Vanderbilt Cup Races

Thanks to Sam I’ve enjoyed many, many hours of enjoyment reading about,learning about and experiencing the Long Island Motor Parkway on my own (i.e., by way of miles of travels on bike and foot, crawling through brush, putting up with thorn bushes, ripped clothes, etc.) but loving it all!  Sam’s website was invaluable in helping uncover a part of Long Island I never knew existed.
Thanks, Sam.  And thanks Howard for honoring Sam this way.

From Sad News: The Passing of Sam Berliner III

Hi Edith & Brian:

Thanks for the comments.

Brian, above is the 1953 aerial from http://www.historicaerials.com/Default.aspx
. It is likely one of the black spots is the Huntington Lodge. Now let’s find a close-up.

Howard

From From the Ron Ridolph Collection- Then & Now: Motor Parkway Lodges

From Brian McCarthy: What a great site this is! I particulary like viewing the old pictures of the parkway and toll lodges then and now. I’m a utility worker for National Grid, based out of Hicksville. So I’m very familiar with the electric transmission tower and pole lines that are nearby the parkway remnants. I don’t recall who lead me to the historicalaerials website. Some of the aerial maps go back to the 1950’s, and the parkway route is shown very clearly in those years. The area east of Rte.110 in Melville shows some houses? just south of the parkway. Perhaps one of these buildings was the Huntington Toll Lodge? The 1980 aerial map shows those houses gone, with larger office buildings in place. I’ll have to poke around there at some point. You run an excellent site, Howard.

Sincerely,

Brian D McCarthy

From From the Ron Ridolph Collection- Then & Now: Motor Parkway Lodges

Hi Noel:

I totally agree. Please call me at 1-516-625-0123 and we can discuss next steps.

Howard

From Upclose: The Vanderbilt Cup Trophy in 2002

If that’s Janet Guthrie, tell her she still looks hot.  Dennis

From The Alco Black Beast: 2010 Smiles and Thumbs-Up

The 1904 Knox, pictured in the postcard, is in the collection of the Seal Cove Auto Museum located on Mount Desert Island, Maine. The car was acquired by the Museum’s founder, Richard C. Paine Jr., in 1986. The Museum also displays a Thomas Flyer that had been found in a barn by Henry Austin Clark Jr.

From Postcards from the Long Island Automotive Museum (#7-11)

Howard, The photos are great and the movie.
You are truly the right person to have this
car, because you let others have fun with it!

Take care,  Cathy Ball

From The Alco Black Beast: 2010 Smiles and Thumbs-Up

From Roger P:

Wonderful pix of young and old enjoying your Black Beast, Howard…thanks for sharing it so generously with others.

From The Alco Black Beast: 2010 Smiles and Thumbs-Up

Long Islanders have to find a way to bring the trophy back to Long Island and to the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum for permanent display—-or even a temporary display——if not this year—-then in 2014 for the 110 anniversary of
Willie K’s land speed record. Who has the contact at the Smithsonian ?? Let me know and I will give it my best effort to make it happen.

From Upclose: The Vanderbilt Cup Trophy in 2002

Howard:
What a beautiful work of art.  Thank you for sharing.  Happy Holidays to you and your family!

From Upclose: The Vanderbilt Cup Trophy in 2002

Congratulations, Howard…on your generous assistance with the REO.  Maybe one of these days, we will see you driving it too, if you can tear yourself away from La Bête Noire!

From Vanderbilt Museum Announces New Automobile Addition to Its Exhibit

Interesting as always - are there any more photos of the Lincoln. As it has non-factory fenders, It must be a one-off custom. Thanks again Hugh

From Vanderbilt Museum Announces New Automobile Addition to Its Exhibit

This is the update from our efforts

http://libn.com/blog/2010/11/19/left-turns/

  Please join and remember spread the word & stay united…
  http://www.limotorsports.org

From LI Business News "LI Votes for a Race Track" & Film "LI Drag Racing"

Hi Howard,
What a big surprise to see the erroneous first name engraved on the cup for Hémery! It’s a funny point of the history that I didn’t know! Thanks a lot!

From Upclose: The Vanderbilt Cup Trophy in 2002

Kathryn W:

Hi I am writing to you from England UK.
I have been tracing my family tree and Herb Lytle married my 3x great aunt Gertrude Fanny Harbord. I see that her son is still alive, please could you pass on my e mail to her son and ask if he would contact me.
Kind Regards

From A Request from the Son of the Winner of the First Motor Parkway Race: Herb Lytle

The rich heritage of Long Island and motorsport is now all but forgotten. The idea to REV UP the East End again would be amazing!
I saw my first race ever at Bridgehampton and IT was the root of my current fascination and fixation for CARS.

From LI Business News "LI Votes for a Race Track" & Film "LI Drag Racing"

Howard, thank you for the Newsletter - What a great idea! It’s the perfect place because of Long Island’s extensive Motorsports history -

Our company Gilbert Art has been involved in three Concours d’Elegance in Bridghampton and created the original art for the last Event Program Cover in 2007 - we have always hoped for a revival of premier car racing in LI -

Of course the track should be built to host F1, Indy, Nascar, Concour’s and Vintage road races - this will attract the largest possible fan base from New England to FLorida -

Plus it would need to host winter events, such as Arts & Culture programs beyond sports - and it should become an active and interested entity in the concerns and aspirations of the local communities

Finally, it will need to attract the diversity of urban demographics - including people of color women, seniors, and the digital natives - 

FYI - In 2011, the city of Baltimore will host an IZOD Indycar race - a good start in attracting an east coast urban population -

I’m sure the planners will consider the expertise of the preeminent racetrack designer - Architect,Paxton Waters in Carmel, Indiana - 317 566 8332 .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Thanks again Howard - keep me in the loop -

Linda Jones
President, The Gilbert Art Group, Inc.

From LI Business News "LI Votes for a Race Track" & Film "LI Drag Racing"

Hi Ken:

Great observation!

A condition of competing in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race was as follows:

“That no car shall be allowed to compete for the cup whose weight shall exceed 2,204 pounds, or under 881 pounds. Each car must carry two persons seated side by side, whose weight must be at least 132 lbs. each.”

Howard

From Old 16 Fun Facts from the Henry Ford Museum

Reading about the Old 16 notice its weight of 2204 lbs. Wonder if there was a 1000 kilo maximum weight as that weight is exactly equal to 1000 kilos or is it just a coincidence?

From Old 16 Fun Facts from the Henry Ford Museum

From Annette P: Thank you for this newsletter, I read it along with my husband.

I would be in favor of a motorsports complex. My husband was one of the last groups to take the Skip Barber racing course at Bridgehampton. So much history there!  Whenever he races it’s such a schlep.

Our favorite racetrack is Lime Rock..I think those making this decision should look to that racetrack and see how well they work with the community and it IS beautiful up there. The revenue alone would help Long Island economy and perhaps help out local merchants ( restaurants, hotels, tanger, etc).

I sincerely hope the decision for this property is something unique and not another stupid mall.

best wishes

From LI Business News "LI Votes for a Race Track" & Film "LI Drag Racing"