Vanderbilt Cup Races

This shows the Motor Parkway winding through Eastern Queens,going over Springfield Blvd.,past the Adelphi Academy and Alley Pond Park athletic fields,under the Grand Central Parkway,over Winchester Boulevard,past Creedmoor State Hospital,probably dead-ending at the under construction Cross Island Parkway,resuming and passing over the Commonwealth Blvd. bridge. The time frame is around 1939-40 when the Cross Island was being built. My neighborhood! Great picture!

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A Spectacular 1940 Aerial of the Rocky Hill Lodge & the Gatekeeper's House

From a date perspective, I want to say 1932-1933.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A Spectacular 1940 Aerial of the Rocky Hill Lodge & the Gatekeeper's House

I believe this is Queens, looking East.  I think that’s the Rocky Point toll and Rocky Hill Road Bridge over Springfield Ave.  The Grand Central looks new, so I’m assuming it may have opened fairly recently.  The park is Alley Pond Park to the left and you can make out Creedmore in the distance.  You can also make out the Alley Road Bridge and perhaps Clinton Ave?  Not sure about that one. 

Great find!

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A Spectacular 1940 Aerial of the Rocky Hill Lodge & the Gatekeeper's House

Rocky Hill Rd.  Springfield Blvd.  I saw this picture last week online.  It’s a good one.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A Spectacular 1940 Aerial of the Rocky Hill Lodge & the Gatekeeper's House

The last image displaying pretty much the entire roadway looks to be an east view. Wouldn’t mind seeing how far west the club exposed the roadway. I do remember the cart path heading southerly from this point, gradually diverting away from the LIMP.

I imagine the club must have photos,etc. of their property from the past?
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Howard Kroplick
Brian, unfortunately the club does not have many vintage photos of the course.

From A New Motor Parkway Historic Marker Installed at the Wheatley Hills Golf Club in East Williston

I would really like some in-depth technical detail on the Knox Giant. It seems like an amazing car destined for an amazing driver.

From The continuing story of Joan Newton Cuneo: "Those daring young (wo)men in their racing machines"

My father, Frence (Francis) Kellerman was the doctor on Alva in the late thirties. He joined at Kiel in Germany and after sometime with WK he settled in the UK before the Second World War.
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Howard Kroplick

Neat! Do you have any photos to share? If so, please forward to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .

From One of Yachting's Dozen: William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s Alva

Joseph DeBono

The Mystery Photo #  45 is “Tampa Hall”  in Brentwood they had a meeting for the “Taxpayers Association of the Motor Parkway Acreage”.  Thank you Howard

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Taxpayers Association of Motor Parkway Acreage (TAMPA) Hall in Brentwood

Brian McCarthy:

      This building seemed familiar, and I ended up “re-finding” this image on your 9/16/2015 Blog “1926 Map of the Motor Parkway Acreage in Brentwood” ( TAMPA ). The attached aerials courtesy of Suffolk County imaps display this building in 1947,62,78. Then in 1984 till 2016 it’s a new structure, but within the same property ( 143 Caleb’s Path, Central Islip ). This newer building is the “Long Island Ghanaian Seventh Day Adventist Church”. I snapped a photo of it today (see above).

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Taxpayers Association of Motor Parkway Acreage (TAMPA) Hall in Brentwood

No Autonomous driving involved here.

From Jalopnik.com: Today's Race Car Divers Have it Easy

That was TAMPA Hall built for the Taxpayers Association of Motor Parkway Acreage, a civic organization, and was located on the corner of Caleb’s Path and Gates Avenue. It was used for meetings and social events primarily by the residents of a specific sub-division of Brentwood near the LIMP.

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Taxpayers Association of Motor Parkway Acreage (TAMPA) Hall in Brentwood

As per vanderbiltcupraces.com

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article//the_motor_parkway_acreage_in_brentwood

“This was the hall of the Taxpayers Association of the Motor Parkway Acreage (TAMPA) on Caleb’s Path and Gate Avenue in Brentwood. TAMPA was formed on May 28, 1934 for the protection, improvement, and benefit of the civic interests of the community. The hall was used for meetings, social events lectures and parties until the 1950s.”

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Taxpayers Association of Motor Parkway Acreage (TAMPA) Hall in Brentwood

Could this have been a Motor Pkwy maintenance facility? If so, and if memory hasn’t failed, this would’ve been located in the Dix Hills area, 1/2 mi. west of Deer Park Ave. Tough mystery Jason, looking forward to this week’s solution

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Taxpayers Association of Motor Parkway Acreage (TAMPA) Hall in Brentwood

Stumped! Oddly, this structure is similar in size/configuration to John Russell Pope’s lodges. The windows appear the same and it’s receiving electricity but no chimney to heat the unit. The communications antenna places this at least the ‘30s. Unlikely a prototype lodge.

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Taxpayers Association of Motor Parkway Acreage (TAMPA) Hall in Brentwood

Great write-up!  I beg to differ with Penny, however.  Try driving a supercharged 1928 7.020 litre SS Mercedes with the three-pointed star 10 feet away out front, stiff underslung springing, brutal steering, mechanical brakes, and the accelerator pedal BETWEEN the clutch and brake pedals!  After the star starts around a turn, it feels as if it takers five minutes before the cowl, and then you, follow.  Add to that the frantically-anxious owner of this museum-piece next to you and you match any ALCO or Tucker drive.  Sam, III

From Jalopnik.com: Today's Race Car Divers Have it Easy

All those flecks of oil, all that blue exhaust, all that thrashing of chains and vibration. Gee its a real car with lock to lock steering: a car that you drive not one that drives you. There is nothing that can compare with a ride at speed in a chain drive beast. You are immediately transported back to the dawn of motoring and gain a real appreciation for skill and endurance of the early drivers.  Bravo!!!

From Jalopnik.com: Today's Race Car Divers Have it Easy

I like that “never was” photo, would like to see more done that way.  Looks like a past dimension,,,, (to enter)?

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The Willis Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Willston Park/Albertson in 1939

The man sitting next to Lewis Strang (at the wheel) is probably Loren Hodge, who rode with Lewis to win the first 100 mile race at Indianapolis in 1909, probably in that car.  There is a good interview and biograp in the Decator Sunday Herald and Review, (Decatur, Illinois)
17 Feb 1980, Sun, Page 51.  You will notice a good likeness in his photo from the interview here

https://img.newspapers.com/img/img?id=77612227&width=557&height=399&crop=1059_615_1702_1243&rotation=0&brightness=0&contrast=0&invert=0&ts=1510350982&h=d9bf0934ec5d21d38807385edac5c874

Loren Hodge was invited by Glenn Curtiss at the 1909 race to become one of his early pilots at his New York factory.

From Mystery Foto #28 Solved: The 1909 Buick Factory Racing Team in Flint, Michigan

Very cool Howard!  I was there when they did the filming at your garage.  Now I have to figure out how to watch it!  Thanks again for the invite.  I will always remember standing next to the beast when you fired her up.  Sounded like 50 caliber machine guns!  Mitch Hackett
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Howard Kroplick

Mitch, the episode will eventually be posted online. They did a great job!

From Updated: Jalopnik:America’s First Great Car Race Happened On Roads People Still Use Every Day

Ha, ha!  There IS yet another Tucker!  I spotted it quite by accident on 04 Nov 2017 up here in Massachusetts.  I’m sending the photo to Howard.  Sam, III

From Hagerty.com: A new Tucker, true to the original, debuts at SEMA