The Cobe Trophy Race was an automobile race held in Indiana, in 1909 and 1910. The trophy was named for, and donated by, Ira M. Cobe, president of the Chicago Automobile Club. As one of the first long-distance races in the area, it was billed as the "Vanderbilt of the west," a reference to the Vanderbilt Cup Race, which had been held in Long Island, New York since 1904. The first running took place at the Crown Point Road Race Circuit, in northwestern Indiana. For the second year, proposals were submitted by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and by the Elgin Road Race Course, just west of Chicago. Ultimately, the Board of Managers of the Chicago Automobile Club decided to make the 1910 race a speedway event, rather than a road course contest, and hence the second race was run at Indianapolis. At the time of this decision, the Club also announced the intent to bring the race to the Chicago area in 1911. As it turns out, though, there was no Cobe Trophy race in 1911 or in later years. Only two drivers competed in both Cobe races, 1909 winner Louis Chevrolet and his teammate, Bob Burman.
| Year | Date | Venue | Winning Driver | Car | Race Distance | Time of Race | Winning Speed | Starting Cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miles | Laps | ||||||||
| 1909 | June 19 | Crown Point Road Race Circuit |  Louis Chevrolet | Buick | 395.6 | 17 | 08:01:39 | 49.287 mph | 12 |
| 1910 | July 4 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Joe Dawson | Marmon | 200 | 80 | 02:43:26.13 | 73.423 mph | 14 |
Ray Wade Harroun was an American racing driver and pioneering constructor most famous for winning the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
Louis H. Schwitzer was an American engineer.
Raffaele "Ralph" DePalma, also spelt De Palma, was an American racing driver who won the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2,000 races. DePalma won the 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1911 American AAA national dirt track championships and is credited with winning 25 American Championship car races. He won the Canadian national championship in 1929. DePalma estimated that he had earned $1.5 million by 1934 after racing for 27 years. He is inducted in numerous halls of fame. He competed on boards and dirt road courses and ovals.
The Vanderbilt Cup was the first major trophy in American auto racing.
The 1911 International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1911. It was the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500, which is one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. Ray Harroun, an engineer with the Marmon Motor Car Company, came out of retirement to drive, and won the inaugural event before re-retiring for good in the winner's circle.
John Donald Aitken was an American racing driver from Indianapolis, who was active in the years prior to World War I. Aitken competed in the Indianapolis 500 three times. He started the race twice, in 1911 and 1916. He led the first lap of the first race (1911). Aitken captured the pole position in 1916, but ended up in 15th place that year. In the 1915 Indianapolis 500, Aitken drove relief for two drivers, Gil Anderson and Earl Cooper.
Charles Cleveland Merz was an American racing driver, military officer, engineering entrepreneur, and racing official. Active in the early years of the Indianapolis 500, he later became Chief Steward of the Memorial Day Classic.
Robert R. Burman was an American racing driver. He was an open-wheel pioneer, setting numerous speed records in the early 1900s. He participated in many historic races and was one of the drivers to compete in the first edition of the Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
Gilbert J. Andersen, was an American racing driver active during the formative years of auto racing.
Harry Carlyle Endicott was an American racing driver. He was especially good at road course racing. Endicott was killed in a dirt oval practice crash in 1913.
Sheepshead Bay Race Track was an American Thoroughbred horse racing facility built on the site of the Coney Island Jockey Club at Sheepshead Bay, New York.
Race results from the automobile and motorcycle races contested at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. Races have been held on seven different track configurations:
The Crown Point Road Race Circuit was an automobile race course located in northwest Indiana, and operated only during the summer of 1909. It was made up of public highways, with a lap distance of 23.27 miles (37.45 km). The majority of the course was on rural highways, with several long straightaways, one exceeding 8 miles (13 km). The course also went through the towns of Crown Point, Lowell and Cedar Lake. In preparation for use as a race course, pedestrian bridges were built over the road, several grandstands were erected, and nine telegraph stations were in place to relay news to the spectators. The feature event was the Cobe Trophy Race, promoted by the Chicago Automobile Club and its president, Ira Cobe. The day before, the Indiana Trophy Race was held for smaller cars. Five drivers competed in both races. Ultimately, the course was a commercial disappointment, as spectators chose to watch from the miles of open countryside, and bring their own picnics, rather than pay for the grandstands and concessions offered by the promoters.
Ernest "Ernie" Moross was an early-twentieth-century press agent and promoter specializing in American motorsports. He was a longtime associate of the first American auto racing superstar, Barney Oldfield. Moross also obtained distinction as the first Contest Director for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He left the Speedway in 1910 to campaign the Fiat racing team.
The Prest-O-Lite Trophy Race was an automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in each of the two years prior to the first Indianapolis 500. The trophy was sponsored by the Prest-O-Lite Company, a manufacturer of automotive lighting systems. Carl Fisher and James Allison, two of the four co-founders of the Speedway, were also two of the three co-founders of Prest-O-Lite.
The G & J Trophy Race was an automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in each of the two years prior to the first Indianapolis 500. The trophy was sponsored by the G & J Tire Company.
The Remy Brassard and Grand Trophy Races were automobile races held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on each of four automobile race weekends conducted during the two years prior to the first Indianapolis 500. The prize was sponsored by magneto manufacturer Frank Remy. In addition to a conventional trophy, the winner was awarded a brassard, designed to be worn by the winner. The prize also came with a cash bonus of $75 per week until the next Remy Grand race.
Wilfred A. "William" Bourque, often known as Billy, was a Canadian racing driver, born in W. Farnham, Québec. At the time of his racing career, he lived in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
The 1911 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 21 races, beginning in Oakland, California on February 22 and concluding in Savannah, Georgia on November 30. AAA did not award points towards a National Championship during the 1911 season, and did not declare a National Champion. Ray Harroun was the winner of the inaugural Indianapolis 500.
The AAA Contest Board was the motorsports arm of the American Automobile Association. The contest board sanctioned automobile races from 1904 until 1955, establishing American Championship car racing. Modern-day IndyCar racing traces its roots directly to these AAA events.