Dawn Mitchell

dawn.mitchell@indystar.com

In the spring of 1909, construction of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway began, but persistent rain caused the group to abandon a May opening date.

Although the track was not finished, Carl Fisher (always with a trick up his sleeve) decided to stage the track's first event, a gas-filled balloon race. Fisher created the Aero Club of Indiana to run as part of the Aero Club of America and managed to lure competitors from around the country to Indianapolis for the National Balloon Championship. Fisher along with aviation pioneer G. L. Bumbaugh, manned The Indiana.

On the evening of June 5, 1909, nine gas-filled balloons lifted before a reported crowd of 40,000 that gathered around the grounds to watch.

In what may have been a harbinger of the future, the official starter of the race was to be Gov. Thomas Marshall (he of the "What this country needs is a good five-cent cigar" fame). Marshall arrived too late, however, having been caught in the Speedway's first traffic jam.

University City of St. Louis, the winner of the balloon race, landed 382 miles away in Alabama after spending more than a day aloft. The handicap winner, The Indianapolis was piloted by J.R. Irvin and surgeon, Dr. Goethe Link.

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The balloonists were faced with perilous shenanigans and confusion with no serious injuries reported. Despite those obstacles, Fisher and Bumbaugh won the trophy for staying aloft the longest. Here are excerpts from a telephone dispatch from Nashville, Tenn., by Fisher as recounted in The Indianapolis Star on June 9, 1909:

"Yes, we are safe and sound, thanks to the poor marksmanship of a number of farmers."

"They began firing on us when we were in Brown County, Indiana, and have kept up the target practice ever since -- right up to 8 o'clock Monday evening when we stepped out of the basket."

"It has been a regular fusillade down here in Tennessee."

"We decided to land Monday night on a farm about seven miles from Tennessee City, but it was almost worth our lives. We began to halloo, and the farmer, Frank Burgess, in whose oats field we descended, began to run. He soon emerged from his house with a rifle, but by this time we were close enough to earth for him to know we were human beings."

"Convinced of this fact, he took our rope and gave us every assistance possible, proved a good host and assisted us in getting out of the country. . . ."

"No more ballooning in Tennessee for me, only soon as we ring off I'm going to make an ascension to a bed and get the first good night's rest in four nights."

Follow IndyStar photo coordinator Dawn Mitchell on Twitter: @dawn_mitchell61.