Vanderbilt Cup Races

more on the opening . . .

From InstaGRAM Report: Long Island's Lost Dexter Park Raceway

Thanks for the post, great stuff Gram.  I’m adding a few newspaper articles and photos that might be of interest over a few comments.  Read on.  First are two pictures and articles pertaining to the track’s opening.

From InstaGRAM Report: Long Island's Lost Dexter Park Raceway

Hi Howard! I will be there with a guest to see that gorgeous Duesy!  thank you!

From Update: Saturday, November 1, 2025: The Duesenberg Open House at the Waterfront at Roslyn Garage

Great story. Appreciate the history and photos.

From InstaGRAM Report: Long Island's Lost Dexter Park Raceway

Hi Art! Thanks for attaching the links to his books here. I actually have the one link saved in my email. Know there’s a way to attach links here. but I always forget how to do that lol. Mr. Seyfried was like you & some other researchers here, very thorough. There’s also the former LIRR employee Robert Emery, he hand drew the entire LIRR system maps. He was definitely a soup to nuts type person, too.

From Mystery Friday Foto #50 Solved: The Westbury Avenue Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge Under Construction

Here’s a pdf for one of Seyfriend’s other trolley books from 1952.

From Mystery Friday Foto #50 Solved: The Westbury Avenue Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge Under Construction

Great stuff all!  Brian - save yourself the trip to the library.  See if you can open this link to Vincent Seyfriend’s books.  You can find more material of his on Internet Archive and Hathi Trust, two sources I find invaluable.  Let me know if the link works.  Thanks.
https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015006056595

From Mystery Friday Foto #50 Solved: The Westbury Avenue Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge Under Construction

No problem, Al. The entire bridge was the length of 2 Football Fields, must’ve been quite a sight to see. I’ll probably go to the library soon to look through the books about Trains & Trolleys again. The gentleman who had an avid interest in Trains, Trolleys on Long Island was Vincent Seyfried. You probably heard of him and maybe met him at some point. He even has a Wikipedia page, you’ll see it as a photo below. Any of the info I left above was researched by him. Wish I’ve met him at some point.

From Mystery Friday Foto #50 Solved: The Westbury Avenue Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge Under Construction

Brian, WOW ! The only thing you left out was the color of the trolley. Thanks.

From Mystery Friday Foto #50 Solved: The Westbury Avenue Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge Under Construction

Stan- I have personally looked for your Dad’s helmet, but have not had luck as there are dozens and dozens of Cromwell helmets. The Himes family and I would love to return it to you and your family. Would you have a photo of it possibly, or maybe a description and I can look again?

From Update 10/11/25:Today: Saturday, October 11, 2025: The Himes Estate and Racing Museum Auction

Fascinating article! What a great piece of Queens history! Sure glad I didn’t live in one of those houses that border the track. That must have been noisy.

From InstaGRAM Report: Long Island's Lost Dexter Park Raceway

Here’s images of the Trolley Trestle, The last image shows the abandoned East Ramp of the Trestle. Some time after 1930 I guess.

From Mystery Friday Foto #50 Solved: The Westbury Avenue Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge Under Construction

Hi Al, There was a quite impressive Trolley Bridge/Trestle that needed to span over the Oyster Bay Branch. Built on each side of Searing Ave in Mineola in 1909. You’ll see some images of the trestle, trolley map, and some info about the construction.I obtained this information from an online book about Trolleys on Long Island. Don’t know how to attach the web link here, so I sent you an email with the website. I marked in red the Motor Pkwy locations - Westbury Avenue & Willis Ave.

From Mystery Friday Foto #50 Solved: The Westbury Avenue Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge Under Construction

Dexter Park—-pretty cool I never heard of the place’ From the look of some of the cars it appears to be a track that locals raced their street cars on sort of like drag racing but oval racing has just too many crunches to be an affordable pastime or sport plus the track like most race tracks of the day did not have enough spectator safety fencing and barriers.

From InstaGRAM Report: Long Island's Lost Dexter Park Raceway

Dexter Park—-pretty cool I never heard of the place’ From the look of some of the cars it appears to be a track that locals raced their street cars on sort of like drag racing but oval racing has just too many crunches to be an affordable pastime or sport

From InstaGRAM Report: Long Island's Lost Dexter Park Raceway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Tuesday May 30, 1911.  First Indianapolis 500.  Cars were started in order of entry.  The numbers were assigned in order of entry.  Each car must time at least 75 mph for a quarter mile flying start.  The cars in the photo are in turn one on lap one of the Indy 500.  #17 is Charles Basle driving a Buick.  He finished 34th with mechanical issues.  #18 is Eddie Hearne driving a Fiat.  He finished 18th.  #19 is Harry Grant driving a Alco.  Grant finished 33rd with bearing problems.  #20 is Charley Merz driving a National.  Merz finished 7th.  #20 is Howard Wilcox is driving a National.  He finished 14th.  Grant won the Vanderbilt Cup race 1909 and 1910.  Grant drove a Lozier in the 1911 Vanderbilt race.  He started first and finished 4th.  Interesting to note that each car carried a 12 inch disc on the rear end of the car with the car number.  The disc was colored.  One color for cars 1-10, another color for cars 11-20 and so on.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: Head to Head Racing at the 1911 Indy 500

I donated my Dad’s helmet. Cromwell helmet. Stan Crowley Jalopy Champion Islip Speedway 1959. Like to see if I can get it back. Thank you

From Update 10/11/25:Today: Saturday, October 11, 2025: The Himes Estate and Racing Museum Auction

Brian, Your comments about the trolley line, any idea how the trolley line reached Willis Avenue, Did they bridge the Oyster Bay Line of the LIRR. ?

From Mystery Friday Foto #50 Solved: The Westbury Avenue Motor Parkway/Trolley Bridge Under Construction

Thank you Gary for giving me a head start on E.H. Brown and James for your informative and interesting comments about you and your grandfather’s connections to the Motor Parkway.  I’m always glad to receive additional information about my posts.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Men Who Built The Motor Parkway (Part 1)

Howard, I’ll be there, possibly with one of my sons. Thanks for rescheduling.
Rog

From Update: Saturday, November 1, 2025: The Duesenberg Open House at the Waterfront at Roslyn Garage