Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hi Howard.

You should definitely call Donald Davidson, Howard. He’ll answer virtually any question you have about Stapp. Also, Stapp’s family lives in Indianapolis.

From "Babe" Stapp: Driver of the Topping-Miller Special and Maserati V8Ri

From Michael Lynch:

There were four Maserati V-8Ri (the “i” stands for independent suspension) made. All came to America. Topping’s car was serial # 4503. It had been brought to America for the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup by Frenchman Phillipe Etancelin who finished 9th in that race. Topping bought if from him after the race. Topping entered Stapp in the car at the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup where he qualified 11th and retired after 8 laps. They then went to Indianapolis where the qualified 31st and finished 31st. Car has a supercharged 90 degreeV-8 with 320 horsepower. Later spent time on dirt ovals in the Northwest. Now restored to the specification it ran in Europe (French blue paint), it appeared at this year’s Monte Carlo Historique with German collector Josef Otto Rettenmaier. I am not aware of any other Topping entries with the car.

The 1936 Stapp Vanderbilt entry is listed in different sources as a Shaw FWD chassis with an Offy or a Miller Special. I will forward a picture to you personally. Qualified 27th and retired. Race #21.

From "Babe" Stapp: Driver of the Topping-Miller Special and Maserati V8Ri

Fantastic site.  I too would like to acquire a poster for display in my automotive barn.

Please keep me in mind.

Thanx
Billy Garbarino

From The Official Poster for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race

From Kfyork: “Thank you for posting this!! “

From Film "Rosemeyer's Victory in the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Race"

From John M:

“That’s it. My Grandmother’s family name was Tilley. There is a street by that name in Sea Cliff. However, her Mother was married twice, and I can not remember the stepfather’s last name.

Maude Tilley by all accounts was a bit of a rebel, somewhere there is a WWI era photo of her in an airplane, and evidently she did fly as a passenger. By the time she married my Grandfather, in the late 1920’s, she had evidently settled down, and that may have been her second marriage. Family age and times of death means there was very little opportunity to get much info from my Father or Grandparents re that side of my family.”

From Then & Now: "The Most Difficult Turn" on the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Course

Although you of course know that.

From "Black Beast" at the Wounded Warrior Project Car Show in Riverhead

Hemmings Classic Car will be running a six-page feature on Bete Noir in the not too distant future.

From "Black Beast" at the Wounded Warrior Project Car Show in Riverhead

Hi George:

It was a pleasure! Congratulations on a very successful inaugural car show for a wonderful cause.

Howard

From "Black Beast" at the Wounded Warrior Project Car Show in Riverhead

Howard,
I want to thank you again for not just bringing the Alco out to the WWP show at Martha Clara, but also for driving the car around the field for and with spectators. Your donations to the Wounded Warrior Project through the sale of your books and display of the “beast” really helped to make the show the success that it was.
Sincerely,
George

From "Black Beast" at the Wounded Warrior Project Car Show in Riverhead

From Richard Armstrong:

I thought I’d share these thoughts regarding the Nassau County Museum pictures. I’m 99.99% certain that these were taken on at least three different occasions.

Although some are race day or practice pictures, some of them appear to have been taken at the press launch, which I think only featured the local drivers as the Europeans hadn’t arrived. We worked this out during the HAMB thread.

At post #2037 there’s a picture of Joel Thorne, which prompted the discussion - this turned out to be from the press day, as the car number - and indeed the car - don’t match the race. Note the small number of people in the grandstand. See Michael’s and my comments in posts #2068, 2073 & 2075 regarding the Thorne car.

I’d now like to deal with the Topping Spl: the Museum pictures are actually from two different occasions! The one where Stapp is seen holding the flag is from the press day - if you examine the two pictures, you’ll notice that the car has no aero screen in that one and there are again very few people in the stand. In the other picture, Stapp is wearing different overalls, the car has acquired an aero screen and the decorative radiator cap has been replaced with a plain one. The details of this exactly match the car and driver as seen in the race day picture on page 27 of Smith Hempstone Oliver’s book.

On balance I think the Thorne-Miller picture was probably taken on the press day as well - it carries neither race number, nor a shield with the US flag, which it would have done on race day. The Gilmore Special action shot also shows no evidence of the shield, so I think this too is a press day picture.

Finally - that Bugatti! A Bugatti expert of my acquaintance is certain that this car is an ordinary T35, so it appears to be something brought along to fill out the spectacle on the press day - again no numbers or flags, but equally no road registration either. And despite my earlier certainty, the driver definitely isn’t Brian Lewis.

I do have a lead on the mystery “smart dressed man” in the garage, but can’t be certain on that at the moment. The mechanic standing beside
Nuvolari in the Alfa on the grid is Attilio Marinoni, but I’m not sure about the other two.

Best regards,

Richard

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

From Boatops:
“I just saw the ALCO-8 BLACK BEAST at Martha Clara Vineyards Wounded Warrior Car Show on Long Island. What a piece of history!!! “

From "Black Beast" at the Wounded Warrior Project Car Show in Riverhead

Hi Howard,

many thanks for your information re McElroy and the “Australia” sign from 1936.
It seems he was “a bit of a character”, to put it mildly, and perhaps in the same swash-buckling mould as another Aussie, Errol Flyn!

Congratulations on your Vanderbilt Cup site: it is truly exemplary.

Regards, Geoff “onelung” Chennells
Adelaide, South Australia.
__________________

From From the Drennan Collection: 1937 Roosevelt Raceway "Australia" Mystery Solved

Hi Al:

See images of these two bridges above.

Howard

From Rare 1930s Photos of Two Motor Parkway Bridge Accidents

I have a set of picture post card size vintage long island automotive museum picture cards set of #1-40 (missing card number 5,12,27). On the back are descriptions of different cars for each card. The front shows the picture of the cars.

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?

Looking forward to it! 😊

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

Richard:

I am impressed by your sharp eye. Photos have been corrected. Thanks!!

Howard

From From the Drennan Collection: The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race Awards Ceremony

Otto Linton and Lew Fink owned the Scorpion - DKW/Rytune that he ran there and I had always heard stories about the car. There were only three of them, the Rodriguez brothers owned the other two…..eventually selling the one that Wallace drove.

There are lots of bad info on these early races…..Ray Heppenstall started working for Otto right out of high school, and he was used to transport some of the cars for Otto and Tom Flemming…...he often shows up in the records as having owned / driven them (but he did not).

The dagrada was a nice car….Otto had a good look at one at the Fairmont Park races in Philadelphia. The Scorpion was blindingly fast in short distances as it could lap the entire field within the first few laps. At the time, Lew mentioned that the champ car drivers we taken back at the huge speed difference between the cars during practice having told Lew “you guys in the Scorpions must be crazy”. The Scorpions seemed to be in a class of their own…..but in long distance runs the DKW engine heated up and the pre-charge did not work as well and their advantage would evaporate.

So had the two Lancia/dagrada cars run….they would have shown well over the 75 mile race.

cheers,

Roger Linton

From The Dagradas and the 1960 Cornelius Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Raceway

I think you’ll find you’ve posted all those pictures reversed! Either that, or there’s some very creative tailoring going on!

I look forward to seeing the rest.

From From the Drennan Collection: The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race Awards Ceremony

Michael and Richard:

Thanks for the information. Much appreciated.

I have just received over 50 glass plates and negatives from the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race from the Cradle of Aviation. About 1/3 are drivers in unidentifed cars ...so I may need your expertise in identifying these previously unpublished photos:

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/friday_may_7_2010_from_the_drennan_collection_the_1936_awards_ceremony

Howard

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

A group of us from Boston went on a tour in the mid 70’s and met up with a group of old car people from the island.  Henry was a member of the group.  That was the only time I met Henry who was a perfect host.  On the Saturday of our tour, he took us by the museum and gave people whatever parts they needed.  That evening we visited his home in Southampton before going to John Duck’s for dinner.  That was a weekend I’ll never forget.  God bless you Henry wherever you are.

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?