The excitement returns to Northwest Indiana thanks to the Regional Streeters Car Club. The Annual and Historical Cobe Cup Car Cruise is held EVERY Memorial Weekend. The course mocks the original historical race of 1909 – going thru Crown Point, Lowell and Cedar Lake, starting at Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point, Indiana.
The Cobe Trophy Race was an automobile race held in Indiana, in 1909 and 1910. On June 19, 1909 the first major auto race in the United States was held south of the Crown Point Courthouse. Known as the Cobe Cup Race, this grueling 25-mile contest was the forerunner of the famous Indianapolis 500.
The first winner’s cup was presented on the east steps of the Crown Point courthouse to Louis Chevrolet, a Swiss-born master mechanic who later became the founder and creator of the Chevrolet Motor Company.
The Cobe Cup 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 race took place at the Crown Point Road Race Circuit, in Northwest Indiana. The following Year, in 1910 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. 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.
Now history repeats itself with a casual car cruise held every year. The Cobe Cup Registration is from 8am – 1pm, Car cruise is from Noon – 1pm. Entry fee is $15. There are thousands of onlookers throughout the route that makes this is a long time family tradition that still continues for Memorial weekend. Hosted by Regional Streeters.
MORE HISTORICAL ARTICLES . . .
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Many famous people from La Porte County have made significant contributions, not just locally but nationally and internationally. The exhibit was on display at the LaPorte County Museum in 2016.
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Read More Car Stories:
• 3 Must-Know Tips for Restoring a Classic Car
• Make Your Car Feel Brand New Again
• Ways You Are Hurting Your Car’s Longevity
• Mistakes People Make When Buying a Car
• Factors that Effect Your Used Car Value
• Common Causes of Tire Blowouts
• Modern Trends in the Automotive Industry
• What to Know Before Buying a Used Car
• Ways to Prepare Your Car For Spring
• Why Jeep Wrangler is A Smart Buy
• Why Manual Transmissions Are A Good Choice
• Worst Thing You Can Do To Your Tires
• End-of-Summer Car Maintenance Checklist
• Three Bad Driving Habits that can Cost you Money
• Car Repairs you Should Not Do Yourself
• Modern Trends in the Car industry
• How to Prepare Your Car For Winter
• Ways that Cold Weather Impacts Your Vehicle
• Winter Driving Tips in Bad Weather
Car Safety Tips:
• How to Avoid Intersection Accidents
• Vacation Safety Tips
• Safe Driving Tips For the Big City
• Most Common Road Hazards Threatening Your Car
• How To Stay More Visible on the Road
Local Car Shows:
• Southlake Auto Cruise Night (Monthly)
• Folds Of Honor Car Show – Valpo
• LaPorte’s Annual Old Car Show
• Festival of the Lakes Car Show
• Valpo Car Show & Swap Meet
• Mill Pond Fest Car Show
• Downtown Highland Annual Car Cruise
• Cobe Cup Returns To Northwest Indiana
FIND OUT MORE:
• Things To Do in Lowell Indiana
• Visit Buckley Homestead
• Cobe Cup Car Cruise
• Legend of Sleeepy Hollow Interactive
• Lake County Garden Walk
• Labor Day Festival
• Buckley Homestead Fall Festival
FIND OUT MORE:
• Things to do in Crown Point
• Crown point’s Bulldog park
• Crown Point Corn Roast
• Ice Skating at Bulldog Park
• NwIndiana Symphony Orchestra Concerts
• Edge Adventure Park Zip Lines
• Lake County Fair
• Cobe Cup Car Cruise
• Mighty Mics Restaurant and Pub
• Buckley Homestead Park
Crown Brewing
• Local Amusement Parks
• Things to do in Valparaiso
• Things to do in Michigan City
• Things to do in Indiana Dunes
Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
