Vanderbilt Cup Races

Despite his lack of success and total disruption of the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race, Christie returned to the 1906 American Elimination Trial and the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race with another of his front-wheel drive creations.

One week before the American Elimination Trial, Christie brought the new racer on the course for practice runs.

On the morning before the the Elimination Race, Christie clobbered a telegraph pole during practice. He and riding mechanic Lewis Strang – who went on to drive in the Inaugural Indianapolis 500 – were uninjured. Christie reported that the steering gear had been damaged the day before in a relatively minor accident. He and Strang had decided to start the car because they were having trouble with a sticky clutch. They thought moving the machine would release the clutch. Too late, they discovered the steering was useless.

Christie immediately entered his 50-HP touring car in the competition. In this photo, the #17 Christie is making the Krug's Corner Turn in Mineola. Despite tire problems, the car finished fifth and qualified for the Vanderbilt Cup Race.

During the race, the Christie developed various engine problems and finished a disappointing 13th of the 17 entries. Watch the Christie in action at the 26-second segment of this 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race film.