By Mary Giorgio
In 1909, one of the first long-distance races in the Midwest took place in Crown Point, Indiana. Billed as the “Vanderbilt of the West” (the famed Vanderbilt Cup Race in New York began in 1904), the race sought to live up to the grandeur of its eastern counterpart.

In 1909, automobiles were still fairly new, and many people didn’t own one. The race was a novelty for many Hoosiers who emerged from their homes to witness the strange sight.
The Crown Point race was sponsored by Ira M. Cobe of the Chicago Motor Club. The race ran along rural highways from Crown Point to Lowell to Cedar Lake and back. It began and ended at the intersection of Indiana Avenue and Burrell Dr. Cobe billed his competition as the ultimate endurance race.

In preparation for the event, Cobe built huge grandstands for the expected audience to sit. Telegraph stations were constructed along the race route to relay standings. Pedestrian bridges were built over the route. Roads were treated with a “taroid” process, a mixture of oil and tar that helped the vehicles travel faster. It was an expensive undertaking. To cover expenses, a $2 admission fee was charged to spectators in the grandstands.
Two competitions made up the event. The first took place on Friday, June 18, with 16 racers competing in the Indiana Trophy Race. Some of the country’s most daring drivers turned up for the competition, including Harry Stutz of Bearcat fame. Racers traveled 232.74 miles from Crown Point to Lowell and back. Joe Matson took first place in a Chalmers-Detroit Blue Bird.
