Vanderbilt Cup Races

Thank you Ted and Art for the photos and update of The Motor Pkwy Bike Trail! It would be wonderful if this path one day should connect to the Motor Pkwy path in Bethpage Park. Further south, the Jones Beach bikeway 4 mile extension to Tobay Beach will be completed this week, May 31, 2014. Any riders out there? I’m ready.

From Pilot Section of the Motor Parkway Trail Is Under Construction in East Meadow(Updated:June 17, 2014)

Howard,
Really enjoyed this week’s mystery, and the photograph of the boys playing with the scrap wood, a classic! It came to me that the hwy bridges on the motor pkwy atlas may be the same culvert(s) in the mystery, and the Motor Pkwy atlas indicates only location ‘minutes’ without ‘seconds’ (Hwy Br. Station 146 and Station 124). The additional survey posted indicates minutes and seconds (146+50 and 124+50). I’m guessimating that a Parkway bridge carried the LIMP over a grade level roadway underneath, and a Highway bridge was the LIMP always at grade level, travelling under or over something? Not sure what I just typed but hope it makes sense. Just a thought.

From Howard Kroplick:

Frank, the highway bridges indicate the Motor Parkway went under the bridge usually at grade. I believe the highway bridges indicated in this area in the 1938 Motor Parkway Atlas were planned bridges that were never built.

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

Correct me if I’m wrong. Doesn’t Salisbury Park Drive go north and south, because Old Country Road is east and west?
___________________________________________

From Howard Kroplick

Ted, in this section of the road, Salisbury Park Drive goes east and west.

From Pilot Section of the Motor Parkway Trail Is Under Construction in East Meadow(Updated:June 17, 2014)

Wow, I was way off on this one. I have to remember that the LIMP was pitched on both sides for drainage, and some of the remnants still are. Maybe there can be a culvert series? Just joshing

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

Was thinking vintage 1937 big band music emanating from it would be fitting a time machine effect as well as having you in vintage driving attire with Roz as Mrs Chrysler.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle IX: Putting It Back Together

Howard- I’ve haven’t had a chance to be on the computer for a few days. Thanks for posting the pictures I set . Great shots, weren’t they? Hope you all enjoyed them. If I get a chance, I’ll check it out again and take more, to keep you updated.

From Pilot Section of the Motor Parkway Trail Is Under Construction in East Meadow(Updated:June 17, 2014)

Great to see!

From Pilot Section of the Motor Parkway Trail Is Under Construction in East Meadow(Updated:June 17, 2014)

From Wayne Petersen:

Howard,
Saw the AmeriCarna, Very Cool! Thanks to you very keeping American automotive history alive.
Best regards,
Wayne Carroll Petersen
Barney Oldfield, Master Driver of the World & America’s Legendary Speed King
Great Great Nephew

From Vanderbilt Cup Races Featured on Velocity's AmeriCarna Series

My friend Bob Volkomer who grew up with me in Levittown thinks this is the Division Avenue Bridge. He did extensive research to come to this conclusion so I hope he’s correct.

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

The houses in the background appear to be sitting on the curve on Blacksmith Road.
On the 1924 Aerial overlay map, I’m not sure if the orange line extending Division Ave is a clue/hint of a future road that was never built, but the only indication that I’ve found of a bridge being at that location would be on the1928 Motor Parkway Atlas that shows;  ‘H.W. Bridge Sta 146 to be built’.

This one got me. I’m looking forward to the answer!

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

From Ann:
Hi Howard!

Brought back great memories for Bob, playing on that bridge after the roadway was taken up, and all that was left, at that time in the 1940’s, were the beams going across.  What a challenge!!

Ann

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

Bridge over troubled water. There were two LIMP Hwy bridges to be built on each side of the grandstand that were never completed. This appears to be a pkwy bridge not shown on the motor pkwy atlas, that may have been used to keep storm water off the track. Today there are many storm basins in the Hempstead Plains area including one adjacent to this very spot.

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

In regards to the unidentified midget race car driver pictured, the driver should be Morris “Babe” Bower, a top notch midget race driver from Philadelphia PA. Three National Midget Championship Races were held during 1939. The first was a 100-lap event, staged on a specially constructed quarter-mile banked board track on June 25 at Soldier Field, Chicago. A 150-mile race, held on a half-mile track at Roosevelt Raceway, Long Island, N. Y., on August 12, was won by Morris “Babe” Bower; second, Joe Garson and third, Perry Grimm. The final championship race was a 150-lap event held on the quarter-mile Gilmore Stadium track, in Los Angeles. The winners in each of the above races drove Offenhauser midget cars.”
According to brief information at the website posted below, Bower was a very small man which fits your website photo well. Thanks for your time, Wayne http://midgetcarpanorama.proboards.com/thread/550/midget-racer?page=1#scrollTo=1716

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

Howard - looks like a bridge to me!  Looking back in the blog I found your 1928 Motor Parkway Atlas schematic from May 18, 2013 (exactly one year ago today) on the Finding the Grandstand page (that was the page that showed us inspecting the then Josato property near Crocus Lane). The schematic shows a bridge to be built just west of the grandstand (M.W. Br. Sta 14E).  I originally thought that might be it but what you show in the mystery photo is more of a parkway bridge as the parkway runs over whatever is underneath it.  However, I then realized that Ernie actually sent the same mystery photo to me a few years ago (he found me by looking at my website and realized we are both Levittonwers) and just yesterday e-mailed him about it.  Ernie let me in on what your suggestion as to what the mystery photo might be (a culvert?) so I’m taking me out of the running this week.  Incidentally, the area behind that part of Orchard Road is now a sump so very could be a culvert.

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

The area behind the boys is now a catch basin, any trace of the Parkway long gone.

When I sent Howard these images his comment was it is a culvert, which is probably what we see. In this area there is a natural valley here, now along the current Violet Lane, that extends well north and south of this area, so some drainage would be needed.

While this area is very close to the race Grandstands I have not seen it in the background of any of the pictures. That is the best chance of seeing it again.

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

The 1906 race being the first use of the checkered flag? And Willie K is caught standing right beside it in the pic? That’s an incredible capture Howard! Thanks!!

From The Largest Newspaper Photo Ever Published in 1906- The Checkered Flag Finish of Louis Wagner

Hello Howard,

Please change the word “bridge” to “tunnel”  as to what the “structure” is in my previous guess. Thanks.

Steve

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

To add to my earlier comments , the bridge in the photo is shown on two drawings at station 124. The 1909 drawing makes note of a feature at sta.124 and the 1928 drawing notes Br to be built. In my earlier comments I stated that Division St (Ave) crossed the LIRR tracks and there was a brick platform for passengers going to the race I was in error, as the platform was constructed of cinders and was 1512’ long.

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

Looks to be the remains of the pit area located slightly west of the grandstand.

From Mystery Foto #68 Solved: A Motor Parkway Culvert in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown)

Howard- The pictures were sent. They were taken on May 10, enjoy

From Pilot Section of the Motor Parkway Trail Is Under Construction in East Meadow(Updated:June 17, 2014)