Vanderbilt Cup Races

Growing up near Alley Pond Park in the late 50s and early 60s I can attest to the wonderful discovery of this long gone motor parkway in remnants and bits of passage. It do I acted my interest in all things Automotive and in a sense it still does.
I love re exploring it with my son Gram in his younger days and those terrific Vanderbilt hikes lit a quest in him as well. Here’s hoping this great feature does the same for others in keeping the history of Long Island alive and thriving.

From Newsday LI Life cover article: A need for Speed: LI's Motor Parkway was a road like no other for racers with the right plates

Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, NY
Photographer is facing east/southeast
Pictured is the oval dirt track used for the 1939 Midget National Championship race
Other races, before 1939:
1936 Vanderbilt Cup (road course)
1937 Vanderbilt Cup (different road course)
1938 Midget racing (small oval, seen in picture)
Other races, after 1939:
1960 SCCA sports cars (a third different road course)
From 1940 to 1988, Roosevelt Raceway was used as a harness race track for horses

From Mystery Friday Foto #58 Solved: A Midget Racetrack at Roosevelt Raceway

Roosevelt Raceway.
Horse Racing.

From Mystery Friday Foto #58 Solved: A Midget Racetrack at Roosevelt Raceway

Greg, Forgot to mention…It was the management of the Astor Hotel that suggested changing the name from Motor Parkway Inn to something with more “Grande Classe”. Thats how we ended up with Petit Trianon.

From Mystery Friday Foto #57 Solved: The Petit Trianon Annex Building

Roosevelt Raceway was built in 1936 for the Vanderbilt Cup races on the site of the original Meadowbrook Polo Fields. They had auto racing until 1939 or early 1940 when it was converted to harness horse racing until 1988. The photographer is probably in a plane or blimp looking northeast. That’s all I got JeRita

From Mystery Friday Foto #58 Solved: A Midget Racetrack at Roosevelt Raceway

Moving forward to Nov 2025 and this same criminal activity continues online. Truly shameful and irresponsible by all parties engaged. Thanks Howard once again for the alert!

From Fraud Alert Update: Guide to Identifying Authentic Versus Reproduced Long Island Motor Parkway and Roosevelt Field Porcelain Plates

From Greg O.

https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_1914_petit_trianon_menu

From Mystery Friday Foto #57 Solved: The Petit Trianon Annex Building

Greg, A bit of information about the Petit Trianon… It was never referred to as the Petit Trianon Inn it when owned by Vanderbilt/Long island Motor Parkway. It was simply the Petit Trianon, Occasionally Restaurant, when operated by Myers but thats it. The confusion came about when it was announced that the Parkway was going to open the Motor Parkway Inn at Lake Ronkonkoma. Selected to operate it was the Hotel Astor of New York City. The management told Vanderbilt “we don’t Inns, we do upscale”. example, ...Greg, please put up the menu. Inn was added by the new operators around 1930.

From Mystery Friday Foto #57 Solved: The Petit Trianon Annex Building

Thanks Al! I tried calling you today for some of these details, but I guess you were out. Thanks for the additional factoids!

From Mystery Friday Foto #57 Solved: The Petit Trianon Annex Building

The annex building was built in 1913. Designed by John Russell Pope, it was built by the Morton-Lange Construction Company of New York City who were paid $10,100. It had 9 bedrooms and a lounge on the first floor and 8 bedrooms on the second. Vanderbilt sold the Petit Trianon Inn property’s around 1930 and the annex building opened as the Motor Parkway Inn with a Rathskeller in the basement. On the door at the bottom of the steps was a sign stating “Persons unknown to us will be required to give a reference” At the time prohibition was still in effect. I seem to recall the restaurant under various ownerships, survived into the 1950’s.

From Mystery Friday Foto #57 Solved: The Petit Trianon Annex Building

The Petit Trianon Inn’s (1911-1958) Annex building (1911-2006), housing for the Inn’s employees, looking Southeast. Both structures were designed by John Russel Pope at the Motor Parkway’s eastern terminus in Ronkonkoma. Walking employees traveled 475 feet (0.09 miles) daily to reach the Inn’s East service entrance, one staircase below ground into the kitchen area. After the Inn’s fire and demolition in 1958 the Annex was repurposed as a restaurant, then later The Park Lake Rest Home for the elderly. The Annex was destroyed in 2006. The residence at 24 Washington Av now occupies the space. Pope also designed the six original toll lodges used on the Motor Parkway

From Mystery Friday Foto #57 Solved: The Petit Trianon Annex Building

To Art. You are incorrect on the southern-most collection. I have 2 posts next to my house south of Tampa. I planted them when I moved there in 2007.  -pat

From An upcoming cover article on Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates and Vanderbilia

This is my first encounter of the ‘39 Grand Prix racers. Somehow they remained elusive after years researching both NY Fairs in the park. The transparent ghost car I’ve seen, photo attached. Thanks Gram for the wonderful article!

The temporary subway spur along Meadow Lake, today’s Van Wyck Expwy, attached below

From InstaGRAM Report: The Surprising Connections Between the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair and Automotive History

Howard Kroplick has added a note to Margo Nutt’s above Comment.

From InstaGRAM Report: The Surprising Connections Between the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair and Automotive History

George Eyston’s Land Speed Record holding car ‘Thunderbolt’ along with a Rolls-Royce Phantom III were on display at the British Pavilion Hall of Metals.

From InstaGRAM Report: The Surprising Connections Between the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair and Automotive History

One more photo.  This time a winner!

From InstaGRAM Report: The Surprising Connections Between the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair and Automotive History

That’s the “Annex” of the Petit Trianon built close by on the same property as the main building at the eastern terminus of the LIMP. It was built around the same time as the Petit Trianon itself in 1911. Sadly, it was demolished in 2006. The architect was John Russell Pope. Originally used for Petit Trianon staff, it later became a hotel, the “Parkway Inn”, with a restaurant on the main floor and a tavern in the basement, the “Rathskeller”. Later on it was a senior citizens home called the “Park Lane Rest Home”.

From Mystery Friday Foto #57 Solved: The Petit Trianon Annex Building

My father, James Melton, collector of antique cars and known as “America’s Favorite Tenor,” participated in the 1939 World’s Fair.

While the theme of the Fair was progress and modernity, the American Jubilee pageant, largely sponsored by Studebaker, celebrated what we’d come from—America’s past glories. My father provided ten antique cars to be driven in the pageant four times a day. The cars on display ranged from an 1896 Ofeldt steam car to a 1916 Packard Twin Six, seven-passenger automobile.

The American Jubilee pageant was an extravaganza, with music by Arthur Schwartz and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a kaleidoscope of American social and political history, from George Washington to “the next president” who would be elected in November 1940. The revolving stage on which the pageant unfolded was 270 feet in diameter, large enough to accommodate horses, buggies, and cars; it was complete with details like real flowers growing in real earth in real gardens.

There were 350 performers in various vignettes about George Washington, Abe Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and “the next president.” Cars from the collection of James Melton were featured in a section called “The Struggle Buggy Days,” which included a tableaux about financier and gourmand “Diamond” Jim Brady and turn-of-the-century singer Lillian Russell. The venue for this exhibit alone held 7,000 people. Admission was 40 cents.

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From Howard Kroplick

Margo, thanks for sharing the wonderful stories about your father James Melton…who was truly ” America’s Favorite Tenor.. and Automobile Collector”. Enjoy, Howard

From InstaGRAM Report: The Surprising Connections Between the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair and Automotive History

This is an amazing article and some excellent research! I never knew about this race and I was fascinated by this account. Thanks for such an enjoyable article.

From InstaGRAM Report: The Surprising Connections Between the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair and Automotive History

Hi Howard,  I want to personally thank you and Greg for a Fantastic day touring your “Museum of Exotic Cars” . This was a personal thrill for me and my brother John. You were so gracious giving us a tour and I enjoyed it very much.  I hope to see you again in the future. You are very knowledgeable and you have a great story for every car.  Thank you Howard.
Mario

From Upcoming car shows, concours, presentation and exhibits for the Howard & Roz Kroplick Collection