Vanderbilt Cup Races

45 year old Henry Ford?, standing in front of the Official’s Stand in Levittown during the Oct 24, 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Photographer looking SW.

Looks like the Levittown Grand Stand (1908-1910) in the rear

I’m thinking this might be A.R. Pardington.  He was the general manager and the second vice president of the motor parkway.  This might be the 1909 Vanderbilt cup race where he was the “director of contest”.  The picture was taken from the officials/press box opposite the grandstand.  The photographer is facing southwest.

Peter Prunty is the tall man to the left. He was a track announcer for the races. A runner from the Press Box would give Peter notes about what’s happening during the race. Peter would take a deep breath, then announce the latest to the crowds, via his 3 ft megaphone ( about the size of a large traffic cone ) I’d say he and maybe a runner are standing in front of the Press Box, with the Grandstand in the background. Photographer was viewing southwest. Say this the 1908 VCR in Hempstead Plains. Grandstand is similar to the one that was here 1908 thru 1910.

That looks like Peter Prunty, human PA system and announcer for all six Vanderbilt Cup races on Long Island. Prunty is facing the officials stand with the public grandstand behind him so that would make the photographer facing south or slightly southwest. Other photos of the 1908 grandstand and pit area that I’ve seen look very similar to this photo so I’ll guess the date to be October 24, 1908.

Here’s Peter Prunty’s obituary along with a nice article about him. He was a Sports Announcer for many. Lived to a nice, ripe old age of 94. The New York Times, June 22, 1961

I’m going with a total ‘gut guess’ here and say that’s Pete Prunty, the official race announcer in front of the grandstands of the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race.