Vanderbilt Cup Races

Post card series was originally posted on the Blog on Jan 07, 2014

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: The Lakeville Hotel on the 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race Courses

The Lakeville Hotel - Lake Success ,intersection of Lakeville Rd and I.U. Willets Rd
                      photo of hotel looking to the northwest
The hotel was on the 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race course.
Names of building - Lakeville Inn, Elverton Inn, and Red Lion Inn.
                      building burnt down and was taken down in the 1930’s
Photo was card #1 of the Post card series -  Brooklyn Mineola Fair series #3

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: The Lakeville Hotel on the 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race Courses

Nice to see such a group effort, excellent work all !

From Update #1: Seven Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Members Help to Preserve a Town Landmark

Howard, the film and story were awesome! Imagine if the film could have been clearer and in color. As for the story about Robertson, all you can say is he was the real deal. A tough hard driving Man’s Man even fifty years later.

From Helck Family Collection: Peter Helck Recalls the Greatest Vintage Car Event in Long Island's History

Brian:
Thanks for the comment.  Actually, it is not the area you refer to, though I do know that area too.  I believe you are referring to the strip of land on the west side of Clinton Avenue, just across from where Lindbergh hangered his plane in the days before his famous flight.  The area I searched with my detector is a mile or so south of there, not far from the fire station and across the railroad tracks.  And now I realize that I erroneously referred to Old Country Road when I meant Clinton Avenue.

From Update #3: Mystery Foto #28 Reveals Another Piece of Long Island History in Garden City

Liking your metal detecting adventure, Mr. Moyers! You must be referring to the area tucked between Avalon Rd., East Dr., and Clinton Rd. Perhaps a treasure hunt can be arranged via Mr. Bellmer.

From Update #3: Mystery Foto #28 Reveals Another Piece of Long Island History in Garden City

The photo is taken over the Mitchell Field airbase, Garden City looking towards the northeast.
Major roads - LIMP, Stewart Ave, Merrick Ave, Miller Ave, and Selfridge Ave.
Railroad - LIRR Central branch, aka Central railroad, Stewart RR
Housing complex - Mitchell Field airbase military housing
LIMP - LIMP double bridges at Roosevelt field #1).  Meadow Brook Polo field bridge
        #2).  Roosevelt field motor parkway bridge
Sport Complexes - Meadow Brook Polo fields , north fields
                    Roosevelt Raceway auto track 1936 and 1937 Vanderbilt  
                    Cup races
Date- 1936, the track looks like it was freshly paved for the 1936
Vanderbilt Cup races, The Ellison Ave cut off can be seen which was used for the
1908, 1909, and 1910 cup races.
The Roosevelt Raceway track was used for the 1936 and 1937 cup races.

From Update2:Mystery Foto #29 Solved:A 1936 Aerial of Mitchel Field,Roosevelt Raceway & the Motor Parkway

More spectacular aerial views, thanks Richard. Again, the sharpest image to date of the Roosevelt Field highway bridge and sister, Meadow Brook Hunt Club bridge. Mid to late ‘30s, aerial is looking NE with Mitchel Field housing at the bottom, Meadow Brook Hunt Club top right, Meadow Brook Polo Fields top left, Roosevelt Raceway on top. Diagonally from top to bottom, Motor Parkway, Stewart Ave, CRR of Long Island. Merrick Ave (Whaleneck Rd) can be seen at top right of the photo. VCR races could be ‘08, ‘09, ‘10, ‘36, ‘37, and ‘60. Photo quality is as good as it gets

From Update2:Mystery Foto #29 Solved:A 1936 Aerial of Mitchel Field,Roosevelt Raceway & the Motor Parkway

My father was a Tucker dealer. Had a showroom in Jersey City,N J . Took and sold over 200 cars in less than 2 months. When Tucker went under , we were left with 200 each, luggage set, seatcovers, Motorola radios and antennas. We also had a genuine Tucker engine for display that my father sold for use in a boat.
_________________________________________
Howard Kroplick

Very neat story!

From Update: Tucker will be a Featured Marque at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

We’re over Mitchel Field looking north-north-east toward Westbury. We can see Stewart Avenue and the Central branch of the LIRR along with a small piece of Merrick Avenue in the upper right corner. I believe the housing complex is the officers’ quarters for Mitchel Field. The LIMP structures are the two side-by-side bridges over the LIMP connecting Stewart Avenue with Roosevelt Field. The sport complexes are: Meadowbrook Club Polo Field, Mitchel Field baseball field (a stretch, I know), and the Roosevelt (auto) Raceway. I think the date is 1936 because the track appears to be configured for the 1936 V.C.R. and not yet reworked for the 1937 race. Besides the site for the 1936 & 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Races, you can also see remnants of the temporary road connecting Old Country Road to the LIMP for the 1908, 1909, and 1910 races. I also think a case might be made for including the 1960 race course on land just below the grandstand near the upper left corner.

From Update2:Mystery Foto #29 Solved:A 1936 Aerial of Mitchel Field,Roosevelt Raceway & the Motor Parkway

Howard that post and film were fantastic. To see all those vintage cars together must have been a sight to see. Truly the greatest car event on the island. I even just sent links to both our my son’s to see the a slice of the wonderful automotive history of their home.  Thank you for keeping it alive and going for generations now and to come.
All our Best,
Scott & Vicki Alexander

From Helck Family Collection: Peter Helck Recalls the Greatest Vintage Car Event in Long Island's History

Thanks Howard.  I will convey to him that he still has a fan on Long Island.  At age 84, his public presence remains pretty impressive.  Though it is slowly fading, as is inevitable with the march of time.

From Update #3: Mystery Foto #28 Reveals Another Piece of Long Island History in Garden City

Update #1: The automobile has bee identified as a 1965 Pontiac Le Mans

From Mystery Foto #65 Solved:The "Robert Moses" Eastern Motor Parkway Bridge Over Northern State Parkway

Looking northeast over the east Garden City, Mitchel Field, Roosevelt Field area.
Bottom right semi circle is the Mitchel parade grounds.
The left to right diagonal just above the semi circle is the Stewart Line RR.
The diagonal above that one, parallel to the rest is Stewart Avenue
The diagonal above that one is the LIMP.
The housing area is the Mitchel Field complex.
The twin bridges over the LIMP leading to Roosevelt Field are visible, one of which
was built by the private Meadow Brook Club.
At the top is Roosevelt Raceway.
The time frame—1938

From Update2:Mystery Foto #29 Solved:A 1936 Aerial of Mitchel Field,Roosevelt Raceway & the Motor Parkway

Knowing then the history of Camp Mills when I was in high school in the 1970s I took my metal detector to the narrow strip of land that ran parallel to the south side of Transverse Road and east of Old Country Road.  This area was between Transverse and a housing development to the south.  At that time it was park-like land used mainly by people walking their dogs.  I uncovered a wealth of military artifacts along this strip, including US. Army insignia of specific units, buttons and metal tent stakes galore.  Not long ago I was back in Garden City and noted that this strip of land is still undeveloped.  My hunch is that it remains ripe for searching.
_______________________________

Howard Kroplick

William, wonderful story.

FYI, I always had great respect for your father as President Johnson’s press secretary and as one of the great political commentators of this era.

From Update #3: Mystery Foto #28 Reveals Another Piece of Long Island History in Garden City

Penny H.

Let us all hope that all those wonderful cars that appeared in the 1954 Vanderbilt Celebration are still with us and being cared for by owners who appreciate their unique place in automotive history.

The video was great.

Thanks for posting the article.

From Helck Family Collection: Peter Helck Recalls the Greatest Vintage Car Event in Long Island's History

Greg H.

Thanks for sharing the article on the Tucker and the Helck family collection. There was some great footage of the #16 Locomobile, which I sent to my Locomobile friend.

From Helck Family Collection: Peter Helck Recalls the Greatest Vintage Car Event in Long Island's History

Howard, ... A terrific video, that really may have been the best car show on L.I. !  Thanks, John Benfield

From Helck Family Collection: Peter Helck Recalls the Greatest Vintage Car Event in Long Island's History

Howard, wow, you’re making great progress.  I’ve never seen a Tucker cyclops headlight before, and one that works.  Can’t wait to see it finished.
Good job!!!
Rog

From On the Road to Pebble: The Unique Tucker Cyclops Headlight

Question; was the Bill Pollock, with a Chadwick Raceabout, the same of that name who had a very successful racing career in California in the ‘50’s, driving among others, an Allard, (multiple winner at Pebble Beach), Corvette, Maserati and Alfa?  He died last year in his 80’s.

From Helck Family Collection: Peter Helck Recalls the Greatest Vintage Car Event in Long Island's History