Vanderbilt Cup Races

Those eyes can only belong to Louis Chevrolet. I think he is in his 1909 Buick Marquette racer, which appears from photos to have an enclosed driveshaft, not chain, drive system. I can’t see enough of the mechanic, but it may be his brother Arthur, who joined the Buick racing team with Louis in March of 1909. This car raced successfully in various events, especially in 1909, before The Chevrolets joined Wm Durant and Little in the Chevrolet automobile.  When Durant wanted Louis to sanction a cheaper Chevrolet, he left the company, and Durant used the stock he had purchased to help him regain control of GM.

From Mystery Foto #95 Solved: Louis Chevrolet and Joe Nelson Preparing for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Driver: Louis Chevrolet
Mechanic: Joe Nelson
Racer:  Matheson
Race: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup

From Mystery Foto #95 Solved: Louis Chevrolet and Joe Nelson Preparing for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Howard,
I know I speak for many in saying how much we appreciate your continued efforts at uncovering, preserving and sharing our motorsports heritage.

From Favorite Website: A Treasure of 34,407 Automotive Photos Posted Online

I don’t know , but this seemed easy to me. I knew the car #, which is 5, then the driver has a mustache, so that’s two things going for me, then to match up the mechanician with the driver, which was just process of elimination. At first I thought it was Louis Chevrolet, but the mechanician didn’t match, then four more tries, no luck, then finally, this is it,, I’m going with it right or wrong, They say always go with your first thought, Driver: Joe Tracy Mechanician: Al Poole, Racer: Locomobile. Participated in the American Eliminations time trials. I’m going to add a few more things to this. Came in second and was selected for the American Team also participated in 5 races 1904-1906. All this, something got to be right

From Mystery Foto #95 Solved: Louis Chevrolet and Joe Nelson Preparing for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Howard and Al, It was wonderful tribute Henry Austin Clark Jr. A person who was very knowledgeable about cars and one of the first people to research The Motor Parkway His good friend Lester Cutting would of thought it great. There should be something written about Mr Cutting. Because years ago he also was a collector and research The Motor Parkway like Mr Clark. Keep up the good work

From An Amazing Evening: "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum"

-Identify the driver and mechanician

Louis Chevrolet and Mechanician Joe Nelson

-Identify the racer

#15 Buick

-Identify the Vanderbilt Cup Race in which this racer participated

1909

From Mystery Foto #95 Solved: Louis Chevrolet and Joe Nelson Preparing for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Getting back to what I was saying earlier. It was good to see familiar people, never expected to see Marty Himes and MR. Jaffee. That just goes to show how many go on your website and are interested in what you do for a good cause to keep the history of long island and the motor parkway moving.

From An Amazing Evening: "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum"

My sincere thanks to all who attended . Special thanks to Al and Howard for inviting us to attend and talk about our great friend Austin Clark. It was very nice to see so many people from the Southampton Fire Dept. there, Craig, Amy, and also Lance Aldrich who with his late Dad, Eddie were a fixture at the L.I. A. M.
I appreciate my friends in the Long Island Buick Club who promoted the event on their web site as well, and to Dave, Joanne, Marty, Frank, Marc, Debbie, Theresa, and Dennis for being there that night. Continue to support the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society by telling your friends about it, and invite them to the next meeting.  Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.

From An Amazing Evening: "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum"

From Paul E:
” Was at the Bethpage Library yesterday with a friend. Great presentation, very enjoyable evening.  You bring back enjoyable memories!  I think most of the people that were there were there because they wanted to remember the past, and have an enjoyable evening. I had the liberty of having a job that allowed me weekdays off.  I would drive out to the Museum, and it being a weekday, almost always got a ride in an old car or truck!  They had to run them to maintain them.

I noticed Marty Himes was there.  He has a very interesting museum.  I was surprised you did not point him out.  Didn’t we all go to Freeport and Islip to watch the stock cars, and the modifides?  The figure 8 races were invented at Islip! As was the demolition derby! 
    You obviously enjoy what you are doing! Is there anything better then getting paid to do something You enjoy.  You know You are dealing with living history, several were there last evening!  Question, what happened to the Peirce Silver Arrow? How is Your Shelby? I have been to several of Your presentations and always learn something and have an enjoyable time. 
    Thank You for making people feel good!  Is there anything better then that?  My one owner Mustang will be 50 next Nov 17, about a year away.
          PLEASE, Stay Well, so You can do this more often!  I am on your email list.

From An Amazing Evening: "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum"

From Gary H.

“Just wanted to restate the obvious - it was a great meeting last night, and both Claudia & I enjoyed ourselves!”

From An Amazing Evening: "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum"

From Andy Hartwell:

Last night’s presentation was wonderful! I really enjoyed learning so much about a man whose name I connected with ‘The Bridge’ since I was a teen.  It was heartwarming to hear so many tell their stories about Clark.  Looking at some of the slides of the invites and the auction announcements it sure seems his sense of humor would have endeared me to him had I ever been fortunate enough to meet him!

Anyway, just wanted to say I really enjoyed the night. Your presentation, as always, was spot on. I would have to characterize the entire night as ‘professionally casual”, and that is meant as a compliment. You deftly combined static slides with expert commentary and encouraged those in attendance to flesh out the content with their own remembrances. Excellent job!  Extremely enjoyable night!

I posted my pics here http://ashautophotos.smugmug.com/Cars/Museums-and-Shows/Henry-Austin-Clark-Tribute/45861926_8TnzzN
If you have a need for any of them, help yourself. If you want a higher res version, shoot me an email and I will send it to you.

Again, great evening! Thanks again!
Andy

From An Amazing Evening: "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum"

Certainly was a memorable night for some of people, who knew him and worked with him. I was very surprised that so many knew him as they were growing up. Really learned a lot about him that wasn’t known, it even amazed you Howard. Be back later on tonight.

From An Amazing Evening: "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum"

Louis Chevrolet &  Joe Nelson, Matheson Racer, 1908 race.

From Mystery Foto #95 Solved: Louis Chevrolet and Joe Nelson Preparing for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

The man with the big moustache is of course Louis Chevrolet. He drove a Matheson in the Vanderbilt Cup races of 1908 with no. 15. On the photo he and his mechanician Joe Nelson are posing on the 90hp Matheson. During the race he already was out in the first round because of a cracked cylinder. It isn’t the car with no. 15 shown on the website by the way. This is in fact the Buick he drove in the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup race (indeed shown there too), coincidentally (?) with the same number. The 1908 lettering style was more square and also the gas tank had a different size. Besides the support for the hand levers is a full circle for the Matheson, but only a semi-circle for the Buick. The only photo of the 1908 Matheson I could find, is the frontal view photo of the Matheson team, with his team mate James Ryall in no. 7.

From Mystery Foto #95 Solved: Louis Chevrolet and Joe Nelson Preparing for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Dont know the mechanician, but the mustache and cigarette belongs to Louis Chevrolet who raced in the 1905 1908 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup races, i think the racing car was called a darraq.

From Mystery Foto #95 Solved: Louis Chevrolet and Joe Nelson Preparing for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I’ve ridden my bike along the Central RR and LIMP eastward from Newbridge Road to Deadman’s Curve and north to Central Ave and eastward over that bridge. However, theres a lot of dismounting and crossing streets with no traffic signals and it can be kinda dangerous, as well as the path between the houses i saw some mean dogs running loose and lots of sharp stuff littered everywhere so it needs some work for sure.

From LIHerald.com: Preserving history with a bike path

In looking back at this whole thing, and scratching my head days later, the facts are plain to see:

#1 Central Avenue crosses the railroad tracks east of the bridge and continues east.

#2 Central Avenue runs parallel to the tracks on the west side of the bridge and under the bridge, only crossing the tracks east of the bridge.

#3 the RR always ran north west \\ southeast. LIMP ran due North South   II, Central Avenue Due West and East =.

#4 Why we are so confused today is because what we see today is a complete erasure of what was where central avenue crosses the tracks further southeast and goes over the SOB expressway (in the old days it connected due east of the bridge onto the now truncated road on the other side of the SOB that has that kneebone bend south and re connected with central avenue near the entrance to the BSPkwy.

    Please correct me if im wrong, but I conclude that the actual mystery foto was taken east of the bridge, north of the tracks, and the photographer was standing right smack on Central Avenue looking west after the railroad crossing (not pictured) , right next to the driveway leading into the Stymus Farmway underpass.  Mike

From Mystery Foto #94 Solved: The Stymus Farmway Underpass of the Motor Parkway's Longest Bridge

henry a clark had 2 curved dash olds,one atop the entrance and a good one on display inside the big building very close to the rear door on the east side.it never ran when i was there

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?

i worked at the museum before it opened and until 1951 and i don’t think joe tracy worked there at that time

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?

I wish I could make the tribute,as i was the first employe of the museum,me and norris hopping moved most of the cars into the museum from barns austie had in bridgehampton.me and austie raced the mercer 1911 in bridgehampton and were in the 1951 bridge program.the car just sold for 2.3 mil,we got the car to 87mph.austie had a good eye for relic autos.the moon was a good racer too.
                                          thank you
                                          gene martin

From An Amazing Evening: "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum"