Vanderbilt Cup Races

Mystery Foto #9… The aerial shows Roosevelt field and Roosevelt Raceway looking east. It shows the the original 1940’s racetrack at Roosevelt raceway and also the practice track. Building and grandstands at Roosevelt Field and The Raceway. The year was in the early ‘50’s. Part of the race tracks were also Vanderbilt Motor raceway. Roads shown include Old Country Road and maybe Hempstead turnpike.

From Mystery Foto #9 Solved: An Aerial Looking East Over Roosevelt Field. Circa 1952

Photo taken above Roosevelt Field’s (the original airfield) eastern section looking east in Westbury. Old Country Rd on the left. Roosevelt Harness Racing oval tracks can be seen without the paddocks area. About 1946 prior to its construction. The three buildings in the foreground still exists today. Salisbury golf course on top

From Mystery Foto #9 Solved: An Aerial Looking East Over Roosevelt Field. Circa 1952

Exciting .....

From Video: Going for a Ride in Tucker 1044

9 years really flew by quickly. I look forward to every weekly installment. You keep it exciting Howard….Congrats…

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

Congratulations Howard on nine great years of providing us with photos and information about Long Island’s rich automotive history! I’ve greatly enjoyed visiting the website every week since discovering it a few years ago. Thanks for all the good work you’ve been doing. The site is both educational and entertaining.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

Thanks for posting and good luck with the Tucker. 
Look forward to more videos e.g. how it would perform on say the Northern or Ocean parkways on some early Spring Saturday mprning.

From Video: Going for a Ride in Tucker 1044

Hi Howard:
    This entire gig is just :  A W E S O M E and A W E S O M E   !!!!!!

      My personal congrats and hats off to you !!!!

        Cheers and Best Always !!!!!  Ron Ridolph

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

Ditto to all the above. This is also an educational website for any level to enter and learn about the early auto and the concrete roadway used throughout. Robert Miller and Sam III’s early acquisition of the roadway has laid a platform for all to build from. Howard has extended this trend to reach even further. I only hope this roadway stays alive and intact to continue to serve us for much needed use in the future.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

What is the location and orientation of the aerial?  East Garden City looking east towards Roosevelt Raceway, south of Old Country Road.

Identify the major buildings and structures.  Obviously the tracks, paddocks and stables of Roosevelt Raceway and the grandstand, Salisbury Links, Meadow Brook Polo field, beginnings of Meadowbrook Parkway, and several buildings of the Roosevelt Field Industrial Park (at one time another used by Fairchild Engineering, NY Telephone, and headquarters of the Avis Corporation (after 1962). 
 
What is the year of the aerial? Provide a rationale. 1953/1954 - the Fairchild building shown (900 Old Country Road) was built in 1953 (Avis moved in in 1962).  Another building located at 867 East Gate which intersects North Street is not in the picture and was built in 1954 so would have to be within that year or two.  This latter building was at one time used by the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company.  Meadowbrook Parkway in this area not opened until 1956 and not shown.  Detailed maps are being sent to Howard separately. 
 
Link the aerial to the Vanderbilt Cup Races.  Roosevelt Raceway used for the 1936 and 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Races.

From Mystery Foto #9 Solved: An Aerial Looking East Over Roosevelt Field. Circa 1952

Congratulations, Howard and to all fellow followers.  It was great helping to found the Preservation society and continuing to collaborate with such a nice bunch of fellow LIMP fanatics.  I’m certainly looking forward to what the future has in store but for now onto this week’s Mystery Photo.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

Congratulations to you Howard and your great team on the preservation of the LIMP and the history that surrounds it!

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

Your web site is first and foremost a complete and wonderful overview of the Long Island Motor Parkway and everything associated with it in tremendous detail.

What I personally enjoy most about the site is how your frequent posts lead to discussions among fellow enthusiasts that can get extremely interesting. It’s such a wonderful venue for people to share thoughts/ideas/pictures/data not just of the LIMP, but of Long Island history which your site has definitely helped increase my love and passion for. Thank you for all of your hard work.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

In my post about the mystery photo I couldn’t remember what company occupied The building on OldCountry Rd. Before A.M.F. It was Armour

From Mystery Foto #9 Solved: An Aerial Looking East Over Roosevelt Field. Circa 1952

Good Job Howard. A fun way to learn.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

Congratulations on an outstanding website that not only provides valuable information regarding the Long Island Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Races, but also succeeds in promoting and preserving so many facets of Long Island history. I can’t believe it’s been nine years. Well done!

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

I believe the photo was taken over Roosevelt Field looking east (Westbury / East Garden City area). We can see the Roosevelt Raceway complex with the main track, practice track, stables, and paddock. Also visible are: two airplane hangars and a runway ( #23 ? ) remnant; a small piece of the Meadowbrook Club polo field; and the Salisbury Links golf course in the distance. Judging by the existence of the old 1936-37 V.C.R. grandstand, the absence of the Meadowbrook Parkway and new additions of a few commercial / industrial buildings in the foreground, I’ll guess around 1953-54 for the date. In addition to being the site of the 1936 and 1937 races, the temporary Ellison Road extension for the 1908 - 1910 races went through approximately in the center of the photo from left to right.

From Mystery Foto #9 Solved: An Aerial Looking East Over Roosevelt Field. Circa 1952

The best thing I like about it is that there’s so many others that want to keep the memory alive congratulations Howard keep up the good work

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

Congratulations, Howard. I became interested with the LIMP since 1985 or so, and learning more about the history of the parkway became MUCH easier with the Internet starting in the mid 90’s. I was ( and still am ) a fan of Mr. Berliners websites of the LIMP and RR history. Then after discovering your website, I realized that all you historians have been colaborating with each other for years past. We appreciate that your site allows us to exchange information from our own experiences. Many thanks to you and others that contribute.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com: Happy 9th Anniversary!

Nice video - should get one from inside the car.
Back in 1949, I had persuaded my father that he needed to buy a “bathtub” Nash. He actually went along with it and on a warm spring day we were doing a deal at Babe Reising’s Nash dealership on Reading Rd. in Cincinnati. Across the road I saw a Tucker sign on a showroom and zipped over there. Sure enough, there was a new Tucker in the showroom, in that Root Beer Brown color. Though the showroom was wide open, there was nobody around, no literature or anything but a few bare desks and chairs. Being fifteen, I didn’t hang around and had no camera so the incident is “memory only.” I often wonder where that Tucker ended up.

From Video: Going for a Ride in Tucker 1044

wow what a car ,i wish i could buy one if it was available,but probably could not afford it!

From Video: Going for a Ride in Tucker 1044