Vanderbilt Cup Races

Howard - great pics.  I love to walk this area and often imagine what it must have felt like to go motoring there.  Glad I’m back on the e-mail list.

From Then & Now: The Long Island Motor Parkway in East Williston

From James L:

“Your Alco is an amazing car. I really like the one in the Nethercut collection as well. I have been around early cars since high school. My first auto job was at 15. I worked for George Wingard. I have started a program to teach young people about vintage automobiles and materials science. We have made some matching Alloys for a 1913 Turcat-Mery dash that had a number of holes that needed patching. Since the dash will be bare metal the chemistry had to be just right. Our current area of study is the great Harry Miller Leo Goosen and Fred Offenhauser.

Why now? we are loosing out first hand drivers spectators and builders. The greatest generation is in there late 70’s to 90’s. Our students are carefully selected and we will teach maners,materials and machines.

Our face book page is The Hub Society.
Our first trip with the group will be to Jay Leno’s show shop and to visit a number of L.A. locations that are related to Miller’s history.
I would love to study the Vanderbuilt events in the future. It is difficult to motivate the study without having the students loose interest.
Our ultimate goal will be to build a car for the students to operate. I would love to find a early Lozier like the one that Teddy Tetzlaff. With the Miller Carb. Finding a chassis might be a bit difficult but it is good to have goals. A side by side is the the design that we will build so that we can give rides to younger students.
Feel free to check out our page we would like to add history and add you as a admin.”

From Video "Looking Back: Driving the Black Beast"

From Roy W:

“Thanks so much for letting me enjoy my youth again with the articles on Queens. I grew up in Fresh Meadaows. When I got my first English racer in 1959, the first thing I did was to take it on the Parkway to the end; i.e., what’s shown in your Winchester photos today. The downhill grade was fantastic on the last stretch. What speed. But the road was rough.”

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

From Jeff Mahl Great Grandson of George Schuster Sr.-Driver and Winner of the New York to Paris Race 1908:

“Just a quick note to tell you how much I enjoy the Vanderbilt Cup Race News!  I’m going to be at The Port Jefferson Education and Arts Conservancy with the presentation on the The Great Auto Race of 1908 Sunday October 9.  As you may already know, I have just finished World Race 2011, which commemorated the 1908 event finishing in Paris on July 21.

http://worldrace2011.posterous.com/

I look forward to seeing your part of the world….”

From Walter McCarthy Collection: A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr.

From Robert R:

“GREAT images of Austie, Howard.

Thanks for the memories of a lovely guy.”

From Walter McCarthy Collection: A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark, Jr.

Hi Brian:

I believe you are correct.

Howard

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

In the 1938 photo, I’m guessing the original limp is the path that veers to the right into Union Tpke in the top of the photo? And then follows Union Tpke west until it merges (so to speak) into the Limp?

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #8 Alley Road Bridge (Winchester Boulevard) in Queens

I grew up in Queens Village and remember the LIMP bridges well.  As little kids we used to call the Alley Pond bridge the “hooting and hollering bridge” because of its wonderful echo effect.  Later my dad took up jogging and made use of the existing LIMP roadway from Winchester Blvd. to Francis Lewis Blvd.

I recall that in some locations you could see the original roadbed and then a newer, smaller road surface that was paved over it at some point.

I don’t recall what bridge Dennis Kelly refers to, but do remember that there was an extensive bridle trail through the park which was still in use when I was a boy. I believe it even extended beyond the park along the LIE service road as far as Springfield Blvd. and maybe even Bell Blvd.  Much of it was obliterated when the LIE was widened in the 1960’s or 70’s

From New "Now" Images of Motor Parkway Bridges in Queens

Thanks for the memories.
Stopped by the museum a few years ago. Glad to see it’s operating.

From Highlights from Old Timer's Day at the Himes Museum of Motor Racing Nostalgia

Marty & Howard,
Thanks for keeping American Auto Racing History Alive !!!!!!!!
Best regards,
Wayne Carroll Petersen
Barney Oldfield, Master Driver of the World
Great Great Nephew

http://www.brownfoxbooks.com, Life & Times of Barney Oldfield
http://www.rumbledrome.com, Master Driver of the World
http://www.firstsuperspeedway.com, Photos:Oldfield/Petersen
http://www.gambleart.com. Grand Old Man of Racing

From Highlights from Old Timer's Day at the Himes Museum of Motor Racing Nostalgia

Hi Dennis:

Please send me a jpeg to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) . I believe the bridge that you are referring to may have been built by Robert Moses to provide access for a bridle path.

Howard

From New "Now" Images of Motor Parkway Bridges in Queens

Howard,

There is another bridge that you didn’t mention, but perhaps it’s not an original bridge?  between the Farmway bridge closer to Springfield and the other Wheeler bridge near the tennis courts.  When heading east, it’s just before the downhill that takes you under the highway.  I can’t imagine why it would have been built after the parkway closed…  Let me know if you want me to take a picture of it.

Dennis

From New "Now" Images of Motor Parkway Bridges in Queens

Hi Howard
Love the LIMP Bridge Series you’re posting. Can’t wait to see the next set of bridges and routes in line. That Central RR abutment over Bell Blvd was unexpected!. Please keep ‘em comin’!

From New "Now" Images of Motor Parkway Bridges in Queens

It’s great to see Marty Himes and the gang at his museum. Marty’s memory and knowledge of Long Island’s racing history is incredible. We invite Marty and the gang to our Summer Show at The Long Island Antique Power Association and to this day he has been one of our biggest features. It’s a pleasure working with him. It is always nice to see the Black Beast too. What a amazing race car!!
Keep up the good work Howard, I am fascinated with the Motor Pkwy features you and your members do. It’s very interesting.

From Highlights from Old Timer's Day at the Himes Museum of Motor Racing Nostalgia

Thanks again for a nice way to start Sunday. GREAT video. Like the way the grin on the photog’s face gets bigger and bigger as he appreciates how special it is to experience the Alco from on board. And the pedestrian who has both hands up to his/her(?) face in disbelief at seeing the car. I have an XK120 coupe and people love seeing that but the Alco is in a whole different class by itself. Short story- I drove the 120 to the local farm stand last week and as I got out of the car a woman (a stranger)came up and said, “You really look good in that car!” and all I could think of to say was, “So you’re saying I don’t look so good now that I’m out of it??”

From Video "Looking Back: Driving the Black Beast"

Thank You for letting the public see touch and hear such a famous and valuable car. Most cars of this caliber are locked away in museums and never have their engines started much less driven , Many thanks for supporting our Long Island racing history!!!!!!

From Highlights of the Cruizin' For A Cure Car Show and Upcoming Street Festivals and Car Shows

I’m guessing the cesspools on the old survey maps were for road drainage.No major sewer system back then.

From Part I: The Motor Parkway "Mayan Ruins" in Garden City

The Alley Pond Bridge is my son Gram’s absolute favorite spot of the Parkway. I suppose that has to do with its being such a big part of MY childhood experience. Gram remains convinced that in some form or other the road shall rule in NYC racing history once again at some point in the future.
Our Fall exploration this year includes the bridge near the Old Bethpage Village Village and a small area of the banking near Central Ave in Bethpage where my Grandfather was one of the Italian bricklayers. He bought property near that worksite and eventually built a home right there just a 1/4 mile from the roadway.

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #7 Wheeler Farmway Bridge #2 (Alley Pond) in Queens

to Larry and others, I would appreciate knowing if you sold any of your cards & what you may have received. I also have many other similar cards. thanks that I would be interested in selling,marvin sept. 11 ,2011

From Postcards from the Long Island Automotive Museum (#1-6)

LOOKS LIKE IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

From Video: "Take a Ride with the Black Beast on the Lime Rock Track"