Start of the 1905 Race in Mineola
Referee William K. Vanderbilt Jr. at the Grandstand
At 6:00 in the morning on Saturday, October 14th, referee William K. Vanderbilt Jr. stood ready to officiate at the Mineola grandstand.
Willie K’s sister, the Duchess of Marborough
Approximately 5,000 people gathered at the Mineola grandstand including William K. Vanderbilt Jr.’s sister, Consuelo, the Duchess of Marlborough (center wearing a white blouse). Encouraged by her mother, Alva Vanderbilt, Consuelo married England’s Duke of Marlborough in 1895.
Virginia “Birdie” Vanderbilt Attends the Race
Willie K’s wife Virginia (center) also attended the race, accompanied by her friend Mrs. Peter Martin (left). Virginia attended the 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Races. Even after her separation from Willie K in 1909, she attended the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race in San Francisco.
The American #7 Locomobile at the Start
Popular American driver Joe Tracy and his riding mechanician Al Poole received a resounding ovation when they approached the line in the 90-hp #7 Locomobile. The second place finisher in the American Elimination Trial, the red Locomobile was as powerful as any American entry and, at 1,195 cubic inches, had the biggest engine in the race.
The “X” Mercedes at the Start
Country representation in the Vanderbilt Cup Races was determined by the manufacturer of the car, not the nationality of its driver or owner. Four Mercedes owned by Americans were entered on behalf of Germany. The drivers representing Germany included Belgian driver Camille Jenatzy, the first man to hit 60 mph and the winner of the 1903 Gordon Bennett Race, and American Al Campbell, who placed a large X on the front of his car instead of the bad luck “hoodoo” number 13.
The French #18 Darracq Driven by Victor Hemery
Darracq & Company of France was represented by two 80-hp cars in the race, the #18 car driven by Victor Hemery and the #6 car driven by Louis Wagner. The well-engineered Darracqs were the lightest cars in the race and used shaft drives instead of chains.
Action During the 1905 Race -->
1905
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.
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