About
The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
All Content © 2026 VanderbiltCupRaces.com
Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
Website by Eric Miller Design
Site maintained by Hop Studios
Recent Comments
How bout bringing something to the Father’s Day Car Show in Fort Bragg, California Howard? Surprise us with what you may bring.
Thanks, Shawn Linn
From Upcoming car shows, concours and exhibit for the Howard & Roz Kroplick Collection: Updated 4/8/26
It is my understanding that most Duesenbergs that are driven today have had their aluminum rods replaced with steel rods as a safety precaution. Since our Duesy will be driven, safety is the #1 priority.
From Restoration Update #3: 1930 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Sedan Berline #2448 J-399 (2/28/2025)
Were the rods Babbitt? It looks like the crank end of the new rods is smaller in diameter than the originals. Does this indicate a change to inserts? Was this motor bored? And to the next size? I wonder about these things. I use the doctor’s creed when working on old cars, first do no harm, but I know just enough to be dangerous.
From Restoration Update #3: 1930 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Sedan Berline #2448 J-399 (2/28/2025)
Fascinating look behind the scenes and inside the engine. What an amazing feat of engineering!
From Restoration Update #3: 1930 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Sedan Berline #2448 J-399 (2/28/2025)
...glad to see the the restoration is coming along so well!
From Restoration Update #3: 1930 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Sedan Berline #2448 J-399 (2/28/2025)
I’m just curious. Would the non stock replacement piston connecting rods have to be disclosed to the concours judges? Or is it only things that can be seen externally that have to original for judging?
From Restoration Update #3: 1930 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Sedan Berline #2448 J-399 (2/28/2025)
Duesenberg. Saturday May 30, 1925 Indianapolis 500 winner Peter DePaolo. Peter’s uncle was the 1915 Indianapolis 500 winner Ralph DePalma who finished 7th in the 1925 Indianapolis 500. Attached is a photo of the 1925 L. Strauss & Co. Indianapolis 500 trophy. DePaolo’s pits were managed by Fred and August Duesenberg, W. Austin Denehie, Col. Arthur Herrington, H.C. Henning, Roy Stougaard and Carl Smith. It was the second year in a row that Duesenberg won the 500. Norman Batten relieved DePaolo from lap 106-127.
From Mystery Friday Foto #11 Solved: Pete De Paolo's 1925 Indy Team
WOW I can’t wait to hear it roar again when its home JeRita
From Restoration Update #3: 1930 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Sedan Berline #2448 J-399 (2/28/2025)
DePaolo-Tremulis Connections: That’s 1925 Indy 500 winner, Pete DePaolo, in a Duesenberg.
In the 1920 Indy 500 race, DePaolo was the riding mechanic for his uncle, driver Ralph DePalma.
Ralph DePalma had won the 1915 race, making up for a spectacular loss in the 1912 race where he and his riding mechanic, Rupert Jeffkins, had to push their broken down car across the finish line (bottom right photo). That photo of DePalma and Jeffkins pushing their car hung in my Grandfather’s office in Chicago where his son, the future Duesenberg and Tucker car designer Alex Tremulis, would often visit. Tremulis was awestruck by DePalma’s tenacity and that photo, etched in Tremulis’ mind, would greatly influence the future designer.
Tremulis would later befriend DePaolo and honored both him and his uncle with the naming of two of Ford’s mid-1950s concept cars, the Buzz Grissinger-designed “DePaolo” (top photo) and Tremulis’ “DePalma” (middle pic). The DePaolo’s headrests were cannibalized from one of Tremulis’ earlier concepts. In 1957, the DePalma was renamed the “Oklahoman” to honor that state’s 50th anniversary.
DePaolo’s experimental racers, the 1957 Ford Thunderbird “Battlebirds”, incorporated Tremulis’ aerodynamic bullet-shaped headlight covers that Tremulis had wind-tunnel tested in 1956.
The bottom left photo is Pete DePaolo (left) and Alex Tremulis in the pits for the running of the 1961 Indianapolis 500.
It’s a small world!
From Mystery Friday Foto #11 Solved: Pete De Paolo's 1925 Indy Team
Thanks for the update on the Dusenberg, it’s making great progress in its restoration.
Hope to see it soon in Roslyn at it’s home in the Waterfront Garage.
From Restoration Update #3: 1930 Duesenberg J Murphy Convertible Sedan Berline #2448 J-399 (2/28/2025)
That’s Pete DePaolo in the #12 Duesenberg, winner of the 1925 Indy 500 on May 30, 1925. DePaolo was the nephew of racing great Ralph DePalma and was the mechanician in the #4 Packard that DePalma drove to a 6th. place finish in the 1919 Indy 500. When DePaolo won the 1925 Indy 500, he was a member of the 4-car Duesenberg team that included drivers Norman Batten, Phil Shafer, Pete Kreis, Wade Morton, and Jimmy Gleason. Not sure, but DePaolo may also have been his uncle’s mechanician in the 1920 and 1921 Indy 500 races.
From Mystery Friday Foto #11 Solved: Pete De Paolo's 1925 Indy Team
Art, Great bit of research, Tompkins was one of the most interesting of the lodge keepers’ hired by the Parkway. Perhaps you might consider some other lodge keepers for similar articles. Al.
From Kleiner's Korner: Meet this Civil War Veteran Who Guarded the Motor Parkway at the Roslyn Lodge
Thank you all for your comments on this post, which I found very interesting to research. I’m always amazed at what a little digging will find!
From Kleiner's Korner: Meet this Civil War Veteran Who Guarded the Motor Parkway at the Roslyn Lodge
John Allen
Used as the Headquarters of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Jericho Turnpike, Jericho
October 8, 1904
From Mystery Friday Foto #10 Solved: Time for a Cool, Refreshing Drink at John Allen's House on the 1904 Course
Great story of the Motor Parkway Lodge, very interesting. The Lodge still exists today as a residence home, that was highly modified to a Two-family larger home. It is located right off the Roslyn Rd. in Williston, Nassau County.
From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #6 Roslyn Lodge in East Williston
Just to know that today the Roslyn Lodge still exists today is amazing. the whole story was great to read. I drive on Roslyn Rd. often; I own a commercial Warehouse right of Roslyn Rd. Next time I drive on Roslyn Rd, I will look for the old Lodge.
From Kleiner's Korner: Meet this Civil War Veteran Who Guarded the Motor Parkway at the Roslyn Lodge
Bob, Al’s book is now a rare collectible. There is one avalable on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Books-Al-Velocci/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AAl%2BVelocci
Enjoy,
Howard
From Kleiner's Korner: Meet this Civil War Veteran Who Guarded the Motor Parkway at the Roslyn Lodge
Wayne, thanks for the Comment. Although modified over the last 15 years, the Roslyn Lodge still exists and is a private residence.
https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_motor_parkway_toll_collection_structures_5_the_roslyn_lodge_in_east_wil
Enjoy,
Howard
From Kleiner's Korner: Meet this Civil War Veteran Who Guarded the Motor Parkway at the Roslyn Lodge
I really enjoyed his story Art, thank you. Been a while since reading Al’s book, there’s copies of his book in reference in libraries. I’ve known a few people with a Pithy nature about them lol. Like how he requested to be paid. Certainly a matter of principle for him, and was definitely looking out for his family. He was a History buff like us, I’ll look up his family name on Ancestry.
From Kleiner's Korner: Meet this Civil War Veteran Who Guarded the Motor Parkway at the Roslyn Lodge
The Tucker beat goes on and on. Terrific!
Roger
From The Swigart Museum ‘s Tucker 1013 wins best in class at MODA MIAMI 2025 Concours
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