Vanderbilt Cup Races

Mike,  There is a website with Bridgehampton SCCA photos and results; you can Google it.
Dave Nicholas has a great site http://www.barcboys.com  1950s-60s racing NE-SCCA

I’ll bet the Watkins Glen research center would have results for your Dad, too.

If he got down to Vineland, South Jersey region I can help.  Do you know the car make & color?  What years he raced?

Good luck with your search!
GaryC

From Archives: 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race

S. Berliner III, Yes, that trike is awesome….

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton

Hi ALL:  In regards to the truck with the snow plow on it,  the object on the back of
the truck in all probability is some sort of box, crate or tank holding and carrying an
unknown weighted product for more traction in the plowing process.

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

Frank Femenias

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

David Stephan

Separately from my guess about your Mystery Foto #14 (an easy one that even I could get), I wanted to ask you if you know what the object is that is behind the truck?

At first, I thought it was part of the truck which made for one strange-looking truck. However, when I examined your grainy photo with a Photoshop filter, it seemed to be something behind the truck as lighting density and contrast was different. In the attached, I can see clearly the open part of the truck (“dump”), which I partially highlighted in blue. The object to which I refer is bounded on the top and right by my yellow line.

Just curious, especially as I have enjoyed your speculations about a kiosk that might have been at/near this entrance.

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

This sign was once located in Fresh Meadow, Queens at the beginning of the Motor Parkway’s western end, on today’s Horace Harding Expwy service road and about 100 ft. east of Peck Ave under the pedestrian overpass. Photographer was looking almost directly at the sign facing northeast. Photo was taken sometime after 1933 when the toll was reduced to $0.40 until the parkway’s closing (1933-1938).

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1396j0_672hYkvbcNFJInbc1mXNJspD9f&ll=40.74231236285762,-73.78016421002314&z=20

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

The photo was taken in the winter of 1934.
Toll was reduced to 40 cents in 1933.
The “photo op” occurred sometime in Feb 1934 after a large snowfall.
As per N.W.S. data base Feb 1934 had significant snowfatotaling 27.9 ” out of a seasonal total of 52”. It was heaviest Feb snowfall in the entire 1930’s. 
The sign was a futile attempt to increase traffic after the opening of the NSP the previous year.
The sign was at the Queens terminus of the parkway on Springfield Blvd .
The snow clearing in front of the sign was to make the sign visible.
Maybe the family of the lodge keeper was sent out to clear the snow from the billboard sign and entrance& exit ramps.   
The electric lights on the sign connected at the toll house.
Of course the 50 miles for 40 cents was a misnomer. Total length was approx. 47 miles to the eastern terminus.:
Maybe photo appeared in local newspaper. If I knew how to search archives I would look their too. Anyone want to give this frustrated historian a few tips please e-mail me .I would love to continue the conversation.
The truck is also for another post.

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

I believe the Vanderbilt Cup was also awarded at some of the early races at Bridgehampton and that my Dad, Walter Luftman, probably raced in some of them in the early ‘60s. Does anyone have any records pertaining to this? I’d love to see them.

From Archives: 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Looks like the Horace Harding entrance sign.  Probably about 1937 when the toll was reduced to 40 cents and before the parkway closed in 38.  Truck looks like a Model A.

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

This sign was located at the western terminus of the LIMP in Fresh Meadows at Nassau Blvd. ( Horace Harding Blvd). Judging by the shadow of the light fixtures, I believe the photographer was facing east. Since the cost of a one-way ticket was reduced to 40 cents in 1935; there’s snow on the ground; the LIMP closed in April, 1938; this probably limits the date to between 1935 and the winter of 1937-38. As to the truck, no clue. Looking forward to the answer.

From Mystery Friday #14 Solved:The Motor Parkway Sign at the Western Terminus at Fresh Meadows

Walt’s personal recollection reminds me why I quit the Classic Car Club long ago (I was a charter member); it was when I realized that cars were being trucked in to meets in padded vans with paid crews of “detailers”, gussied up out of sight, and then driven a block or to two magically appear in pristine condition.  Kinda defeated the whole idea of cars being built to be driven.  Kudos to Howard for driving his, at least locally.  Sam, III
___________________________________

Howard Kroplick

Funny, I took Tucker 1044 out on the road yesterday. Many thumbs ups!!

From The Winning Thomas Flyer at the Long Island Automotive Museum

Whoo!  I’m really on a toot, here.  That 1902 Curved-Dash Olds on the entry canopy apparently was for real and was the subject of your 28 Jun 2010 blog post, “A Research Challenge: The 1902 Curved-Dash Oldsmobile on Austin Clark’s Roof”.  It would seem nothing more ever came of that.  In the ‘80s or ‘90s, two couples used to tour LI and New England in a C-D Olds and a companion flat-dash REO.  I seem to remember seeing them once on Martha’s Vinyard or Nantucket ca. 1955 and last ca. 1990 at the tavern on the north side of Buckram Road east of Locust Valley (somehow I don’t think it was Barney’s - it wasn’t at Barney’s Corner but off by itself).  An I recall me aright, those two couples crossed the entire country in those two tiny, ancient, open cars.  Sam, III

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton

Post-script thought - perhaps uncharitable.  Did Austie employ Joe as a serious, working employee or was it more of a way to repay an old timer for many past courtesies?  Quite frankly, I don’t remember ever seeing Joe out there.  Possibly only Walt would know.  Sam, III

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton

OMG!  That trike!  See my <http://sbiii.com/limpvcp1.html#vandtrik> for much more about it.  Sam, III

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton

Lindsay - Ditto to Sam. Many LIMP sections including Melville, now rests on wide opened areas on LIPA property and easily accessible from the curbside, electrical towers/power lines running overhead usually present. Sometimes locals seeking shortcuts can be spotted. I find a GPS unit helpful to locate the hidden roadway buried below. Never had any problems with locals in these areas. It helps to be aware of your surroundings especially near private backyards, the barking dog will send out an alert. One time visiting the more secluded area near Madonna Heights, the trail ended abruptly at a water basin and we stumbled onto someone’s backyard! The homeowner spotted us and approached. Brian and I explained our exploration and it ended as a history lesson. The homeowner was unaware the iconic roadway once passed through his backyard. He was more concerned his German Shepherds being lose in the backyard in our presence. Good thing they weren’t! :D Be careful and have fun.

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

Audrey—-that’s a tough section that doesn’t have the same history as the Nassau section, but it is cool but the thickets from Madonna heights eastward are not fun at all!

Brian—-we always took bikes! Just one time we did the Suffolk journey we walked but other then that we always rode the bikes. There are long stretches with nothing to see, the bikes are the way to fast forward. There are many points where it’s tougher, and throwing bikes over fences is not fun, but it’s part of exploration!!

Frank—-again you are the map master. But I think when we come to Bethpage I’m going to prove you wrong!

Lindsay—-very cool. Five years ago I was in your shoes. Thankfully for us the technology available for us makes it so easy. Study the maps of Wayne and Frank, available on Howard’s site. Get a feel for what’s what and where. This site (and that of SBIII) has all details you need. Obviously you can take your phone to locations and see exactly where you are vs the LIMP. What I suggest is you visit some of the “well known” areas first and get a general vibe of the motor parkway and then go from there. Go to Roslyn lodge area, garden city till manager house section, dead mans curve in Bethpage, and the Bethpage bridge. When you go to spots here and there you can just drive, get out, check it out and go. Then maybe after you get a feel for things you’ll get crazy like me and Sam and do huge stretches in one day. Explore our former journeys on Howard’s site. If you get to that point reach out to us! Maybe we’ll meet you at friendlys for a post Vanderbilt day celebration! There is so much to see. So much history that very few people are aware of. Good luck!
________________________________

Howard Kroplick

Here is the interactive Motor Parkway map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll=40.77962705687104%2C-73.56535213626057&z=10&mid=1396j0_672hYkvbcNFJInbc1mXNJspD9f

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

Howard,
Thanks for those great Joe Tracy photos.  Also, thanks to Wally McCarthy.
By the way,  I knew you were a Mets fan.  Some game yesterday!
Rog

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton

Thank you Sam!

From Sam and Dave's "Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day"- #1 The Start in Lake Success

Never tire of seeing pics/video or hearing stories related to Austie and the L. I. Museum….Thank You for posting. About that last picture….Look out Mets, those reformatted and pesky Twins are coming to town next week!
________________________

Howard Kroplick

Jeff, they will be facing DeGroom and Thor!

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton

RIP Joe Tracy….

From Joe Tracy at the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton