Vanderbilt Cup Races

Feedback and sharing of information are much appreciated on VanderbiltCupRaces.com. Today's Forum provides news, this weekend's car events (beautiful weather is predicted), an update of the clean-up of the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge and recent comments:

Featured Upcoming Automotive Events:

Dust-Off Meet, Mattituck, Saturday, April 30, 2011

Farmingdale State College SAE Car Show, Saturday, April 30, 2011

31st Annual Queens County Farmhouse Meet, Floral Park, Sunday, May 1, 2011

Spring Dust-Off 2011 Car Show & Swap Meet, Merrick, Sunday, May 1, 2011

Breast Cancer Awareness Car Show, Copiague, Sunday May 1, 2011

5th Annual Lincoln Car Fling, Centereach, Sunday, May 1, 2011

16th Annual Eagle Truck Company Custom Car & Cycle Show, Centerport, Sunday, May 1, 2011

Calendar of 2011 Long Island Automotive Events

2011 Long Island Cruises

2011 Riverhead Raceway Scedule

Update: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

Report from Jim McKenna, Site Director, Old Bethpage Village Restoration, April 20, 2011:

Restoration Farm got most of the debris on the north side removed. I would still like to get rid of all of the north side debris and will probably have to send in a crew with shovels as the concrete abutment makes it impossible to get equipment in there. I will request assistance in clearing a path to get to the debris on the south side, however I will request that Restoration Farm begin removing the tree branches from the south side to begin the process of clearing the south side. I put a work order in with the county paint shop for the paint to cover the graffiti and just saw the supervisor of the paint shop who said he would put together the paint necessary to do the job. As soon as I get the paint, I will send my seasonal staff down there to paint the walls. I will also be sending this same crew to remove some of the vines and overgrowth directly effecting the sides of the bridge up top. I will also be following up with a work order regarding the repair of the fence directly across from the bridge site. I’m sorry I don’t think I can make your talk on Wednesday evening as I’m already committed to another meeting. I hope this gives you some encouragement.

If you wish to assist in projects to help preserve the Motor Parkway, please join the Long Island Preservation Society, an outgrowth of the Long Island Motor Parkway Panel. Become a Founding Member by sending an email to me at [email protected] . No fees are required-just energy and dedication. Current membership: 68.

Recent Comments

VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: The Rare 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Radiator Plate

Noel Gish, Trustee of the Vanderbilt Museum: "Great addition to the history of the Vanderbilt races. The more you dig into the past the more you find. Now we can begin the search to fine one still strapped to the front of Mercedes somewhere in the world car community. Good work."

Hugh Nutting: "I just blew up the first photo to 150%. The two other cars are Abbott-Detroits like the cars that won at Elgin against Frank Kulick’s Ford.

Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

Brian Caruso: Here are two pictures from the 1939 Midget race at Roosevelt Raceway. They were both great drivers and very famous in midget and sprint car racing. (Bronco) Bill Schindler from Freeport lost his leg in a racecar accident at the Mineola fairgrounds in 1935. Despite his handicap he went on to be a winning legend as well as Tommy Hinnershitz from Pennsylvania who was a master on the dirt tracks in Allentown & Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Also, I just found this picture of a painting of the Midget race at Roosevelt Field showing the grandstands by an artist named Orfe.

Art K.:"Great pic Howard - my house is there somewhere a bit east of Roosevelt Raceway. I do want to make a correction - the close-up of the bridge in East Meadow is actually over Newbridge Ave (today’s Salisbury Park Drive), not Newbridge Road. Newbridge Road is further east, past the Wantagh Parkway that is shown running across the top of the main pic. Looking at a 1939 Atlas, I see Newbridge Ave. running south through Salisbury Park and crossing Hempstead Turnpike. Interestingly, a 1950 Atlas shows it named Bellmore Westbury Road and ending where it meets the Motor Parkway (i.e., not continuing through the Park). I know Newbridge Avenue extended south of Hempstead Turnpike through East Meadow, but probably around 20 years ago it was renamed East Meadow Avenue, to ease the confusion between it and Newbridge Road. Hope this makes sense.

Frank Femenias: "Nice aerial shots. It’s amazing how much the place has changed that keeps me analyzing ‘em. Howard, are there any aerial pics in the New Hyde Park area of the elusive LIMP bridge that crossed the NSP and NHP Road which was approx .75 mile east of the Lake Success double bridges? Thanks again for the interesting pics.

The Only Known Running Alco Truck In the World

Charlie Dusselier:"I knew they were rare, but not that rare. I live in Kansas City, Missouri and my grandfather has had one in his barn for years. It hasn’t ran for a long time, though. information is hard to come by so anything you have is welcome.

Then & Now: The Meadowbrook Motor Parkway Bridge in East Meadow

Art K. "More good reporting Howard. Thanks for the pics. I’m usually on Salisbury Park Drive 3 or 4 times a week and many times daydream about it being the Motor Parkway. Speed limit is enforced at 30 mph. so I try to limit the daydreaming however. Interestingly, the Ladenburg property is actually in today’s unincorporated area of Salisbury, which at one time was called South Westbury and which is now generally thought of as being Westbury (using Westbury’s zip code). And Long Island’s way of assigning school districts makes it more complicated, with Salisbury containing an elementary, middle and high school of the East Meadow school district (which may be why you’ve considered it East Meadow). What’s more, I live in a section of Levittown, bordering Salisbury, and my children went to one school in East Meadow and two in Salisbury (i.e., Westbury). And if you want more, my water is supplied by the Hicksville Water District. I’m sure it must have been much less confusing in Willie K’s days!

Archives: Long Island Automotive Museum

Guy Frost: "It will be nice to be reminded of Austie’s machinations. I feel that the end of Bridgehampton Race Circuit also contributed to his demise. His and Alec Ulmann’s stories are largely missing from the history of “The Bridge”. Bridgehampton Racing Heritage Group will be staging a revival with the Historical Society on Oct. 1 and 2 and invite any and all old-timers to tell their tales (and bring appropriate cars with a racing heritage).

Archives: Long Island Motor Parkway- License Plates

Al Velocci: "With respect to the Motor Parkway plates issued to William K Vanderbilt Jr., records at the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport indicate plates bearing #100 were first issued to him in 1924. Between 1924 and 1927 he would order four plates with that # every year. Starting in 1928 and at least through 1933 he would order eleven #100 plates every year. In 1935 even Vanderbilt was feeling the effects of the Depression as as he scaled back his order to just ten plates that year. Only two #100 plates are known to exist, both issued in 1937. One is at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and the other in private hands. By the way, #200 was issued to his attorney, Henry B. Anderson, #300 to Vanderbilt's brother Harold and #400 to Vanderbilt's daughter, Muriel. As to the #1 plate, I'm surprised that more examples haven't surfaced. Between 1922 and 1937 approximately sixty #1 plates were issued to Grier."

Links to related posts on VanderbiltCupRaces.com:

Archives: VanderbiltCupRaces.com Forums

Caruso Racing Museum

The Bridgehampton Historical Society’s 2011 Vintage Auto Poker Rally