Vanderbilt Cup Races

Thanks for the story and pointing us to the Jay Leno video!

From Update: Peter Helck's 1921 Benz-Mercedes "Rabbit-the-First" Now Owned by Jay Leno

Had no idea, but I’d love to have seen and heard it running, even just being static.  Nice to know the history before, and wonder like all of you what happened to it.

From Kleiner's Korner: From the Helck Family Collection- In Search of the 1905 Locomobile Racer

As a kid in NE PA, my dad took me to piles of antique car shows including by us in Clarks Summit PA, McKungie, Hershey and more.  I remember seeing not just a 35 once in a while, but a miniature one probably for a rich kid - yes, it was engined.  They truly stood out for good reasons!

From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.

Great reminder of my family visit to the museum and Tucker exhibit in April 2018 during a trip for a family wedding near Pittsburgh!

From Video of the Week: A Virtual Tour of the Tucker Exhibit at the AACA Museum

Amazing!. Thank you Cyril!

From Construction Work Has Begun on the Garden City Stewart Field Parking Lot Adjacent to the Motor Parkway

Seeing the curve actually brought this solved mystery to mind.

From Construction Work Has Begun on the Garden City Stewart Field Parking Lot Adjacent to the Motor Parkway

Great coverage of this Cyril, thank you. The banking of the roadbed along the curve is obvious in the 7/26 images. Seeing this brings to mind a past unsolved mystery photo, I’ll look back on this.

From Construction Work Has Begun on the Garden City Stewart Field Parking Lot Adjacent to the Motor Parkway

Thank you Meg - the post has been updated with the Brooklyn Life listing of 1912 new car registrations.

From Six degrees of Separation: A Mystery Car, Motor Parkway, the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race & the Titanic

5-6 feet.

From The Mystery of the North Hills Country Club "Vanderbilt Pkwy" Road Sign

Usually the ‘Kudo’ question is the most difficult, but I’m glad it was included here. We may have been puzzled without the Broadway connection.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Louis Wagner Driving a S74 FIAT at the 1911 American Grand Prize in Savannah

What is the height of the sign?

From The Mystery of the North Hills Country Club "Vanderbilt Pkwy" Road Sign

The Thomas Motor Company was founded by Edwin Ross Thomas. Harold Thomas, who commissioned the building of the 1905 car, had a brother by the name of Edward Russel Thomas. Edward was a car racing aficionado and is credited with the first traffic fatality.

From Kleiner's Korner: From the Helck Family Collection- In Search of the 1905 Locomobile Racer

Thanks all for the input.  And thanks to A. Haywood for clarifying the Thomas brother? situation.  Maybe someone can find the original Locomobile - would be a great story I’m sure!

From Kleiner's Korner: From the Helck Family Collection- In Search of the 1905 Locomobile Racer

I forgot to include, the former lodge entrance/exit ramp from Round Swamp Road, now resides on adjacent property north of the former lodge property (Sec47, Blk142, Lot25). The ramp now follows the fence line north of this property, north of the original lodge. As always, please respect owner’s privacy when exploring historic sites.

From Documenting the Location of the Bethpage Lodge

Amazing detailed 1960 lot survey revealed, pre house construction, which includes the former Motor Pkwy Bethpage Lodge property lines, and future environs post 1960. Great stuff Johnny, thank you for sharing this gem. The “existing house” up north, north of Motor Lane on lot 17, (Sec47, Blk139, Lot17) was once part of a larger property in 1960. This area likely was subdivided for additional houses. This house today, photo below, remains a cape, the only one of its kind in the area. I believe it’s the original, only modified somewhat.

As for the Bethpage Lodge absence in the
‘60s survey,, I believe it may been already slated for removal at the time. Its removal was sometime in the ‘60s

From Documenting the Location of the Bethpage Lodge

This one is out of my scope. I don’t even recognize the grandstand. Probably ouside NY. Looking forward to the answers

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Louis Wagner Driving a S74 FIAT at the 1911 American Grand Prize in Savannah

Art, I don’t believe Harold’s brother was the founder of the Thomas Auto Co. Harold had a brother by the name of E. R. Thomas but he was in banking. There is no connection with the car company listed in his obit. Also, Harold’s brother lived in N.Y. city while the Thomas Motor Company was in Buffalo, NY.

I do believe the 1905 car still exists, though I have no knowledge of where. Old race cars continue to be found, some hiding in plain sight. A pretty well know race car was found resting in the jungles of Brazil in the last few years.

Great article, by the way. There is a lot of information out there on this car. It is a shame it has been totally overshadowed by old 16. Both cars were exceptional works of engineering and proved themselves on the race track. When I was trying to do my research, people kept responding, “Yes, but old 16…” as if old 16 was the only car that mattered.

From Kleiner's Korner: From the Helck Family Collection- In Search of the 1905 Locomobile Racer

Wrong site to belabor #35 (I theenk) but do notice the tender beyond the loco (over the gooseneck) and then the tall structure behind that.  That should tell some sharp-eyed buff just where it is.  Billboards would indicate Hemp. Tpke. or some such.  Many similar pix of #35 going in and out of Salisbury.  Yes, Merrick at left in 1969 pic.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: A 1966 Aerial of "Salisbury Park" in East Meadow and the Motor Parkway ROW

Rather humorous that while reciting incorrect information and improperly saying the Motor Parkway’s name, they also question the accuracy of Vanderbiltcupraces.com at the end….But at least it was a nice shout out to the site, so people can come here and learn the accurate, factual history of the Long Island Motor Parkway.

From Virtual Walking Tour This Saturday: The Long Island Motor Parkway in Queens

I’m having trouble deciding if the man at the wheel is Joe Tracy or Louis Wagner. I’ll answer the questions and see what happens.

*ID driver, racer, location: As far as I know, Joe Tracy never raced in a FIAT. Louis Wagner drove FIATS. So this is Louis Wagner in a FIAT, believe the location is Savannah, GA. Louis won the American Grand Prize Race - 11/26/1908. His car was #14 FIAT. This #41 FIAT is a mystery to me.There was a #41 Chalmers Detroit, 1909 Massapequa Sweepstakes and a #41 FAL CAR, 1910 Wheatley Sweepstakes. Neither Auto matches the mystery.

*Link driver to the VCR’s: Joe Tracy participated in 5 races affiliated with the Vanderbilt Cup years 1904 thru 1906. He placed 3rd in the 1905 VCR & placed 1st in the 1906 American Elimination Race. His mechanician was always Al Poole. The passenger in the mystery isn’t Al Poole.

Louis Wagner placed 1st in the 1906 VCR. The passenger in the mystery could be Louis Vivet, mechanician for Louis Wagner.

*Other/Outside activities & accomplishments: Joe Tracy - 1902 patent for Automatic Igniter for Automobile Engines, 1910 - invented Reaction Dynanometers for testing engines, 1926 - invented a Fluid Dynanometer. Louis Wagner - entered the aviation industry ( Aeroplanes Hanriot et Cie ). He became a pilot.

*Long Island link:  Joe Tracy worked for the Southampton Automotive Museum ( Austin Clark ). Joe is RIP in the Brentwood Cemetery. Louis Wagners link to Long Island is the races as far as I know.

*Broadway Link: Joe Tracy, Louis Wagner & Louis Vivet are all linked to the 1906 musical - The Vanderbilt Cup.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Louis Wagner Driving a S74 FIAT at the 1911 American Grand Prize in Savannah