Vanderbilt Cup Races

Howard,
Good to see that you’re healing well.  I guess that soon you’ll be able to do the electric slide.  Looking forward to seeing you soon.  All the best.
Rog

From Update Sunday, 6/29/2025: Rehab Update: Rehab at 90% Healing

Marty will be missed for sure We miss seeing him Saturday nights at the Islip town Hall cruise nights 9

From Marty Himes at the Vanderbilt Cup Races Grandstands in Levittown

The location and orientation of the photographer
NE over the airfield, in the air.

The Motor Parkway, major roads, airfield and significant buildings
Parkway is the road coming from top right and curving N once past the airfield.
Clinton Rd overpass and the Garden City Lodge to right of center.

Motor Parkway locations
The turn to north by the aviation field.

Estimated date of the Foto. Provide a rationale.
Dunno. The raceway is not evident so before 1936.

Kudos question: The likely airplane (note the wing on the right)
Dunno. Obviously a biplane.

From Mystery Friday Foto #16 Solved: A 1918/1919 Historic Roosevelt Field Aerial from the Cradle of Aviation

Pardon me if this came thru before:

Location- Garden City looking east
Airfield: Hazelhurst/Curtiss airfield
Buildings: Hazelhurst barracks/ hangars on OCR. One building of Curtiss Engineering complex just under airplane wing. Salvation Army Hotel at 501 Stewart Ave ( now site of Stewart School)
Major roads are Old country road, Clinton Avenue, Stewart Avenue ( tree lined to the right) and LIMP curving over Clinton then heading north.
Parkway locations include Clinton Ave bridge, GC Motor parkway office, GC lodge
Date, between 1919 and 1926 - rationale: no Intergollegiate golf course, No Houses in Mott section and not portico yet ( ? 1926) on GC Lodge
Plane is Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny ?

From Mystery Friday Foto #16 Solved: A 1918/1919 Historic Roosevelt Field Aerial from the Cradle of Aviation

The car in the image you provided is a 1910 Oldsmobile 20, one of two identical racers built by Oldsmobile for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race. These cars were designed for the prestigious race held on Long Island, New York, and were notable for their advanced engineering and distinctive appearance.

From Marty Himes at the Vanderbilt Cup Races Grandstands in Levittown

We are looking east over Garden City with Hazlehurst Field off to the left. The LIMP enters the photo from the left, crosses over the Clinton Road bridge and heads east past the General Manager’s Office and Garden City lodge. Another structure is the Roosevelt Field access bridge (possibly). Significant buildings include the Curtiss plant and the Salvation Army Hotel. Other roads include Stewart Avenue and Old Country Road. I’m guessing the date to be about 1925 because the Curtiss facility does not appear to be as large as it became and the hotel hasn’t been moved yet, which took place in 1928.Best guess for the plane is a Curtiss JN3 “Jenny”.

From Mystery Friday Foto #16 Solved: A 1918/1919 Historic Roosevelt Field Aerial from the Cradle of Aviation

Over Garden City looking West
Major roads include Stewart Avenue ( tree lined road in middle) Old Country Road,  with hangars upper left, Clinton Road and LIMP
Then HAzelhurst airfield with barracks seen in upper left.
Major buildings include the Salvation Army Hotel at 501 Stewart AVenue( present site of my old school, Stewart School) and one building from the Curtiss Engineering complex just under the plane wing
Re date, I will guess between early 1920s, before 1925 since the Intercollegiate golf club is not there ( built around 1925), no portico on GC Lodge yet and no Mott section houses yet.
Re plane, going to guess the Curtiss JN-4 ( Jenny) biplane

From Mystery Friday Foto #16 Solved: A 1918/1919 Historic Roosevelt Field Aerial from the Cradle of Aviation

Howard,

Speedy recovery and thank you for all the stories and history. It is very much appreciated as I look forward to the weekly updates

Enjoy, Mark

From Update Sunday, 6/29/2025: Rehab Update: Rehab at 90% Healing

Marty was a great guy. I interviewed him one time and it became a short feature about his participation in the anniversary running of the Formula Libre event at Lime Rock Park. The feature ran in the Lime Rock program. 

Shirley and I also attended several of Marty’s birthday events at his home.  He was always surrounded by fellow racers and, of course, by the thousands of pieces of racing memorabilia he had collected over his lifetime.

I always said that if I ever won the lottery, I was going to build a Long Island Motorsports Museum and move all of Marty’s stuff, and Howards, and the Bridgehampton Racing Heritage Groups and others, into the place.  Broken dreams happen, don’t they?

Rest in peace, Marty.

From Marty Himes at the Vanderbilt Cup Races Grandstands in Levittown

Hi Howard.  Great video content as always.  A few years ago here in the UK, the monthly magazine Practical Classics was assisting David Soult o help restore Ernest Hemingway’s Chrysler that is kept at the Hemingway Museum in Cuba   David was making a film called Cuban Soul produced by Red Earth Studios but events such as Covid and then David’s death seem to have put paid to the enterprise.  A few snippets and trailers on YouTube Tube but, hopefully, there’s been a happier outcome for Hemmingway’s car.

From Two Videos: Mission to Cuba and The Classic Cars of Cuba

Attended the Network Challenge show Filming in East Meadow Sonic on Saturday.
There were six classic cars on display for the filming of the reality show.
Had a great time, thanks Howard for putting the information out.

From Producer Dan Bonaventre is looking for 6-8 classic cars for a network challenge show

Looking east, over Garden City
The Motor Parkway is curving from left to right in the middle of the picture. 
Major roads - Old Country Road, Stewart Avenue, Osborne Road, Wertherill Road Airfield - Roosevelt Field
Buildings - Hangers, Curtiss Engineering Corp. 
Motor Parkway Clinton Road Bridge, General Managers Office, Garden City Lodge
1931
Keystone B-5 Bomber (my guess)

From Mystery Friday Foto #16 Solved: A 1918/1919 Historic Roosevelt Field Aerial from the Cradle of Aviation

Glad to hear you are coming around better, all the best to you Howard.

From Update Sunday, 6/29/2025: Rehab Update: Rehab at 90% Healing

Cool Stuff.
Marty knew my father and his brothers who all raced at Islip. He even tracked done some great pictures for me. It was fun to get to know him and hear the stories of the Tures Brothers.

From Marty Himes at the Vanderbilt Cup Races Grandstands in Levittown

Mystery Foto: Looking east on Stewart Av. in Garden City. Clinton Rd. crosses Stewart, going right to left in the picture. Roosevelt Field in the background.

From Mystery Friday Foto #16 Solved: A 1918/1919 Historic Roosevelt Field Aerial from the Cradle of Aviation

What a great picture. 

To start, the camera faces northeast.  First thing I seem to focus on in Pell Terrace in Garden City coming into Clinton Rd.  It is a bright looking undefined line from the middle left of the picture.  Just a hair above it is the LIMP.  It clearly crossed the Clinton Rd bridge, passing the LIMP manager’s office, and the Garden City Toll Lodge.  It continues to bend, soon straightening itself out for a direct run east towards the Meadowbrook Lodge.  Hazelhurst Field is the NE of the parkway.  There are so many buildings in this picture.  Further north we see the old hangers that were along Old Country Rd.  Just behind the wing of the plane taking the picture is Stewart Ave heading east. 

As a side note, I went to the Nassau County Land Records site.  They no longer have the 1926 ariel picture available to see.  I was going to use it to help me date this picture.  How disappointing !!!

I say this picture is old.  1920 ish.  Due to the fact the plane taking the picture looks like a bi-plane.  And the streets of Garden City are not yet developed.  And the runways at Hazelhurst or not yet clearly defined. 

Finally, if you have super duper eyesight, there is a bright spot on the picture at the exact spot of the “mayian ruins.”

Thanks again.

From Mystery Friday Foto #16 Solved: A 1918/1919 Historic Roosevelt Field Aerial from the Cradle of Aviation

Just read this…glad to hear the recovery is going well and all the best the rest of the way.

From Update Sunday, 6/29/2025: Rehab Update: Rehab at 90% Healing

Mark- you’ll understand the full story when I do the specific SSJ post. But Gable and Cooper both had supercharged J’s before EL Cord gave them both Duesenberg SSJ’s to help promote Duesenberg which was having a depression sales problem by that time. And yes, while Gable never did pay for his, Copper did finally pay for his.

There are well known stories of traffic light drag races between Gable and Cooper often getting challenged by Groucho Marx in his Mercedes SSK. Cooper had his modified to beat Groucho.

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A Special Duesenberg SSJ

Great post.  Thank you.

From Checkmate Magazine: Days of Thunder- Long Island's Vanderbilt Cup Races

enough allready with the embargo!  when Fidel showed his devil horns we should of sent the marines in,saying he is worse than the guy he replaced.  But Eisenhower put a sugar embargo inviting Russia to influence Castro. this should of been done years before Bay Of Pigs when Castro was not established with his secret police, etc.  It would of been easy, right and Just.

From Two Videos: Mission to Cuba and The Classic Cars of Cuba