Vanderbilt Cup Races

Howard as a board member and former chair of the Carriage Association of America showcase committee I have judged the carriage portion of the Keenland concours. I wasn’t there in 2016 but each year it draws some top class cars and carriages. Congratulations on your well deserved award and good luck in 25! JeRita

From Looking Back at the 2016 Keeneland Concours d'Elegance

The photographer is looking east (or maybe slightly south-east) on Jericho Turnpike at the famous Woodbury turn intersection with Woodbury Road. The photo was taken from the second floor window of the steeple of the local Methodist Church (built in 1852; now the Historical Chapel wedding venue). The date is October 24, 1908 during that year’s Vanderbilt Cup Race with the eventual winner, George Robertson driving the “Old 16” Locomobile with Glen Etheridge as the mechanician.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: The Dangerous Woodbury Turn on the 1908 Course

Ah, you can’t fool ME on THIS awesome photo of the Woodbury Turn from the 1908 race!  Taken from the Woodbury Methodist Church entrance on Jericho Turnpike, facing southeast.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: The Dangerous Woodbury Turn on the 1908 Course

Ah, you can’t fool ME on THIS awesome photo of the Woodbury Turn from the 1908 race!

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: The Dangerous Woodbury Turn on the 1908 Course

A guess.  Before moving to Boca in ‘04, we lived in the “Gates” in Woodbury, the entrance to which is about 1/8 of a mile East of the intersection between Jericho Tpke and Woodbury Rd.  The SE little hill at the corner looks like the hill where the old Whitman school building is still extant near the top, with today’s modern school behind it. I think Woodbury Rd (whatever it was called before) existed even during colonial times.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: The Dangerous Woodbury Turn on the 1908 Course

In today’s money, the entry fee for a “simon - pure amateur” would be $665. $50 prize - $1660, and $100 - $3320. Nice sums of cash then and now : )

From Kleiner's Korner: The 1910 Inaugural Sweepstakes: The Motor Parkway Races that Weren't

Interesting find! But maybe not exactly 10 miles. “...from near the Great Neck Lodge to the Grandstand on the Hempstead Plains,” I measured 10.0 miles west from the Grandstand and landed just west of the IU Willets bridge. Nearest points of entry to the parkway were Roslyn Lodge 1.9 miles east, and Great Neck Lodge 2.1 miles west. I’m guessing the intent was to enter through Great Neck being closest to the city, with a starting point where?

From Kleiner's Korner: The 1910 Inaugural Sweepstakes: The Motor Parkway Races that Weren't

Al,
Christie installed the rear axle drive for the July 1905 Morris Park races. That rear motor came from his earlier car.  The 1905 racer always had a front drive motor.
Peter,
A reconstruction of the 1909 Christie racer is expected to be completed sometime next year.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

Just came across a pristine brochure from the museum and two ticket stubs from circa 1953.  For the past 41 years, I have lived next to the Ronkonkoma Motor Parkway toll house.  I purchased my house from Eric Ericson (was 88 at the time) in 1983.  He was the toll collector for William K Vanderbilt Jr..  His brother rode on a horse with a shotgun during prohibition.

From Film "The Long Island Automotive Museum"

Greg, after reading the comments of others I seem to recall that Christie, after the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race, removed the front wheel drive axle engine and all, and moved it to a rear axle drive for the Morris Park Race, or was that somebody elsewhere.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

Greg, Think that is a one off Christie race car. 1905 ?

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

We have here the 1905 Christie 4 wheel drive race car. It featured two engines, one driving each set of wheels, they were both 4 cylinder, the front engine was 828 cubic inches and the rear engine was 471 cubic inches. The crankshafts were the drive axle, in the front there was a cone clutch at each end to act in place of a differential. The creator and driver was John Walter Christie who was a pioneer of front wheel drive. The car was debuted at Morris Park, NY where it proved a handful to drive. It then ran three times at Cape May, NJ where it won the Cape May Trophy on the third run where it covered the flying kilometer in 23.25 seconds at 96.2 mph. I wish some enthusiast with deep pockets would try to recreate some of his creations, especially the 19.6 liter V4 Grand Prix racer.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

Snapped a photo of a passage from my Levittown History Book. Describes crossing a one lane bridge over the Motor Parkway as a route to a school off of Hempstead Turnpike. This would have to be the Bloomingdale Rd Hwy Bridge. They would also have to cross the Central RR. That probably wasn’t an issue, being that train traffic was occasional.

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #41: The Bloomingdale Road Bridge in Hempstead Plains

Never seen these Levittown videos before Greg. They’re priceless. Thanks for sharing

From Video of the Week: Newsreel; Levittown in the 1950's

David Miller, a link to a map including LIACC, Crocus Ln and Orchid Rd

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1396j0_672hYkvbcNFJInbc1mXNJspD9f&ll=40.73859842404668%2C-73.51865098723539&z=17

From Video of the Week: Newsreel; Levittown in the 1950's

That’s the 1905 Christie 4-cylinder front wheel drive racer designed by J. Walter Christie, which at one time had two engines, one in front and one in the rear. It participated in the 1905 American Elimination Trials with George Robertson driving and finished 6th. With Christie himself driving, it participated in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race, colliding with Lancia on I. U. Willets Road in Albertson, and was credited with 17th. place.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

J.W. CHRISTIE
1904
J.W. CHRISTE
FIRST RACE WAS ORMAND BEACK, FLORIDA. FINISHED 5TH AND LAST
1905 WON THE LOZIER TROPHY
1905 VANDERBILT RACE - DIRVER WAS GEORGE ROBERTSON
At one point in 1905 the car had a second engine in the rear, but it was damaged during one of the track or beach events Christie competed in prior to the Vanderbilt Cup Elimination Trial. As a result, it was removed
George Robertson charged into the Jericho turn, blew a tire and destroyed a wood-spoke wheel. Robertson telephoned the referees for permission to change the wheel, and after some deliberation he was allowed to do so – but the race was lost.
1906 Ormand Beach, after installing a larger engine, 13 litre - V-4 engine, Christe was again at the wheel. After hitting debris, damaging the engine, he was out of the race again.
1907 without using parts from his previous cars, he entered the French Grand Prix.
Making it to the starting line, engine and or clutch problems forced him out of the
race on lap 4. Although his race attempts were un-successful, he did introduce the front wheel drive early on.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

First front wheel drive car
1905
J. Walter Christie
1905 American Elimination Race, driven by George Robertson, finished 6th
1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race, driven by Christie, finished 17th after accident with Vincenzo Lancia in a Fiat.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

1905 Christie front drive race car. Designer John Walter Christie.  The car was a transverse, 4 cylinder front wheel drive automobile, first seen at the January 1905 Ormond Beach races.  Between July 3 and September 8, Christie installed another transverse, 4 cylinder motor in the rear, driving the rear wheels, making it a 4 wheel drive racer. It had a claimed 120hp.  Christie needed this extra horsepower to try and beat Webb Jay’s White steam race car.  These two went head to head at Morris Park over the 4th of July celebrations.  Webb Jay represented the Chicago Automobile Club. Walter Christie represented the Automobile Club of America. Webb Jay won 2 of the 3 races, including the Final.
Christie later reached 93mph on a beach race at Cape May, NJ. 
September 8, he blew up the rear motor, and returned the car to it’s normal front drive configuration for the September Vanderbilt Cup Elimination Race. George Robertson drove the Elimination Race, but Walter took over for the main Cup event.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

If you bought a Levitt cape in the fall of 1947 on Orchid rd facing north near Crocus lane you would regularly see planes take off and land from out your kitchen and living room windows The LIACC was operating until the end of spring 1948.

From Video of the Week: Newsreel; Levittown in the 1950's