Vanderbilt Cup Races

O. K. - the Bonwit page is now back up and there’s material about Heinie’s for John Wevers (and the rest of you) there {the Heine’s links are also up}.  Sam, III

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #15 & #16 The Brentwood Lodges at Commack Road

1908 Thomas Flyer

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: 1911 Stoddard Dayton at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

From John Wevers:

Hi Howard - Regarding the toll booth on Commack Road…it is easy for a local to understand how there is confusion there. Crooked Hill Road meets Commack road just feet from the Motor Parkway. Crooked Hill Road become Fifth Avenue, the main way into and through Brentwood.

That corner is the Commack School District, the Dix Hills Fire Department and kind of on the boundary line of Smithtown Town and the Town of Huntington.

That intersection had some meaning or such as I do remember there was a hot dog stand there at that corner ...Heine’s…..pronounced “hieny.” That is the site or origin of the Bonwit. And of course my Dad who was somewhat of a local historian of sorts recalled the toll booth as he called it and for all I cannot recall, he had mentioned a further use after it had been moved….but to where? As for the honey sales booth, I am not so sure. But to agree on the Brentwood origins…..it looks, in construction, like several old old buildings I remember in Brentwood. The only building that I know to still exist that the toll both picture reminds me of is the one room school located on the grounds of Brentwood High School.
Just to say, I really enjoy your website and the efforts of those who contribute.

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #15 & #16 The Brentwood Lodges at Commack Road

The structure that Howard and Al came across is quite similar to the original Brentwood Lodge. It looks to be in the front property? Is it safe to assume that the 2nd lodge built at the S/E corner of the LIMP and Commack Rd. was demolished?
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From Howard Kroplick
The building is directly in front of the main house.

The southeast toll lodge at Commack will be the next lodge in the series.

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #15 & #16 The Brentwood Lodges at Commack Road

This is Carl Fisher’s Stoddard Dayton. It was the pace car at the first Indianapolis 500 Race, and it can be seen in the Hall of Fame building, in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield.

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: 1911 Stoddard Dayton at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Great research about this lodge!

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #15 & #16 The Brentwood Lodges at Commack Road

Ayuh!  The current stand and the old lodge are in almost no way alike; besides, the proportions are all wrong.  May I refer you folks to my coverage of the Bonwit at <http://sbiii.com/limpkwy5.html#limpspur> and <http://sbiii.com/bonwitin.html>.  As before, the thumbnails now come up fuzzy but click on them for better pix.  Give me a few hours to restore the old Bonwit page, please.  Aside from the sad personal aspect, it’s too bad both Tsunises passed away; they each had promised to be major sources of background info.  Sam, III

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #15 & #16 The Brentwood Lodges at Commack Road

This is the Stoddard Dayton which served as the Pace Car for the first Indy 500 Race in 1911, as well as the 1913 & 1914 races.  It was driven by Carl G. Fisher, one of the founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  It was manufactured by the Dayton Motor Car Co., of Dayton, Ohio, and named for John W. Stoddard & son Charles, principals in the company.  The B&W photo shows the large brass intertwined initials CGF, along with the Stoddard Dayton name mounted on the front of the radiator.  The auto is shown on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: 1911 Stoddard Dayton at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Don’t know, but it’s another gem!

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: 1911 Stoddard Dayton at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Race driver Dario Resta after he retired from racing went on to be the import agent/dealer for the British built Sunbeam cars in Manhattan. Most of the cars were imported as a running chassis complete with front fenders and hood but minus coachwork to save money on import tariff. As a running chassis it was not deemed a complete car. Coachwork was then designed, built and fitted to the chassis by American coachbuilders.

From Film:The Pan-Pacific International Expo: Site of the 1915 American Grand Prize & Vanderbilt Cup Race

Howard -
I would like to invite you and Al to speak to the members of the Greater New York Antique Automobile Club on the first Thursday in April.  The meeting location is at the American Legion hall in Williston Park.  There is parking to the south of the building where there is an entrance to the meeting room.  There is additional parking space to the north on - you got it! - the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway.  The annual Spring Meet held by the club will be held later in April on the grounds of the Motor Parkway.  Looking forward to hearing from you.  Althea Travis

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #15 & #16 The Brentwood Lodges at Commack Road

This car is a 1911 Stoddard-Dayton that is representing the pace car for the 1911 Indy race in the Indy Hall of Fame Museum. There is some question as to whether this is the actual car. The original car was owned by Carl Fisher as he was the local Stoddard-Dayton dealer. It was the first time an automobile was used to pace and start a major auto race. In 1990 we had a celebration of the 1915 Point Loma Road Race in San Diego. We were fortunate in that there was a locally-owned Stoddard just like the one in the photo and the owner kindly brought it to our event and drove it as the pace car for the two laps of the course.

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: 1911 Stoddard Dayton at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Omg,I’ve seen this car and know that it’s historical,got some searching and brain racking to do and hope I come up with something

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: 1911 Stoddard Dayton at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Hay guys,you all really know your stuff,great job on this one,don’t know how you do it. I recognize some of the photos, seen them so many times but don’t know where they are,so don’t even bother answering,just wait and see what the answers are and marvel at the amazement of it all. One last thing. One last thing,I hope all is well after the storm. We were very lucky here,only got about 4 inches. I know it was bad it was bad in some places

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

Howard:
You hit a homerun with this issue.  Every article was great.  Thanks for bringing these to us.  I note that Al is your favorite co-author, but isn’t he your only co-author? Some compliment!
Joe
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From Howard Kroplick

My father always told me I was “his favorite son”! I do not have any brothers!

From Anatomy of a 1910 Survey: Proposed Location of the Deer Park Lodge

Identify the villages in the aerial
Starting in the upper left moving clockwise; Mineola, Carle Place, Westbury/Salisbury, East Meadow, Hempstead, Garden City
What is the approximate year of the aerial? Provide a rationale. 1943/44
Judging by the Wantagh, Northern and lack of Meadowbrook parkways and Mitchel runway configuration
Identify the Long Island Motor Parkway landmarks
Too many bridges and lodges to list! Many of the bridges are gone since this aerial is after the LIMP closed, but it starts at the very top edge with the LIMP golfway bridge in the Wheatley Hills Golf Club in East Williston to just after the LIMP Westbury Road Bridge in East Meadow and the 1938 Robert Moses bridge over the Wantagh Parkway at the very right edge of the photo.
Identify the golf course and sports venues
Ha! Which one? The photo is littered with sports venues/polo clubs and golf courses! I’ll just refer to the website;
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_golf_courses_adjoing_the_long_island_motor_parkway
Identify any other Long Island landmarks
Bonus: Find the star in the aerial. Whose boyhood home was located here in the 1950s?
I’m going out on a limb for this one and say this was your home Howard!

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

The runways look like old photos of Mitchell Field, but I can’t recognize any other landmarks!

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

It’s absolutely incredible that this bridge was “hiding” in plain sight.  What a find!!!
Thanks for the terrific photos.
Rog

From Inside the Wheeler Farmway Bridge #1: 1990s, 2008 and 2016

Bibendum Redivivus - This got me curious and I found the ashtray <http://www.cjbalm.com/auto-aero/mitem158.htm> on line.  Sam, III

From The Race to a Doctorate: Michelin, Bibendum and the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Mr. Bibendum has been my buddy for many years now (~65).  He was from an early Bakelite ashtray, long since disintegrated, and lost his feet in the last move - but he’s still smiling (great attitude).  I just went down to my cellar workshop and brought him, all 10cm of him, up and here he is: <http://sbiii.com/autopix/bibendum.jpg>.  Sam, III

From The Race to a Doctorate: Michelin, Bibendum and the Vanderbilt Cup Races