Vanderbilt Cup Races

Here’s a 1915 map, courtesy of Historic Map Works. Merritt Ave ( underlined red ). Guess Mr. Watkins lumber yard was parallel with the LIRR main line.

I’ve noticed on some topographical maps that the RR spur that’s seen snaking north shows the spur very close to the LIMP. Fairly sure this spur was utilized by a brickyard, which was established prior to the construction of the LIMP.

From Was the "Bagatelle" Mansion in Half Hollow Hills Built by a Vanderbilt?

Update post on July 31, 2019.

From Then & Now: Extant Structures on the Vanderbilt Cup Race Courses (Updated: 7/31/2019)

Here’s the analogy I present to people like you:

Let’s say you grew up and your family had a pizzeria they loved and had been going to for years. Then the pizzeria gets sold and new owners come in. They proceed to start using cheaper cheese, and look for deals on sauce and crust. And the pizza gets worse. Then they might find good cheese, and use it for a bit but then they try to make better / cheaper deals with the cheese company, and it’s declined and the go back to the cheap nasty cheese which translates into disgusting pizza / baseball!

How long do you stick with the terrible food just because of past history??? The best thing we can do is to NEVER go to their games, make the Wilpons suffer financially because that is the ONLY thing that they care about. Then when they are gone we have the possibility of being GOOD AGAIN!

From Newsday: Ready for HIS STORY

Congrats Howard! You do amazing work and I know you will stay into the LI history scene.

Let me give you some advice though, as you will now have more free time: I agree with everything the article says about time with family, friends, etc….but LEAVE THE METS!!! You will be a much happier person not having to deal with their same old sales pitch every year only to find then out of it by the all star break. I’m done until the Wilpons sell the team. I am now an official LI Ducks fan. For $12 you are in the front row watching great baseball and you can actually park for free and afford a drink! And Wally Bachman is the manager! You remember him from 33 years ago right? The last time the Mets were good!!
___________________________________________________

Dave,

I have been a Long-Suffering Mets fan since going to the Polo Grounds in 1963 for my first Met game! There is no relief in site. Enjoy, Howard

From Newsday: Ready for HIS STORY

Congratulations! Job done great!

From Newsday: Ready for HIS STORY

Thanks everyone for the kind words and good wishes. Much appreciated!

From Newsday: Ready for HIS STORY

Meredith Jaffe
Great article!

Steve Zautke
Congratulations

Sharon Mandel
Such great achievements. You will be greatly missed.

Lisbeth Licht Wolgel
Congratulations on a job well done!!! Thank you so much for all the hard work you did!!! Now it’s time to enjoy the next chapter with Roz and your beautiful family!!!

Alan Sadwin
You will be hard to replace

Thomas Auriemma
Well done

Robert Jones
A Very Impressive Tenure if you will, congratulations Howard on any and All future endeavors… Excellent Article, Best of Luck

Donald M. Smith
Enjoy your retirement now

Meredith Rubin Slawe
Your work for the public good is inspiring, Howard Kroplick!

Lois Ellen
Great article!! So proud of u Howie! You r an inspiration to all of us!

Sal Grenci
Thank you for all the things you have done for your town.

Al Prete
Great article, great achievements. Enjoy everything else that’s going on in your life.

Jocelyn Wenk
Howard, you are remarkable! A treasure!!!

Zoe Prince
What a tribute!

Jimmy Adames
You are and always will be an AWESOME individual Howard Kroplick

From Newsday: Ready for HIS STORY

Howard becomes famouser and famouser as we see in Newsday today.
Congrats on all your successes as the town historian.
Best of luck as you move into the next chapters of your life.

From Buick Bugle: How are Chrysler and Buick Connected?

Absolutely great photos and story!

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

Guess the drivers didn’t mind their clothes becoming dirty. EVERYONE wears their best for these events.

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

I’m going to guess the 1904 AAA race. Looks like Willie K behind the wheel. This car is too advanced for the first auto race in 1895. No clue on location, likely macadam road surface, it could be Long Island. Great stumper mystery Howard, can it be solved?

https://newsroom.aaa.com/about-aaa/aaa-timeline/1902-1909/

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

Sorry, Frankl Dad was a daredevil driver but not THAT crazy - no crashing through fences or bouncing across fields (it was I that did the latter).  Funny, now I clearly remember the Flushing stretch - there was a long row of low Tudor-style stores, with diagonal-pattern roof shingles, right up against the roadway on the south side of No. Blvd., probably out around {?} Murray Hill.  Your linking the W. C. Fields movie reminds me that there were other films shot on the LIMP; 1937’s “Topper” comes instantly to mind - the Flying Wombat segment.  Uh, oh; that was the custom ‘36 Buick Roadmaster roadster.  See the 26 Jul 2011 blog.  The Wombat was the Phantom Corsair on a ‘37 Cord 810 chassis and was in 1938’s “The Young at Heart”.  Both cars were bodied by Bohman & Schwartz.  Well, ONE of those films was supposedly shot on the LIMP.  I’d like to post (or see posted) a full list.  Sam, III

From Buick Bugle: How are Chrysler and Buick Connected?

*Race, Date, Location, & Date:  Newport Automobile Races - Aquidneck Park, Newport RI - 8/30/1901

*Auto, Make, HP, Driver:  Mercedes “Red Devil” 35 HP, owned by William K Vanderbilt Jr

*Winner:  Willy K won the 2 main races. 5 mile for gasoline vehicles 12 HP +, and the 10 mile for all 6 classes of vehicles.

All answers thanks to the 12/21/2009 Blog here.

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

The saying that Walter Chrysler bestowed upon a ‘lazy person’ has much truth to it. Sometimes a hard worker can become very fixated on their task and wear themselves out. Good Leader’s know who to seek out for certain tasks.

We always like to know your recollection’s, Sam III. Your father expressing his disgust to Chrysler is priceless! I hope the company reimbursed him in some way.

From Buick Bugle: How are Chrysler and Buick Connected?

This photo is from a series of 16 automobile races for various classes of motorized vehicles held at Aquidneck Park (horse racing) in Newport, RI on August 30, 1901. Depending on the class, the length of each race varied from 3 to 10 miles. The races were sponsored by the National Automobile Racing Association with Willie K. as president. The car in the photo is Willie K.‘s 35 HP Mercedes (nick-named “Red Devil”) driven by him. Since he won 3 races that day (the 11th. and 15th. at 5 miles and the 16th. at 10 miles), I’m guessing this is from the last race.

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

The September 1900 Newport Race Rhode Island
First Vanderbilt Cup trophy
William Vanderbilt driving a Daimler was winner
There were 13 races, each 5 miles, and Vanderbilt won 3.
He drove a French Daimler Phoenix, 23 horsepower, to speed 100 mph.

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

Thank you Howard,
Excellent !

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

This is the Rhode Island Automobile Club 10 mile race held at Aquidneck Park, horse track, Newport, R.I. August 30, 1901.  The car pictured is the custom built 35 hp Mercedes called the ‘Red Devil’ and the driver is William K. Vanderbilt. This car and driver won this race at an average speed of 33.7 or 33.9 mph depending on which article one reads.

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

Thanks to Art Kleiner, Paula S., and son Jeff, a view of the parkway in the opposite direction, taken about the same time as the 1951 article, but from the nearby Roosevelt Field bridge.

From Newsday, November 15, 1951: Motor Parkway Pioneered U.S. Auto Travel

Sam - that is neat! That was my next question but you answered it - which car was that rolled down the Motor Parkway with you in it? Wish I had the opportunity to do so too but was born too late. Sounds like it was a wild and unforgettable ride! The link below is the closest I can now get to it.
https://youtu.be/XnUZBGSvKWQ

From Buick Bugle: How are Chrysler and Buick Connected?