Recent Comments

Mar 15 2008 kevin mcquade 8:03 PM

i just read my ny times and saw the article on the vanderbilt cup races. i have lived a few blocks from the vanderbilt motor parkway for 26 years and have always been interested in the history of the race as well historic automobiles and the colorful characters that have shaped the early history of the automobile. the article and your website has provided me with a great deal of wonderful information that was previously unobtainable to the average person.for instance, i did not know that louis chevrolet drove in the race 4 times, but did you know that the last automotive job he held was as an assembly line worker for chevrolet…...go figure…but thats a story for another time…..again many thanks for all the wonderful information..kevin

From Long Before NASCAR, Dirt-Road Daredevils: New York Times March 16, 2008

Mar 15 2008 Howard Kroplick 12:32 PM

Virginia:

Great to hear from you.

Eddie Rickenbacker participated in one related American Elimination Trial and two later Vanderbilt Cup Races.

As shown in the above image from the book, when he was 16 years old, Rickenbacker was the driving mechanician in a Frayer-Miller car during the 1906 American Elimination Race held two weeks prior to the Vanderbilt Cup Race. The car completed only 1 of the 10 laps and did not qualify to race for the Cup.

In the 1915 and 1916 Vanderbilt Cup Races, Rickenbacker participated as a driver and later drove in the Indianapolis 500.

I have several images from the period of 1914 and 1916 of Eddie and his mechanicians in their racing cars. Based on various newspaper articles of the day, Rickenbacker used several different mechanicians in these races. However, it appears these images include Rickenbacker and Pete Henderson in the cars. I will keep searching for a photo of your uncle.

From Eddie Rickenbacker and the Vanderbilt Cup Races

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