Vanderbilt Cup Races

The Long Island Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

To encourage as many cars on the course as possible for spectator excitement and involvement, three simultaneous races were run during both the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races; the Vanderbilt Cup Race, the Wheatley Hills Sweepstakes and the Massapequa Sweepstakes. The two sweepstakes were designed for smaller commercially-produced stock cars. The Wheatley Hills Sweepstakes cars were held to a minimum weight of 1,700 pounds and an engine displacement between 231 and 300 cubic inches. The Massapequa Sweepstakes cars were required to be at least 1,400 pounds with engine sizes ranging between 161 and 230 cubic inches.

The distance for the Wheatley Hills Sweepstakes was set for 15 laps or 189.6 miles while the Massapequa Sweepstakes was scheduled for 10 laps or 126.4 miles. Entry fees for both car categories were $250 with prizes of $1,000 for the winners. The Wheatley Hills Sweepstakes was scheduled to start an hour after the Vanderbilt Cup Race and the Massapequa Sweepstakes still another half-hour later.

The Massapequa Sweepstakes

The field for the Massapequa Sweepstakes was a mere five cars.

Billy Knipper, who drove valiantly in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, put his bright red Lancia, the only foreign car in the race, to good use. He leapt out to a minute lead over second place Bill Endicott’s Cole “30”  in the first lap.
The first lap was costly for Abbott-Detroit driver V. Padula, who hit a telegraph pole and added to the growing clutter of the Massapequa turn just after the Motor Parkway portion of the course. Padula was hospitalized for injuries and his car was severely damaged.

Knipper steadily widened his lead through the seventh lap when he accumulated nearly a 10-minute margin. But the Massapequa turn collected another victim when Knipper overshot the corner and slammed into another telegraph pole.  For the second time in a week, Knipper and mechanician, August Guishard, who were involved in the practice scrape with Bob Burman, were again launched from the seats of their Lancia. This time the landing wasn’t so easy on Knipper, who broke a leg in the fall. Adding to the event’s growing list of casualties, another spectator, Morris Levinson, was struck by the Lancia and suffered a broken leg as well.

With Knipper gone, Bill Endicott in the Cole “30” won by nearly 5 minutes over an Abbott-Detroit handled by Mortimer Roberts. A second Cole “30” driven by Louis Edmunds finished third. Endicott’s winning time was 2 hours, 18 minutes, 4 seconds for a speed average of 54.9 miles per hour.

I have one of these plaques on my 1911 Cole 30. It is on the left side of the firewall. Leroy is correct that all 1911 Cole’s had this to celebrate the winning of the 1910 Vanderbilt Massapequa race. The driver was Bill Endicott. I have pictures of my car if you are interested. It is the only surviving 1911 Cole Touring Model Q left. It runs and drives very well. I can email pictures if requested. I feature on my car is due to come out soon in the Hemmings Classic Car magazine.
Keith Korbut
Springfield, MA

Keith:

Thanks for the comment and information.

I would very much like to see your car and share it with viewers of the VanderbiltCupRaces.com. You can email the photos to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .

Enjoy,

Howard

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Betty

Thanks, Betty.

Howard

Hello all, I see this is a pretty old post but I’d figure I’d try it out anyways. I recently came across one of these trophy plaques and I am looking to sell it. Just wanted to ask what would be a fair and reasonable price for this item? Is it as rare as it seems? Thanks for any and all help.
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Howard Kroplick; If you placed it on EBay, my best guess is that your would receive $500 to $1,000.