It’s Our Anniversary! 18 Years of VanderbiltCupRaces.com
In February of 2008, VanderbiltCupRaces.com burst on to the scene to be one of the most informative sites on the Internet detailing The Vanderbilt Cup Races, The Long Island Motor Parkway, the Vanderbilt family, automotive history and much more!
Below are some of the highlights and memorable posts from 18 years of the VanderbiltCupRaces.com as compiled by Greg O.
Over the 18 years, the website has been honored with several international, national and local awards:
2012: VanderbiltCupRaces.com Honored with Two Webby Awards!
2019:Society of Automotive Historians Honor VanderbiltCupRaces.com with the E.P. Ingersoll Award
2020: VanderbiltCupRaces.com Voted Best Blog on the North Shore
A big thanks to Greg Oreiro (Greg O. ), Art Kleiner (Kleiner's Korner) and Gram Spina (InstaGRAM) for their valuable contributions to the website!
Please provide your experiences with the website in the below Comments. What was your all-time favorite VanderbiltCupRaces.com post?
Thanks for your viewership!
Update 2/19/26: Favorite videos have been added.
Enjoy ,
Howard Kroplick and Greg O.
2008
New Book from Howard Kroplick and Al Velocci “The Long Island Motor Parkway”
2009
2010
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Rare 1908 PAL Race Painting Discovered
2011
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: The Vanderbilt Cup Trophy Today
Exclusive Video: Emerson Fittipaldi Driving the Alco Black Beast During the 2011 Indy 500 Parade Lap
2012
Film “The Black Beast in the Finale of “Men Who Built America”
2013
Updated:The Role of the Motor Parkway in the Development of the Cruise Missile
Film: W.C Fields Driving On the Long Island Motor Parkway in “Sally of the Sawdust”
The Amazing North Hempstead Clean-Up Day of the Motor Parkway in East Williston
2014
Memorable Moments at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Walter P. Chrysler’s Granddaughter and Great-Grandson Reconnect with Chrysler’s Chrysler
Behind the Scenes: Velocity Channel’s AmeriCarna Vanderbilt Cup Race Episode
An Evening With Marty Himes- Stock Car Driver, Museum Owner and Auto Racing Historian
2015
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive:Thomas J. Zinzi- The First Long Island Motor Parkway Police Officer
Chrysler’s Chrysler Honored with “The Amelia Island Award” at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
2016
Helck Family Collection: The Only Known Existing 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race Flags?
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: The 100 Planned Bridges Over & Under the Long Island Motor Parkway
Alco Black Beast Highlights from the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Updated 3/18/16
2017
Newsday LI Life Cover Article: “Treasure box’ sheds light on history of Motor Parkway
History Channel: The Alco Black Beast in “Cars That Built America: Part I”
Sam & Dave’s Excellent “Lost” Motor Parkway Adventure IV: The Eastern Terminus of the Motor Parkway
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: The Tucker 1044 at the RM Sotheby’s Auction in Scottsdale
2018
Updated: Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: A Motor Parkway Survey Team in Lake Success in 1909
The Three Award-Winning Tuckers of the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
Hemmings Cover Article: Mustang III The Concept Car That Helped Ignite the Pony-Car Revolution
2019
2020
Greg O’s Discovery #1: The McCamish Family Collection of Motor Parkway Photos: Meadow Brook Lodge
2021
Greg O’s Garage and Kleiner’s Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now
Update: Videos and highlights of the 2021 Port Jefferson Hill Climb
Mystery Foto #45 Solved: The Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum in Staten Island
2022
Greg O’s Garage: A section of Motor Parkway in Bethpage rediscovered
Greg O’s Garage; The Country Estates of the Motor Parkway/Vanderbilt Cup Race Officials and Directors
Greg O’s Garage: Clarence Mackay’s Harbor Hill estate in Roslyn (now East Hills)
Greg O’s Garage: The Great Wall of East Hills and Long Island Motor Parkway director Clarence Mackay
Savoy Automobile Museum says goodbye to Tucker 1044 and welcomes Chrysler’s Chrysler
Greg O’s Garage: Newly Discovered 1919 Blueprints of Camp Mills in Garden City
2023
Kleiner’s Korner: An Enterprising Church on the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course
Tucker #1044 on the PBS MotorWeek 2023 Season Premiere Episode
Update- Sad News: We have lost a Long Island racing icon and good friend Marty Himes
Greg O’s Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr’s Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings
Greg O’s Garage: Newly discovered Motor Parkway remnants in Wheatley Heights
2024
Kleiner’s Korner: 100 Years Ago on the Motor Parkway Part 3 - June, 1924
Alert: Fake Images of the Long Island Motor Parkway Using Artificial Intelligence
Chrysler’s Chrysler honored again at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
2025
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Found- The oldest known Long Island Motor Parkway License Plate
Long Island Press: Howard Kroplick for lifetime of community service
Sad News: Jerry Peter Helck has passed away at the age of 94.
2026-So far
Update 1/27/26: Eureka- The 1962 Ford Cougar 406 Concept Car has been found!
Greg O. and Al Velocci discuss the Long Island Motor Parkway on LI News Radio 103.9 FM
Comments
Congratulations, Howard, Roz, Greg and Gram on the 18th anniversary of vanderbiltcupraces.com. The contributions the website has made to preserving the history of the Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Races, as well as many other facets of automobile history and that of Long Island in general are much appreciated by many and otherwise would have been lost. And let’s not forget the others including Al Velocci, Bob Miller and Sam Berliner for their contributions and websites early on. And the many contributors by way of providing comments each and every week!
My own Motor Parkway website started in 2004 but couldn’t keep up with the amount of information available and even though it might still be out there somewhere hopefully it also contributed to the knowledge of our favorite roadway and races early on.
Its been my pleasure initially being a reader and casual contributor and for the last 6 years authoring the “Kleiner’s Korner” column. Speaking of which I’ll definitely include the 100th anniversary of vanderbiltcupraces.com in my February, 2108 hundred year look back of the Motor Parkway. But many more columns to write before then! Was the attached the first post, Howard?
Happy 18th! It’s been a fascinating, memorable & interesting ride unlike any other!
Rich
Congratulations on this milestone! It has been such a great pleasure to part of the VCR family and to get to know Howard, Roz and Greg. It is even more exciting to know that my nephew, Gram, is part of the team. From our first meeting with Howard with the Black Beast at a car show in Great Neck, we knew that we had found a good friend and a great place to share our love of the Long Island Motor Parkway. Howard has been such a powerful mentor to Gram. Looking forward to many more years of friendship.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! Enjoyed the ride!! Thank you for preserving the history of Long Island and beyond! I have enjoyed sharing with my niece Vanessa residing in the Detroit area and her interest with cars. Much to share!
Ann
JeRita Trapani
Awesome ???? Mazel tov
Gloria Himes
Happy 18th
Dennis Spina
Congratulations! Love this web site and all that you do!
John Cuocco
Congratulations
Meredith Jaffe
Chai!
Lee Stohr
A wonderful site! And thank you for your assistance over the years with my Christie automobile research.
Lois Ellen
Congratulations
Rich Lester
Terrific .. Congrats!!!!!
James Spina
My first go-to every Sunday Morning. And…its impact on the Spina family has been profound.
From Arthur:
Congratulations and many more. Thank you for all you do for the car community.
From Mark T:
Congratulations on providing 18 years of historical information to your readers. This is a major achievement
Thank you
Congratulations on inspiring many to enjoy the antique car hobby. You have many fans here in Connecticut who enjoy reading your weekly newsletter.
Perhaps you could please add the following car show to your events page. Many Thanks!
Howard. Congratulations, your knowledgeable and informative contributions not only on Long Island automotive related history but international as well and has rightfully earned you the number one online rating in this field. Allowing the general public to actively participate on your site is especially appreciated encouraging viewers to contribute material that ordinarily would not see the light of day. Looking forward to many more years.
Congratulations on 18 years! I’m pretty sure I have been following this site from the beginning, which makes it pretty much the ONLY site that has ever been able to hold my interest for more than a few visits.
Great content, excellent writing—and your enthusiasm oozes out of every page!
Thanks everyone for the wonderful feedback! Enjoy, Howard
Howard, thanks for all you do for Long Island history, and the classic car world!!!!
Your website is awesome!!!!!