Vanderbilt Cup Races

Is the Tim Ivers who has replied to a number of your Mystery Photos the same Tim Ivers who grew up in Uniondale on Park Place???

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

Nice find on the pics and info guys. These may be the first attempts towards motorized cycling. That 1908 model is crude and really resembles a modified bicycle. It seems the moped of the 70s, 70 years later, borrowed the same idea integrating pedalpower with horsepower.

From Motorcycles of the Vanderbilt Cup Races Updated: 4/28/2016

We drove to Montreal a few months ago for a family event and stopped at SAM on the way home; what a great choice!  Really nice museum with a great collection.  I happen to work for Sears, and was surprised to find an early Sears car there in the collection.  And I was very surprised to see exhibits about Long Island there.

From Amazing Photos of the Alco Black Beast During the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Always has a great show, but with you their it made it even better, as always. at any show you go to, your cars are all unique, nothing else can be said about them.

From The 1963 Mustang III Concept Show Car a Showstopper at the 11th Annual St. Patrick's Car Show

It was nice to see you at the show Howard. What a great day for a car show! The Mustang was indeed drawing a lot of attention. Glad to hear that you are bringing the Mustang and the Chrysler to Greenwich in June. See you soon!

From The 1963 Mustang III Concept Show Car a Showstopper at the 11th Annual St. Patrick's Car Show

Sorry Howard,wrong post,I meant the question to be for the mystery photos. I know it’s one of the curves,right? I hope. Thanks

From The Day an Airplane Crashed Near the Plainview Road Motor Parkway Bridge Updated 3/19/16

In noticing the sandy mound in the background of the older picture, could that be the exact spot where the electric tower stands today in the current photo ??
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From Howard Kroplick

Michael, I was thinking the same thing when I saw the current view.

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

Didn’t get a chance to get back to it,as you can see. Is it the second Deadmams Curve?
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From Howard Kroplick

Ted, it is approximately one mile north of the second Deadman’s Curve.

From The Day an Airplane Crashed Near the Plainview Road Motor Parkway Bridge Updated 3/19/16

I didn’t really commit to trying to solve this past mystery. What always impresses me is how the LIMP was constructed with teams of horses, etc. We all know hand digging is back breaking work. These laborers had to hand shovel deep enough to hit ground water. God bless modern day machinery.

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

This scene was shot from Plainview Road Bridge during the opening races of the new LIMP, the Long Island Motor Parkway Sweepstakes, which were held on October 10, 1908. In all there were 5 races for different stock car classes, driving different distances. Apparently the races were held concurrently. Driving in front with J11 is W.R. Burns on a Chalmers-Detroit, competing in the Jericho Sweepstakes. He is followed by Lytle on Isotta P42, competing in the Motor Parkway Sweepstakes. Both drivers would win the classes they were competing in. About the structure in the background I could only guess, so I leave that to other, more knowledgeable people in the field.

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

This mystery photo may show 2 first place winners! Here is the J-11 Chalmers-Detroit up front, being driven by W.R. Burns of the Jericho Sweepstakes; and the P-42 Isotta trailing, being driven by Herb Lytle of the Parkway Sweepstakes. Both vehicles are part of a 5 Sweepstakes’ race that ran concurrently at the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes. The other 3 Sweepstakes were Meadowbrook, Garden City, and Nassau.
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vcrsys/Images/Alco/Image1-601_edited-2.jpg

This race was the christening for Long Island Motor Parkway’s opening. The photo was taken atop the Plainview Rd parkway bridge looking SW. The structure is a left-over water tower used during the parkway’s construction. Just to the right (south) of J-11 by the ROW fence, was the site of an airplane crash that claimed the lives of all two servicemen on board, 31 years later in 1939.
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_day_an_airplane_crashed_near_a_long_island_motor_parkway_bridge

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

Hey Brian, I think you are correct about the posts. Like you, I also believe only the outer ROW posts were consistent, where those were used for keeping non-paying travelers away from LIMP property. Also, the inner roadway posts were mostly used in hazardous roadway conditions like curves, elevated roadways, and bridges. Before parking began at the airport, roadway posts there were not necessary as the airport sat on flat and straight ground. They were most likely installed afterwards to shield the parked cars from LIMP traffic. I’m sending Howard a photo of the same area where no roadway posts appear, and when vehicles were parking on the south side on Hempstead Plains instead (a swampy area). I believe Willie K’s objection for LIMP access to the airport was all about safety, but since LIMP traffic turned out lighter than expected, access was then granted.

From Mystery Foto #15 Solved: Motor Parkway Parking Space Adjacent to Long Island Aviation Country Club

Great pics. These guys were workers. This weekend the Ellison ave bridge finally reopened. These workers here built about 40 bridges in the amount of time it took current guys to replace one.

I was at the New Hyde Park road former bridge site today. Just on a run but I realized there is still concrete on the abutment facing NHP Road heavily covered with brush. I wonder if the date inscription is still there.

From From the Garden City Archives: Building the Bridges of the Long Island Motor Parkway

Identify the race(s) and its date-
From VCR.com; On September 10, 1908, the AAA Race Commission announced plans to christen the Motor Parkway with an event called, “The Long Island Motor Parkway Sweepstakes.” Five concurrent stock car races were scheduled for October 10, 1908. The idea was to create an opportunity to test the new course, timing systems, and crowd control for the Vanderbilt Cup Race scheduled two weeks later.

Identify the drivers and race cars in the photos-
Not really battling it out, but that’s #J11 Chalmers-Detroit driven by W. R. Burns. Finished 1st averaging 46.2 miles per hour in the Jericho Sweepstakes and #P42 Isotta (Italy) driven by Herb Lytle. Finished 1st with an average speed of 64.25 mph in the Motor Parkway Sweepstakes.

What is the exact location of the photo?
On top of the Plainview Road LIMP bridge looking South/ South/West

What is the structure at the beginning of the curve?
Water was not readily available during the LIMP constuction, so wells were dug every mile or so along the construction zone. The structure is/was a well and a pump station and elevated water storage tank.

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

These may well be the same photos in the missing bound volume I last saw at the Hempstead Public Library ca. 1960; see http://sbiii.com/limp-bib.html#limpbdvl .  I still have hopes that someone, somewhere will turn up with a copy of this treasure someday while I’m still around.  Sam, III

From From the Garden City Archives: Building the Bridges of the Long Island Motor Parkway

No clues, but, rather than a battle, it looks more like an overtaking.  The mechanician in the lead car sure seems to be gesturing to the trailing car to pass.  Note that there’s no exhaust plume from the lead car.  As to the structure, it appears to be one of the water tanks that fed the pipe that ran the length of the RoW during construction to supply water for the concrete pours.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

The clue to my answer is the water tower and landmarks,I’m searching both Deadmans Curves. On the 2nd curve is the Central Railroad,but not in the mystery,maybe that’s what being built,but that’s too close and there’s no water tower, it’s turning out not to so easy for me,for you guys it’s easy. Just can’t find what I’m looking for. Gotta take a break from this.

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

An I recall aright, Bob Miller had a photo of the remains of the tollgate roof settling deeply into the weeds which he showed at a very early show, possibly the very one I attended at his invitation that started me on this course.  In case he doesn’t follow this blog, I’ll ask him.  It seems to me it was more front-on, taken more to the left than Les’s shot, and looking more downward.  Sam, III

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #17 The Brentwood Lodge at Commack Spur Road

I’m a little frustrated with now,is this the second Deadmans Curve,I’m pretty sure it’s one of them,but which one,I guess I have to search a little more,

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved: Two Winning Racers at the Plainview Road Curve in Bethpage

... the best photos posted to date!

From Amazing Photos of the Alco Black Beast During the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race