Vanderbilt Cup Races

Apr 21 2011
Art Kleiner’s Exploration #1: The Motor Parkway near Colonial Springs Road in Wheatley Heights

Art Kleiner, a member of the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society, is one of the best chroniclers of our favorite historic road. In November 2010, Art explored and found remnants of the Motor Parkway near Colonial Springs Road in Wheatley Heights. Here is a summary of his findings posted on Art's Long Island Motor Parkway website. (2 comments)

Apr 20 2011
From the Hank Wieand Bowman Collection: Vanderbilt Cup Races (1915-1937)

Hank Wieand Bowman was considered the premier author of boating articles in the 1950s. Bowman also wrote several books on automobiles including; "Sports Cars in Competition" and "Famous Old Cars". In developing his research, he accumulated a large collection of automobile and boating photos. Tony Sundstrom has forwarded several Vanderbilt Cup Race photos from the Bowman Collection: (2 comments)

Apr 19 2011
Hemmings Automotive Pioneers: Henry Austin Clark, Jr.

The June 2011 issue of Hemmings Classic Car included a profile of Henry Austin Clark, Jr. by Jim Donnelly: (2 comments)

Apr 18 2011
Then & Now: The “Meadowbrook” Motor Parkway Bridge in East Meadow

One of the first bridges built by the Long Island Motor Parkway was captured in a 1939 aerial view in last Sunday's post. Here's a Then & Now of the curved "Meadowbrook Bridge" in East Meadow built for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race: (2 comments)

Apr 16 2011
Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

Only two major road races were ever held at the Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury- the 1936 and 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Races. As described in Joel E. Finn's book American Road Racing The 1930s, "there was no future for Roosevelt Raceway as an automobile racing facility... two strikes and out". However, this Fairchild aerial looking southeast shows that auto racing was not quite dead at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939. (12 comments)

Apr 15 2011
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Forum #9 -Saturday, April 16, 2011 (News, Comments, Feedback & Events)

Feedback and sharing of information are much appreciated on VanderbiltCupRaces.com . Today's Forum provides the car events being held this weekend and a sampling of recent comments and feedback: (0 comments)

Apr 14 2011
Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

As reported over the last four months on VanderbiltCupRaces.com, the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge had been subjected to dumping of debris and an attack by graffiti vandals last year. Here's the latest update on the cleanup and restoration of one of only two existing Motor Parkway bridges in Nassau County : (5 comments)

Apr 13 2011
In Search of Alcos: #8 1911 40-HP Alco Toy Tonneau Touring Car on Long Island

Over the last two months, we have attempted to document the Alco "12"- the 12 existing rebuilt and restored cars made originally by the American Locomotive Company in Providence, Rhode Island. The eighth Alco is a 1911 40-HP Toy Tonneau touring car owned by a Long Island collector: (4 comments)

Apr 12 2011
The Garages of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Shannon McDonald (Author of the book The Parking Garage: Design and Evolution of a Modern Urban Form): "Were there any garages associated with the Vanderbilt Cup Races?" (2 comments)

Apr 11 2011
Insight Into Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates

Noel Gish (President, Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum Board of Trustees): "Regarding the ALPCA meeting: How many Long Island Motor Parkway license plates were issued to the public? Does anyone have a “guesstimate” of the total? Who has the license plate number 1? Does it exist in a collection somewhere ? What would be the current cost to acquire one of the originals LIMP plates today if they are even available? Thanks for your help." (2 comments)