WLM | history
The club worked to promote the
upcoming race, but also to keep
the racers as safe as possible. The
club sent messages out to the
public through the local paper,
urging them not to drive and
walk over the race track, as they
could potentially damage the
track leading to potential crashes.
Frontier Days would coincide with
the race, aiding to bring in people
and racers to this highly publicized
event. With a race day filled
with seven different events, the
Cheyenne Motor Club spent more
than $10,000 to prepare the track
for visitors and racers.
Meyers Negative 2
However, with all of the great
work that was done, tragedy
struck. Denver taxi driver turned
novice racer Ben Loy was killed
after his car struck a cow that had
wandered onto the track. Cows
had already been on the track and drivers had been warned,
and the cows were chased off numerous times. Two other
drivers, Shannon Lee and W. M. Johnson, were injured in
the accident. While the incident was shocking to many in
Cheyenne, racing would continue in the capitol city.
PAO_cvw_03/2015
The club held a number of well-attended events in 1909 and
1910, bringing in big names such as Barney Oilfield and
Lisle Branson. By June 13, 1910, the track was in trouble,
as the headline of an article in the Tribune Stockman Farmer
read, “4-Mile Auto Track Should Be Preserved.” The article
indicated that the track’s land was valuable real estate
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