Vanderbilt Cup Races

A nice mix of community service and amateur of archeology.  News of future PSE&G right of way clean up is encouraging. Hope that will stimulate walking, biking and enjoying North Hempstead’s new landmark.

From The Amazing Clean-Up of the Old Courthouse Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Looks like you folks did a great job!  Thank you.
Ken Harris

From The Amazing Clean-Up of the Old Courthouse Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Clearly Mitchel Field, looking NE with the LIRR Meadowbrook Secondary and LIMP beyond, with the parade ground in E, officers row in C and D/  LIMP bridge in B.  Plane in the upper middle of G = this mod-‘30s.  Bonus - memorial pebble in Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall!  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #21 Solved: A 1937 Cirkut Photo of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Raceway Update: 5/27

It’s hard to express how much this affects me; thanks one and all.  Owners to the north were dead set against this when I first tried, ‘way back.  Amazing how Mother Nature takes over; I was there on a visit only a few years ago and it was relatively clear.  “(190*8*-1938)”, no?  Per ardua ad astra!  Sam, III
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From Howard Kroplick I

Sam, thanks for the kind words. This section of the Motor Parkway opened in 1909.

From The Amazing Clean-Up of the Old Courthouse Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Bob , thanks for the information; you and Ruth have done so much to preserve the LIMP , and make others aware of it’s importance and history. All of us owe you two, Howard, Al and the LIMP Society sincere thanks and continued support for this worthy preservation project.

From My Motor Parkway Story #3: Bob Valentine and the Williston Park Historic Marker

Likely one of the best spots to recall our historic past. Easily accessible, wonderfully walkable and yet near to but hidden from main roads such as New Hyde Park Road.

From The Amazing Clean-Up of the Old Courthouse Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Identify the location and orientation of the aerial:  Mitchel Field, Garden City looking northeast towards Roosevelt Field and Raceway.  Mitchel Field closed in 1961 after several plane crashes (one into a Hofstra Univ. building). 

Name the many significant events that occurred at this location:
1919 British Army R-34 dirigibile landed at Roosevelt Field (first airship crossing the Atlantic); 1920 Pulitzer Air Race speed record by Major C.S. Mosely, 1925 Air Race speed record by Lt. Cyrus Bettis in a Long Island built Curtis racer; 1927 return of Charles Lindbergh after his flight to Paris; 1938 starting point for the first transcontinental bomber flight made by Army B-18s; 1954 last air speed record recorded on LI.

Identify the structure that is being pointed at by the two red arrows: Roosevelt Raceway grandstand

Identify the train track in the aerial: Central RR

What Long Island Motor Parkway structure was captured in the aerial?
Roosevelt Field Motor Parkway Bridge connecting Stewart Avenue with Roosevelt Field. 

Can you find the airplane in the aerial?  Close up in G.  East end of panaromic photo.

What is the year of the aerial? Provide a rationale.  1937 - Grandstand built,  compared to a 1939 photo sent to Howard some buildings had not been built yet.

Bonus: Identify the object sticking out of the below brick wall. Snake peeking its head out of the wall.

From Mystery Foto #21 Solved: A 1937 Cirkut Photo of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Raceway Update: 5/27

Mitchell field complex looking toward Roosevelt raceway(red arrows) picture has to be 1936-1937 years of vanderbuilt cup at the track. I assume this timeline because mitchell field housing was built around 1932
Mitchell field was a training base in WW I ,in the 1920’s Air racing was popular here.airmail service started in 1924
During WW ll Mitchell field was used as the “Air Defense Command"This was to defend home soil, bases and other Military facilities in the US.
The bridge is the Roosevelt field motor parkway bridge
The train line was an extension of the Hempstead line (no longer in use) stops at Clinton Ave. I believe it was called the Stewart line and ran to Bethpage junction.
Close up G shows an aircraft ,sitting on the grass runway or tarmac

From Mystery Foto #21 Solved: A 1937 Cirkut Photo of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Raceway Update: 5/27

Hi Howard,
Thank you for providing us this opportunity to clean up another part of the Motor Parkway.  Great seeing so many enthusiasts show up to help out.

From The Amazing Clean-Up of the Old Courthouse Road Motor Parkway Bridge

-Identify the location and orientation of the aerial

Mitchel Field. The wide angle, almost 170 degree of view is from about North North East on the left of the photo to South South East on the right side of the photo.

Name the many significant events that occurred at this location
1908,09,10 and 1936,37 Vanderbilt Cup Races

Identify the structure that is being pointed at by the two red arrows

Grandstands for Roosevelt Raceway.

-Identify the train track in the aerial

Tracks can be seen coming directly at the photographer in close up A, and then away from the photographer in close ups F & G. These tracks were a spur for Mitchel off of the Central line in between the first row of houses. 1966 Aerials show some sort of tall silos alongside the spur so one can assume the photographer was on top of them.

-What Long Island Motor Parkway structure was captured in the aerial?

Roosevelt Field highway bridge.

-Can you find the airplane in the aerial?

Parked on the airfield in the center of close up G

-What is the year of the aerial? Provide a rationale.

1937 judging by the Mitchel Field buildings, lack of trees and the grandstands.

-Bonus: Identify the object sticking out of the below brick wall.

I have no clue! A rock?

From Mystery Foto #21 Solved: A 1937 Cirkut Photo of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Raceway Update: 5/27

This is Michell Field Housing, LIRR Spurs and the Roosevelt Raceway in back.  Circa 1950.

From Mystery Foto #21 Solved: A 1937 Cirkut Photo of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Raceway Update: 5/27

I will be there sometime after 10 after hopefully making an N25.

From Help Clean-Up the Historic Old Courthouse Road Motor Parkway Bridge on Saturday, May 21, 2016

Ok, it!s a normal ordinary Mustang, nothing to compare to yours, for style, a normal every day car,nothing special, that’s the only difference, I,m not knocking it, I like the car, but it’s nothing to talk about compared to yours,as I told you,I had one and loved it,it was my first new car. Maybe I shouldn’t even say this,but I think the midshipman just wanted to have his car with yours,it made him feel honored and proud of himself and car,that’s how I would feel if I could have chance to do that with the same type of car.

From Mustang III Highlights from Newsday's Field of Wheels and the Merchant Marine Academy Car Show

Brings back such good memories!

From My Motor Parkway Series #2- David Lamm: Introduction and Chapter One

David, great memories of our past. Reading this brought the smell of early mornings and newspapers to my mind. And rushing to get done to explore. I can remember walking the Parkway from Harkness Boy scout camp to New Hyde Park Road. Hope to read more of your memories in the near future . Dad would love to read this story.

From My Motor Parkway Series #2- David Lamm: Introduction and Chapter One

Howard, just one question, what’s so special about that other Mustang being displayed with yours? Maybe it’s the same year, but not a fastback or sporty looking to compare it to yours, what was there to compare? Thanks for the email reply on that website I sent you. Enjoy the rest of the shows this summer, you might not be getting any comments from me for a while, the big move is coming up, I’ll try to keep up with what’s going on the best I can, so until then enjoy displaying and driving your ONE OF ONES. 
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From Howard Kroplick

Ted, great question. The blue Mustang next to the Mustang III was just purchased by one of the midshipman and was useful to compare the differences between the two automobiles.

From Mustang III Highlights from Newsday's Field of Wheels and the Merchant Marine Academy Car Show

Will we be having lunch in the area? I am bringing extra money in case. I do not know this area at all.I need to know if the parkway is easily accessible from the northbound side of New Hyde Park Road. Must know by 9 PM Friday.
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From Howard Kroplick:

Chris, we will be done by Noon so there is no planned lunch. Best way to enter is through Old Courthouse Road.

From Help Clean-Up the Historic Old Courthouse Road Motor Parkway Bridge on Saturday, May 21, 2016

Very enjoyable, the pictures, the story’s and the comments.  There was nothing better than a bicycle to explore when your 11 or 12 years old!

From New VanderbiltCupRaces.com Series: My Motor Parkway Story #1- Jerry Mintz

Boy does that resemble the Levittown grandstand ‘08-‘10, but the dip in the road and the support beams seem closer here. Could be the Canadian National Expedition, CNE. Got to dig deeper, hopefully

From The Natural & Mystery Foto #20 Solved:#18 Mercedes and #6 Isotta During the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

From Ariejan Bos:

I assume the above photo is the original of the friday mystery photo.
It is present in the photo collection of the Library of Congress and was a press photo by the Baines News Service. All text is on the photo, so no further comments from me. Only maybe that the number 18 on the mystery photo clearly has been improved at a later stage (we now call this photo shopping!).

From The Natural & Mystery Foto #20 Solved:#18 Mercedes and #6 Isotta During the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race