Vanderbilt Cup Races

Walt, Thanks for a great article concerning another chapter in L.I. automotive history.  By the way, George Loft was a fellow Long Islander, having his estate on Merrick Road in Baldwin.  Although now developed into suburban housing, Nassau County’s 14-acre Loft’s Pond Park preserves part of his estate.

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

From Art Kleiner:
35/45 HP Renault driven by Lewis Strang in the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes.  Finished second.

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

So I haven’t gone to check the vins and confirm this yet but, recently I was told about a rare mustang a 1963 and before I was told this I knew the history so I immediately asked about the vin numbers on the car and was told that it was one of the first 15 pilot cars built by ford so before I make a long trip to see this is there a possibility one of them made it out of the factory in diving condition?

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

The car: #P46 Renault, driven by Lewis Strang. The race: The 1908 Long Island Motor Parkway Sweepstakes, which opened the parkway. The Renault finished second.

The location of the Foto: I’m guessing somewhere on Jericho Turnpike, because of the trees. (Not on the parkway, which was in the plains.)

Source of my information: I know that Renaults have the radiator behind the engine. Knowing that, I got the rest of the information from poking around this website.

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

I believe that’s the P46 Renault stock car with Lewis Strang driving and Leo Anderson as the mechanician participating in the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes on October 10, 1908. The location is probably somewhere between Bethpage and Woodbury but I’m going to guess on Jericho Turnpike, slightly west of the Woodbury turn. Reasoning: the Woodbury turn was a popular viewing spot and the photographer felt crowded so he moved west to what could be the intersection with South Woods Road (notice the telephone pole, indicating a side road).

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

Yes, that was close Greg. I’ve been wanting to simulate your OCR bridge photo for some time, but need a camera drone to snap the photo.. Anyone with a drone interested in such a project?

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Frank- I’m kidding, but it looks like that wide shoulder is still there to this day!

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Frank, Regarding your statement about the 400 foot plumbing run to the Meadow Brook lodge. I’ guessing Otto got a cesspool. Let me play the devil’s advocate here. I’m wondering if sewer lines were ever run on Merrick Ave. between Old Country Rd. and Hempstead Tpke. prior to say, 1945. Other than the lodge and the Salisbury Country Club there weren’t any other buildings in that stretch. Any one?

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

Al - Yep, that’s it! Photo taken from about halfway point between Shelter Rock Rd and OCR. Thanks Greg. I’m almost convinced those bikes and riders are casting shadows all over the roadway, especially that bike on the right. And what’s up with that clean cut wide shoulder on the left? It almost appears like a rest stop for LIMPer’s.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Al, Frank, here is the full-frame of the OCR bridge. This is from the Petit Trianon postcard series. The caption describes it as looking west towards Great Neck.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Frank, If that is the case, we are looking west from the Shelter Rock Rd. bridge?

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Greg - I see your point! Now I’m not sure if those are shadows by the motorcyclist and their bikes, but the top photo by the Great Neck lodge clearly show shadows on that sunny day.

Al - the parkway just east of Old Courthouse has similar curves heading eastward; after the bridge, first a slight left curve followed by a gradual right curve. If memory serves, I believe Greg’s photo came with a front caption but with limited location info

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Greg, Your bottom photo, the one with 2 blue arrows and one black arrow on the left side of the photo, wasn’t that photo taken from the New Hyde Park Rd. bridge looking east ?

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Frank, the reason why I said it was possibly the Old Courthouse bridge looking towards the East rather than the West as you claim is the tree line, and what little we see of it. Below is my comparison photo of the OCR bridge looking (as we know from the cut-off photo caption) West towards Great Neck. My crude arrows point to trees that in my view match up but in the opposite direction. OCR bridge has some of the flattest embankments

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Art, Motor cycles, your post of the motor cycle toll ticket is a story in it’s own right. First, they are extremely rare, not aware of any motor cycle toll ticket in in private hands. secondly, Vanderbilt’s signature in script appears on the ticket making it even rarer. Originally the toll tickets had Pardington"s signature on them. After he left the Parkway employ, Vanderbilt’s name appeared on the tickets only in 1911. Thereafter, and until the Parkway closed, Kienzle was the signatory.                                                Note the ticket number is 50, that means only 50 motor cycles entered the Parkway from this entrance since July 9, 1910 when the Great Neck Lodge first opened.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 2 - Motorcycling on the Motor Parkway

Correction:
The “Long Straightaway on the Parkway” I agree with Al, Old Westbury Rd looking east towards the Newbridge Rd bridge in the distance (pre Wantagh State Pkwy bridge), with CRR on the right. But a longer straightaway could be between Universe Dr. and Dead Man’s Curve, on top the N Wantagh Ave bridge (Levittown) looking east towards the Hickville Rd bridge (1100 ft / 0.2 mi) with CRR on the right side.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Gentlemen, the first photo “Preparing for a Practice Brush” I believe is looking west with all shadows pointing north. The flat landscape better matches early Old Courthouse Rd than the high-treed landscape of Smith farmway bridge (Great Neck). Not sure but looks like a roadway (on the left) connected to the bridge, not a farmway bridge. Another possibility Jerusalem Ave bridge looking west in Levittown.

The “High Speed Stretch on the Parkway” could be just west of the Stewart Ave bridge (Bethpage), and looking west towards the Hicksville Rd bridge (Levittown) in the distance. The CRR is fenced off on the left side, and the Ground Breaking Ceremony site on the right.

The “Long Straightaway on the Parkway” I agree with Al, Old Westbury Rd looking east towards the Newbridge Rd bridge in the distance (pre Wantagh State Pkwy bridge), with CRR on the right. But a longer straightaway could be between Universe Dr. and Dead Man’s Curve, looking east towards N Wantagh Ave bridge (Levittown) with CRR on the right side.

The head photo on top looks like a belt driven motorbike at center. Great post Art

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 3 - Motorcycle Races on the Motor Parkway

Hi all,

I was looking at the 1952 photo of the car, and was wondering since it appears to have the same style aftermarket hubcaps, if this could possibly be #1044 as well?

The only info about the photo I have is that it was taken in March of 1952 somewhere in North Hollywood, CA allegedly after being repainted by Eddie Muntz for sale on his used car lot.

From The History of the Tucker 1044 (1948-Present) Updated: 6/18/2019

From Art Kleiner:
Willie K. acted as “patron of motorcycles” by contributing the cups used as prizes for the race “for tricycles and two wheeled vechicles” at this event.  Kenneth Skinner of Boston won the event on his 8 h.p. tricycle against only two other competitors.  From “Bicycle World and Motorcycle Review”, Sept. 5, 1901.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

Amazing info here, complimented with never-seen-before photos. The plumbing hook up to Merrick Ave from the lodge involved costly 400 ft of digging/piping, likely including sewage!

Very interested in the buried treasure at the Garden City lodge vicinity, The out house was likely located east of the lodge, secluded from any view. An out house location south of the lodge would put it in plain sight of LIMPer’s entering the lodge ramp (unacceptable). It seems now a brick driveway around the former GC lodge site, with a possible helipad included, just west of the former porte cochere. I would still want to meet Al’s friend from FL, for his knowledge and experience with the Long Island Motor Parkway.

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