Vanderbilt Cup Races

Greg/Al—if this archeological dig ever happens I’m in!

I met the owner of the GC toll lodge a few years ago, she is VERY aware of the history of her house and she made it clear to me that preservation of her house and history are very important to her. I think if this “dig” were proposed from a historical standpoint and any damage would be repaired, I think she would be on board.

Is the proposed dig site on the lodge property or is it on the property of the newer house at the end of the block?

From Update: Greg O’s Discovery: The McCamish Family and Their Time in the Meadow Brook Lodge

From Art Kleiner:
Three more . . .

From Hemmings Classic Car: Racing in Riverhead-The Long Island Stock Chassis Competition of 1909

From Art Kleiner:
Thank you Walt for the article summarizing the 1909 Long island Stock Derby.  The race is just one example of the history of racing on Long Island that most people are not aware of, including the Vanderbilt Cup Races.  But thanks to you and others history has a chance to be remembered. 
I did some follow up research on the Derby and found the race was originally to be run Sept. 21, however was pushed back to Sept. 29 due to various reasons (distribution of prizes unclear, an impending storm).  The local papers played up the race (one noted 75,000 spectators were expected) however, as you indicate the race did not pan out the way it was expected (one paper noted that only 37 people were on the grandstand as many just lined the course to watch), with many businesses and individuals taking a loss.  This and the possibility that spectators would be “taxed” at the 1910 race might have contributed to it not occurring the following year as was planned. 
Walt, or anyone wanting my compilation of articles taken from local and industry trade publications about the Derby, let me know at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).  I have about 25 more.  Some are repetitive but others provide a more local flavor.
Articles shown below are from “Automobile Topics”, “The Long-Islander”, “The Motor World” and the “South Side Signal”.  The first picture is #11, a Buick driven by Louis Chevrolet.

From Hemmings Classic Car: Racing in Riverhead-The Long Island Stock Chassis Competition of 1909

Difficult photo. I’m no expert but quite possibly the end result of a sharp left turn. You can see the center-of-gravity in the rear wheels skidding towards the driver’s right side (dust plume, or maybe exhaust?), being controlled by the front steering wheels. The rear wheels appear leaning towards the right, coming out of the left curve.

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

Below is my answer. No rationale, just my best guess for location on course.

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

Mystery Foto #26… The car is certainly a Renault and possibly one of the Vanderbilt Renaults. (He ordered 10 built for him and friends). So it could be a 1907 Vanderbilt Renault 35-45 HP runabout. It could have been the 1908 Vanderbilt cup with Lewis Strang as driver.

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

The easier part was identifying the car, but spent the weekend trying to unsuccessfully discover the location.

#P46 Renault driven by Lewis Strang on September 10, 1908 in the “The Long Island Motor Parkway Sweepstakes.”

As to where…looks like he’s on a slight left turn along the public road portion of the course. Also noticing a telephone pole, so maybe this is near one of the phone stations along the course. The surrounding terrain does not look like the western portion near Ellison, so Pure guess of somewhere near Bethpage or Plainview circled in the course map.

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

It’s a Renault, possibly 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, driven by Lewis Strang/Mechanician Anderson. Location is near impossible to solve - hats off to who recognizes the house!

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

Judging from radiator location,I’m guessing car is a Renault GP car from 1907-08.The driver would be Louis Strang.The race location could be either 1908 Vanderbilt cup or American Grand Prize at Savannah.There were two Renaults entered at Savannah,in which case the driver was either Louis Strang or Ferenc Szisz.

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

HI Gary
Yes, Indeed it is from the same event, no doubt about it. Thanks for looking and sharing this with all of this , GREAT!!!
Walt

From Hemmings Classic Car: Racing in Riverhead-The Long Island Stock Chassis Competition of 1909

Walt,  I believe this postcard from my collection might also be from this event.

From Hemmings Classic Car: Racing in Riverhead-The Long Island Stock Chassis Competition of 1909

Josh, Bob Fria has done extensive work on the 1963 Pre-Production Mustangs: https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_15_1963_pre_production_mustangs_built_at_the_allen_park_pilot_plant

Do you have any images or the vin #?

Howard

From The 15 1963 Pre-Production Mustangs Built at Ford's Pilot Plant in Allen Park

Clueless as usual but almost certain it’s a big Renault.  Sam, II

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

Don’t forget the Mineola lodge at 284 Rudolf; the owner I met in 2000 said that when he rebuilt the house, the toll window’s inside framing was removed, disclosing hundreds of toll tickets that had been slipped in through the gap.  Not knowing what they were, he, of course, dumped them.  Waaah!  :·(  Sam, III

From Update: Greg O’s Discovery: The McCamish Family and Their Time in the Meadow Brook Lodge

Jan Hyde

Mystery photo # 26 early Renault racer.
Traded hands for about $ 2mm at Bonhams Amelia Is. sold by Rob Kauffman.

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

Good Sunday Afternoon Mr. Howard Kroplick,
    Once again it is my pleasure to compliment you and your LIMPPS enthusiasts for preserving and presenting on your site the marvelous history of motor racing on Long Island , New York at the dawn of the 20th century. Today’s 6-28-2020 post is particularly grand with multiple photo images of William Vanderbilt , Jr.‘s exploits at the wheel of various Mercedes machines. It was a golden age of early efforts at speed and automotive technology and WKV,Jr. was the tip of the spear. Thank you again for bringing historic awareness and enjoyment to persons all over the world , even in Missouri. Be safe and well in these perilous times.

From Hemmings Classic Car: Racing in Riverhead-The Long Island Stock Chassis Competition of 1909

Walt, re your comment aent the Maxwell’s tires, I’m old enough to remember “barn finds” and such with original tires and I respectfully submit that there WAS no tread on some brands of tires, as new.  By the way (contrary to Bhuddist wisdom), one can’t have “too” much stuff - just too much to readily locate what you want when you want it!  Global searches don’t seem to work very well in overloaded minds OR in overloaded file cabinets.  Thanks for a great posting!  Sam, III

From Hemmings Classic Car: Racing in Riverhead-The Long Island Stock Chassis Competition of 1909

The car appears to be the Renault of Lewis Strang in the 1908 edition of the Vanderbilt Cup.  It appears to be a hard right hand turn he’s just accomplished so my guess for location is Colyer’s Corner…...wondering if this was not one of the 10 Willie K Renaults he had imported…...looks very similar.

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

That is P46, the Renault driven by Lewis Strang in the Motor Parkway Sweepstakes on the LIMP on 14 Oct 1908. It looks similar to other photos taken at about where the course entered the Jericho Parkway, the “Flatiron Turn” near Woodbury.

From Mystery Foto #26 Partially Solved: Lewis Strang's P46 Renault during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

The photographs of the race were taken by the grandfather of Hayden Allen of Floral Park,NY where I live. Hayden was the Village of Floral Park Historian just prior to my being appointed to that position over 2 decades ago. In the early 1970s Hayden told me about the photographs that his grandfather took and were in a family photo album. The Allen family had a summer house in Mattituck so his grandfather was there when the race took place. With a Brownie box camera ( anyone recall those?) he got these fairly remarkable photographs - with the hand held box camera. I borrowed the photographs from Hayden and took them to my long time buddy Austin Clark who made negatives of them all. From those negatives ( 4 x 5 inch sheet film) these prints were made which I rediscovered in my library while researching something else. I knew they existed but I have several thousand period photographs in the pre WWII era and sometimes things get “misplaced” ( yes, that is my excuse for having to much stuff) . Thanks to Hemmings Classic Car magazine editor Richard Lintenello for allowing this story to be reproduced here . Thanks to my friend Howard for wanting to print it and share it with all of you.

From Hemmings Classic Car: Racing in Riverhead-The Long Island Stock Chassis Competition of 1909