Crowds Swarm Course
Race Officially Called Off
The scene was pandemonium after Robertson won the race. Typical of crowds immediately following the declaration of a winner, people swarmed the road to head home or surround the winning car. The race was officially called off at 10:55 AM and telephone calls went out to signalmen to display white danger flags to waive off the remaining nine cars still on the course.
Florida’s Locomobile Crashes into the Crowd
Running in third place behind Robertson and Lytle, Joe Florida, driver of the #1 Locomobile, did not get word to stop and plunged his car into the throng at the start-finish line. Note the smoke at the scene of the accident. Florida struck and injured an 18-year-old boy and then hit a touring car. Fortunately, none of the occupants of the touring car were injured and the boy recovered.
The Winner George Robertson -->
1908
Feature
The 128-page book by Howard Kroplick, a researcher and lecturer on the races, contains rare images of the races from the archives of major museums, libraries and private collectors. The book Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island will be available from Arcadia Publishing in March 2008.
continue reading-->Related Images
_edited-1-1.jpg "Motor Parkway #16 Locomobile 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Finish at Grandstand")
