Western Stock Chassis Races – Indiana Trophy and Cobe Trophy races

During the weekend of June 18 and June 19, 1909, the Western Stock Chassis races, the Indiana Trophy and Cobe Trophy speed events, were held on the rough, rural and town roads of Lowell, Cedar Lake and Crown Point 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 eight miles.  The racers roared north-bound on the now “nine-mile stretch” with the official grandstands and judges stand at the north end of the stretch.  In preparation for use as a race course, pedestrian bridges were built over the road (as well as one large enough to accommodate horses), 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 race was held for smaller cars (those with engines of less than 300 cubic inch displacement) with Joe Matson in a Chalmers-Detroit claiming the top prize over 15 other competitors.  Matson ran the 10-lap/232.7 mile distance in 4:31:21, averaging 51.463 miles per hour.  The next day, Saturday June 19, Louis Chevrolet in his Buick captured the 12-car Cobe race, covering the 17-lap/395.6-mile distance in 8:01:39, averaging 49.287 miles per hour.  The two-day speed derby 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.  While locals prepared for hundreds of thousands of people, less than 50,000 were present around the course.

Louis Chevrolet - winner of the Cobe Trophy Race