Vanderbilt Cup Races

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vcrsys/Images/Alco/Top-746_edited-2.jpg

This not Babe Stapp, but Englishman Earl Howe in his ERA.

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

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vcrsys/Images/Alco/Top-743_edited-2.jpg

This not Overton Phillips, but I’m not sure: I believe it may be Englishman Brian Lewis.

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

A few photo ids:

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vcrsys/Images/Alco/Top-739_edited-1.jpg

Car is correctly identified as the 1936 Shaw/Offenhauser, seated in it is Giuseppe Farina (1950 FIA World Champion), standing from left to right are Wilbur Shaw, Tazio Nuvolari, unknown, Rex Mays and Antonio Brivio.

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

Hi Randy:

Thanks for the information!

Howard

From Dario Resta and the Peugeot- Repeat Winner of the Vanderbilt Cup Race

Excellent, love to see these photos. As well I look very much forward to seeing The Bridge ones as well as others!

From A Treasure Box of Long Island Auto Racing Discovered by the Cradle of Aviation

Hi Howard,
    Thank you very much for walking the extra mile regarding my inquiry. Let’s see if there are any of our fellow enthusiasts that might have some information.
    Charlie had a “New York connection,” we uncovered photos of Charlie at Watkins Glen in the late 1940’s, when the SCCA was still in its gestation period; in one photo Dave Garroway (of the original NBC Today Show) thanking Charlie for helping to prepare his SS 100. Also Charlie had an extremely close friendship with Luigi Chinetti; and of course Chinetti rode out WWII working for Alfred Momo, in Manhattan.
Immediately after the War Chinetti approached Ferrari to build and import automobiles, after Enzo agreed, one of the first persons Chinetti turned to here in the States was to call Charlie and made Charlie his “go to man” in the midwest. Charlie made numerous trips to Manhattan to help Chinetti launch the Brand…..when you think about it…..what a risk…what a challenge! In 1948 who, in the U.S. knew what a Ferrari was? Did even Chinetti have the vision to know how far his endeavor would go, the scale, the mystique?
    Charlie would continue to make frequent trips to The Glen every year, usually to service Chinetti entries, or Chinetti customer cars.
It was also not uncommon for Charlie to pick up customer cars at the Manhattan showroom and drive them back to the midwest and deliver them directly to the new owners. He was active until the late ‘60’s.
    Again, thanks for your efforts.
    Best regards,
    Jim Scott

From In Search of Master Mechanic Charlie Kirschhoffer

Hi Richard:

I have photos of the 50th anniversary of the 1904 Vanderbilt Cu Race…but have nothing on the 1958 celebration.

Howard

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

Hi Guy:

Roosevelt Raceway was north of the Motor Parkway and Stewart Avenue. Gate #7 was a special entrance for Motor Parkway drivers.

I will be posting the Bridge photos sometime this month.

Howard

From A Treasure Box of Long Island Auto Racing Discovered by the Cradle of Aviation

This looks like the mother lode! Can you verify that the pit lane is on the south off LIMP and Stewart Ave running counter-clockwise?
I’m particularly interested in The Bridge photos for my own archives.

From A Treasure Box of Long Island Auto Racing Discovered by the Cradle of Aviation

Does anyone have film of the 1958 Vanderbilt Race held at Roosevelt Field celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1908 Vanderbilt? I was in college but my father drove my 1922 Marmon Mod 34 Speedster in it. Austin Clark and others,who went on to build the Bridgehampton race track, were the organizers.They called it a race but i’m sure it was just a parade of old vehicles.

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

Hi Jim:

Thanks for the Nuvolari story!

I will be searching for Charlie in this collection of photos from the Cradle of Aviation Museum. About 75 photos are from the 1936 and 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Races:

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/thursday_may_6_2010_treasure_box_of_long_island_auto_racing_discovered_by_t

Howard

From April 2010 Highlights on VanderbiltCupRaces.com

Hi Howard,
I am still trying to establish the presence of Mr. Charles “Charlie” Kirschhoffer as a team member, in some capacity, at the ‘36 race with Scuderia Ferrari, and at the ‘37 event with the Mercedes-Benz team; so far unsuccessful. But during my research I came across an interesting anecdote in the obituary of Nello Ugolini, who was the Scuderia Ferrari team manager for the 1936 event.
    On the day of the return trip back to Italy, after their victory in the ‘36 event, Ugolini asked Captain Tarabotto, commander of the ship “Rex” to delay the vessel’s departure from the Port of New York for more than three hours so that Ugolini and Tazio Nuvolari could return to their hotel room to retrieve the trophy and the winner’s check, for $86,000, which they had left behind, in their haste to get to the boat!
    They forgot the trophy and the check; c’mon is this story true? How would you like to have to explain that one to Enzo?
    Regards,
    Jim Scott

From April 2010 Highlights on VanderbiltCupRaces.com

While it is very true that Dario Resta was a repeat winner driving a Peugeot, it should be noted that it was in two different models. 1915 was in a L56 and 1916 was in a L45. The Peugeot family of early race cars were very significant in race engine design, but their race performance was very much on a par with their contemporaries such as Delage, Stutz, Mercedes and Deusenberg. The two most notable races, the French GP at Lyon in 1914 and the Indianapolis 500 in 1915 resulted in a defeat by the 4.5 liter Mercedes. Earl Cooper was crowned US Champion in 1915 driving for Stutz with an engine copied from the Mercedes.

From Dario Resta and the Peugeot- Repeat Winner of the Vanderbilt Cup Race

Hi Art:

The aerial on the left was taken in 1947. The Motor Parkway is on the far left with the clubhouse and hangar for the Long Island Aviation Country Club in the middle. Hempstead Turnpike is on the right. Note that building materials for future Levitt homes have been place on the ground.

The aerial on the right was taken in 1950- only three years later! Note the Aviation Club’s buildings were still standing.

Howard

From Innovations and Significance of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

HI Howard, any idea of the dates of the last two photos in the section “Helped change LI from a . . . “.  A grandfather of a neighbor of mine in Levittown owned the property east of Newbridge Road (106) and west of the Wantagh on Hempstead Turnpike.  I believe this is the lower right hand part of the photos.  Sure he would be interested in seeing these.

Thanks.

From Innovations and Significance of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hi Lou:

As Bob Hope said “Thanks for the memories!”

I have added a photo of the Sandy Hook Fire Department truck at: http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/tuesday_september_29_2009_more_on_the_long_island_automotive_museum

Howard

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?

I recall that when i was a child we went there in the 1950’s a lot. i remember there was a vintage fire engine that would take us on rides on a dirt road through some woods. those were better days for us long islanders.

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?

Hi Randy:

Thanks for the info!

Howard

From The Peugeot EX3- Winner of the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race in San Francisco

Hi Christopher:

Here it is:

Northwest corner of Stewart Avenue (then called Jerusalem Road) and Albergo Court in Bethpage:

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS373US374&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Stewart+Avenue+and+Albergo+Court+Bethpage&fb=1&gl=us&ftid=0x89c2800e1e585f5d:0x6fa1584d6031f852&ei=7qfPS5uqHo3K8wSkpoX4AQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAkQ8gEwAA

Howard

From Speakers at the 1908 Motor Parkway Ground-Breaking

The interior photo of the Locomobile factory is terrific.  I love shots like that.  Thanks for preserving it.
Roger Price
Vanderbilt Cup Region, AACA

From Then & Now: The Locomobile Factory in Bridgeport