Vanderbilt Cup Races

My father used to take me to the Auto Shows in New York City. I believe the venue was something like “Grand Central Palace”. I was 9 or 10. What was a vivid memory was the headlight in the hood. At later shows, I recall the Kaiser-Darren, Chrysler Gaia and eventually the LeSabre and Mauri Rose with the gas turbine Firebird. I recall Hudson’s run as the top stock car winner ang got the autograph of their driver Marshall Teague.

From Hemmings Blog: Tuckers are more popular than ever, and this 6,300-mile car going to auction is proof

This photo is from the first Indy 500 race on May 30, 1911. The three cars and drivers are:#7 Westcott driven by Harry Knight; #18 Fiat driven by Eddie Hearn; #35 Apperson driven by Herb Lytle. As to the cause, my attached narrative from firstsuperspeedway.com by Mark Dill explains it best. The link is Herb Lytle who participated in more Vanderbilt Cup Races than anyone including the 1904, 1905, and 1908 V.C.R.

From Mystery Foto #1 Solved: An Accident at the 1911 Indy 500 Race

RE: Mystery Foto
05/30/1911 Indianapolis 500
#35 Herbert Lytle - Apperson
#7 Harry Knight - Westcott
#8 Joe Jagersburger - Case
The Cas broke a tie rod, slowed on the mainstretch, mechanician C.L. Anderson jumped or fell out.  The Westcott tried to avoid Anderson and ran into the Apperson which was setting in the pits.  The Apperson turned over.

From Mystery Foto #1 Solved: An Accident at the 1911 Indy 500 Race

Mr. Kroplick , Is this designer the same Vince Gardner who in 1935 worked with Gordon Buehrig , Richard Robinson , Dale Cosper and others in the Auburn Art and Body Department creating the fabled CORD Model 810 ?? Thank you, Jonathan B. Richards II
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Howard Kroplick

Jonathan, it is the same Vince Garner.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Vince Gardner Building the Mustang III Concept Show Car

Mr. Kroplick , The FORD v. FERRARI movie is an absolute must see. Thank you, as always , for your superb blog/website. Jonathan B. Richards in Chesterfield, MO.
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Howard Kroplick

Jonathan, I totally agree!

From The Day We Met Carroll Shelby

Mystery Foto #1…This photo was taken at the very first Indy 500 race on May 30, 1911 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The cars and drivers shown in photo are the Westcott driven by Harry Knight, the Apperson driven by Herb Lytle and the Case driven by Joe Jagersberger.
Cause of accident…A steering rod broke on Jagersberger’s Case racer on the front stretch in full view of the grandstand. Jagersberger skidded along the outside wall and was largely out of the way. What triggered the spectacular carnage that followed was the poor judgment of his riding mechanic, Charles Anderson, who decided to jump out of the car while it still carried speed. He promptly fell on the bricks and under the car’s left rear wheel. Startled, Westcott driver Harry Knight swerved to avoid the man, lost control and skidded into Herb Lytle’s Apperson, which was parked in his pit. Remember that at this time there was no wall separating the pits from the racing surface.
As for a link of the Mystery Foto to the Vanderbilt Cup races…I can only guess that these same Indy 500 drivers also ran in the Vanderbilt race…OR perhaps this photographer also shot photos at the Vanderbilt cup races.

From Mystery Foto #1 Solved: An Accident at the 1911 Indy 500 Race

Two more pics.

From Mystery Foto #1 Solved: An Accident at the 1911 Indy 500 Race

Think I deleted my submission before hitting the button.  Here’s it again.

Identify the race, date and location. Indy 500, Sept. 30, 1911, Indianopolis Speedway

Identify the three race cars and their drivers in the Mystery Foto.
Harry Knight (Westcott), Joe Jagesberger (Case), Herb Lytle (Apperson)

What caused the accident? Knight broke a steering knuckle and its mechanic jumped onto the course, causing Knight to swerve into Lytle. 

Link the Mystery Foto to the Vanderbil Cup Races.  Lytle raced in more Vanderbilt Cup Races than anyone else.

From Mystery Foto #1 Solved: An Accident at the 1911 Indy 500 Race

Art Kleiner

Thanks to Motor Parkway friend, Dave, Mitchell Gardens is remembered by the name of a PSE&G substation on the site.  A new substation named Lindbergh is (or is planned) to be built nearby to accommodate increased local energy demands that Mitchell Gardens and another one on Stewart Avenue couldn’t support.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Part I-Mapping the Motor Parkway, Mitchel Field & Mitchel Gardens

Answers discovered and copied from firstsuperspeedway.com;

-Identify the race, date and location.
This shot captures the biggest single accident at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911.

-Identify the three race cars and their drivers in the Mystery Foto.
The accident occurred around lap 90 and involved Harry Knight, Joe Jagersberger,  and Herb Lytle.

-What caused the accident?
“A steering rod broke on Jagersberger’s Case racer on the front stretch in full view of the grandstand. Jagersberger skidded along the outside wall and was largely out of the way. What triggered the spectacular carnage that followed was the poor judgment of his riding mechanic, Charles Anderson, who decided to jump out of the car while it still carried speed. He promptly fell on the bricks and under the car’s left rear wheel. Startled, Westcott driver Harry Knight swerved to avoid the man, lost control and skidded into Herb Lytle’s Apperson, which was parked in his pit. Remember that at this time there was no wall separating the pits from the racing surface.

In this photo, we see the #7 car of Knight and the overturned #35 Apperson of Lytle. The other identifiable machine is the #18 Fiat of Eddie Hearne, which was also damaged but was able to continue. We can only assume he happened to make a pit stop at the time of the collision. This incident is blamed at least in part for the scoring confusion that also factored into controversy at the finish as inexperienced officials were distracted from tracking cars and drawn to the melee.”

-Link the Mystery Foto to the Vanderbil Cup Races.
Herb Lytle participated in more races associated with the Vanderbilt Cup Races (6) than any other driver.

From Mystery Foto #1 Solved: An Accident at the 1911 Indy 500 Race

#35 Lyttle in an Apperson
#7 Knight in a Westcott
#8 Jagersberger in a Case (who made cars I believe til ‘24, then went full tractor mode)

Indy 500 1911 on the main straight and into the pits.

I believe, from a very faulty memory, it was caused by a steering knuckle collapsing on the Case. 

It appears Herb Lyttle was the only driver to compete in the inaugural 1904 Vanderbilt Cup, competing in 6 total as well as the inaugural Indy 500, and the Appersons competed in ‘09 and ‘10 Vanderbilt.

From Mystery Foto #1 Solved: An Accident at the 1911 Indy 500 Race

A beautiful example in a stunning color. Don’t know if it’s Mrs. Tucker’s preferred blue dress color ( l believe that wasn’t produced), but the car looks great as it is finished. Thanks again for sharing these photos.
Happy New Year to all of our Vanderbilt friends!

From Hemmings Blog: Tuckers are more popular than ever, and this 6,300-mile car going to auction is proof

Jim - still have the program?

From Ads From the Long Island Automobile Club 1902 Offical Program "One-Hundred Mile Endurance Test"

The Hotel Ormond was built in 1887, opened in 1888, was bought by Flagler in 1890, and greatly expanded, becoming one of the largest wooden structures in the world, and only demolished in 1992.  The property stretched from the Halifax River (the Intracoastal Waterway) to the Atlantic.  All that remains is the cupola, on the other side in your photo (see attached), now the centerpiece of Fortunato Park, across the street from the hotel site.  Now, whatever might that spoked-wheel contrivance at far right be?  Doesn’t look quite right for just a bicycle.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: Willie K. at the Ormond Hotel during the 1904 Ormond-Daytona Beach Races

Nice Photos of Willie K. who was obviously a mover and a shaker.
However, let’s not forget Bostonian Herbert Bowden, who beat everyone in 1904 with his huge (overweight) twin-engine Mercedes “Flying Dutchman”. Another important Bostonian in those days was William “Billy” Wallace, who was s friend of my Grand-mother on Nantucket. Billy backed Louis Chevrolet, who drove Wallace’s big F.I.A.T. in the Vanderbilt Cup races.

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: Willie K. at the Ormond Hotel during the 1904 Ormond-Daytona Beach Races

Mystery Foto #52… Isn’t that Willie K almost dead center just left of the white column? He has his hands in his pockets and wearing a motoring cap.
CanT answer the rest of this one,

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Howard Kroplick

That’s him!

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: Willie K. at the Ormond Hotel during the 1904 Ormond-Daytona Beach Races

Savanna GA 1910? US Grand Prize , or 1911? Or Ormond FL? Willie K was the honorary referee at an earler 1908 event in Savanna . No idea where he is , not really a Willie K spotter

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: Willie K. at the Ormond Hotel during the 1904 Ormond-Daytona Beach Races

Caught off guard, I quickly misidentified Selfridge Ave on the old aerial. Thanks Lee for clarifying the history of this area.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Part I-Mapping the Motor Parkway, Mitchel Field & Mitchel Gardens

I have no idea.  But the wheelchairs in the left side of the photo (and possibly another on the right side, although partially obstructed) suggest the building may be a convalescent home or hospital.

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: Willie K. at the Ormond Hotel during the 1904 Ormond-Daytona Beach Races

Smack in the middle, seated.

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: Willie K. at the Ormond Hotel during the 1904 Ormond-Daytona Beach Races