a race that should not be missed.
One could only hope that the
MotoGP at Indy would go better
than the first motorcycle race at
the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
over 100 years ago.
One thing can be said with cer-
tainty on that first motorcycle race
at the Indianapolis Motor Speed-
way in 1909: It was a failure of
epic proportions.
Rains kept the crowds away
and made the newly built crushed
limestone and tar a goopy mess.
The biggest racing star of the day
crashed heavily and nearly died,
prompting a boycott by most of
the factory riders.
It couldn't have gotten much
worse.
The first race at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway wasn't just any
race. It was to be the biggest mo-
torcycle racing event of the year—
the cornerstone of the eighth
annual national convention of the
Federation of Motorcyclists (FAM).
The motorcycling publications of
the era heralded the race well in
advance of its August date. It was
to feature the best racers of the
day, coming from all across the
nation to compete for prestigious
national championships.
Leading up to the Indy race was
an FAM National Endurance Run
from Cleveland to Indianapolis.
Motorcycle clubs from across the
country sent their best riders to
contest the endurance run, and
it was covered extensively in the
motorcycling press, as well as by
the newspapers of Indianapolis.
The Indianapolis press wel-
comed the FAM convention with
open arms. Only the Indianapolis
News ran a somewhat humorous
cartoon on its front page showing
a group of smiling riders speed-
ing into town with John Q. Public
running for cover, holding his hat,
trying to get away from the noisy
bikes.
A large crowd gathered at the
Denison Hotel in downtown India-
napolis on Wednesday, August
11, for the finish of the endurance
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Indy's First Motorcycle
BY LARRY LAWRENCE
