Vanderbilt Cup Races

From Jan Hyde

Not only are you a top historian and collector, you have clout with the US Merchant Marines.  Well deserved, should be a great day.

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Thank you Gentlemen!  After putting all you gave me along with my own questions (such as the need for the headlamp brackets) I stumbled on both these cars in a photo once again.  I’ll leave it to those who are more knowledgeable, but the headlamps were needed for this 24 hour race.  http://theoldmotor.com/?p=23900 (note second photo) This photo claims the car Oldfield to be driving a “rare bird” which may be one’s way of saying a one-off. 

The photo is obviously not the 24 hour race mentioned in the old motor but an interesting study of racing R&D way back in time.  The photo is a mess with ink spots all about it and white dots from, most probably, bad handling of the negative.  But this gives me the impetus to clean it up and then maybe ask the question.  What was the horn all about?

Thank you all.

Chuck

From Mystery Foto #20 Solved: Barney Oldfield Driving a Stearns Racer in St. Paul on July 15, 1908

These pictures are not all the same lodge and the map locations are not the Massapeque lodge.

Toll lodge # 2 is the Bethpage toll not Massapeque
I lived there it was my Grandparents’ home and they worked for Vanderbilt until his death.
The Bethpage lodge is shown correctly in the photo THEN 1959 and TODAY as garden apartments complex
___________________________________________________________________________
From Howard Kroplick:

I spoke to Athur today and we agree the photos are of the Massapequa Lodge.

From Then & Now: Massapequa Road During the 1908-1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races

This was the best car show that I have ever seen, because you made it possible for me to see this historic event and everything else that went along with it. I know you have been busy researching on Shorty other things and you might have forgotten about it, my pictures I sent to you and you said you were going to post them,Sunday Drive. See ya on Thursday

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Didn’t get many takers on this one. Greg, good try

From Mystery Foto #20 Solved: Barney Oldfield Driving a Stearns Racer in St. Paul on July 15, 1908

From Wayne Carroll Petersen:

Howard,
I researched the car in the photo and I was up in the air as to what car it was. I contacted Mark Dill from http://www.firstsuperspeedway.com and he seems to think it might be the Stearns from 1908, the link below has the information.

http://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/articles/barney-st-paul

Best regards,
You Know Me!
Wayne Carroll Petersen
Great Great Nephew of Barney Oldfield, Master Driver of the World & America’s Legendary Speed King

From Mystery Foto #20 Solved: Barney Oldfield Driving a Stearns Racer in St. Paul on July 15, 1908

After a few hours last night and a little time today researching, I am stumped on this one! I’m sure I’ll be kicking myself when I see the answer!

Need a little better resolution, but my only, and best guess for the driver on the left would be that it looks like Dario Resta.

From Mystery Foto #20 Solved: Barney Oldfield Driving a Stearns Racer in St. Paul on July 15, 1908

Will do Frank, but it wasnt me at FM park though, I was in Cunningham Park and Alley Pond Park that day exploring the Hollis Tereace and Sprigfield Blvd. bridges.

Howard, good to meet you at Kings Point yesterday it was fun watching the Black Beast roar and spit fire, my daughter jumped back when it started up!! Great restoration on the Imperial and Lots of Luck with the “Shorty” Mustang too, Mike

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

From Dave Duricy:

I recently learned that you exhibited the Chryslers’ 1937 Imperial town car at the former Chrysler estate on Kings Point. I was gratified to see that car in that place.

I’ve written about Chrysler automobiles and Chrysler history for many years. I believe that the man and his corporation were deeply influential, yet they are woefully under-appreciated today.

This may sound strange coming from a complete stranger, and stranger who didn’t even attend the show, but thank you for driving the Imperial home.

Best Regards,
Dave Duricy

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

From Steven Vilardi:

“Great show, beautiful surroundings, magnificent mansions, million dollar view and the hot dogs were even good. The uniformed midshipmen of the institution were all helpful and friendly. The shuttle busses were great. Both you folks and the school did a wonderful job of coordinating a fine event.”

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Quite a challenge this time! First of all, we see Barney Oldfield (with cigar) in the light colored stock car racer, which appears to be a Stearns, recognizable by the white line radiator (patented in 1909!). It is one of the larger models, which had the round-bended springhorn with shackle. The year must be 1908, as this is the only year that Oldfield raced with Stearns. The other racer appears to be a Stearns too, but a smaller model, having a different front spring system. Oldfield’s regular team mate and opponent in 1908 was Charles Soules, who raced against him regularly on several tracks that year, so it could well be him. The track is clearly a very small one, but I couln’t find a track matching the background details of the photo.
The link with the Vanderbilt Cup is of course Barney Oldfield, who despite his brilliant career raced his first Vanderbilt Cup only in 1914.

From Mystery Foto #20 Solved: Barney Oldfield Driving a Stearns Racer in St. Paul on July 15, 1908

Hi Howard! 
Great show!  Very proud and honored to have had this experience!
Thank you!

Ann

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Just like stepping into a time machine. Amazing!

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Friday’s photo shoot was an amazing time. It was a very moving emotional “homecoming” to see the Chrysler parked there at the back of the Chrysler mansion.
Great to see my editor and great friend Richard Lentinello for several hours as he photographed that magnificent car. Photographing a black car is not an easy task! The mirror finish reflects everything . Look for a full two part story in consecutive issues of Hemmings Classic Car magazine towards the end of this year, of both the history of the car and the extensive restoration it received. Hats off to you Howard and Roz for stepping up to save this car, see it restored correctly and authentically to the absolute last detail and now share it with all of us, AND keep the car on Long Island where it has its heritage.

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Absolutely beautiful!

From Chrysler's Chrysler Returns to Its Kings Point Home This Weekend

Mike, you’re dead on with the gravestone! Lol. We share the same possibilities. Though, after reconsidering its height (approx 7-8ft.), It’s most likely not a cemetery entrance post (those would be much larger and grand), but most likely a monument for sale by same vendor on Horace Harding Blvd (Nassau Blvd). Another possibility is that the stone was purchased close to the date of the photograph (1931), and most likely installed somewhere in Cedar Grove or Mount Hebron (too expensive to transport to another cemetery). Not sure.  Also, I have strong suspicion we crossed paths that same day by the lake in FM Park. Contact me. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Hi Frank and Howard,  I totally agree, and in going to the cemetery’s site they provide an immediate street view, so I “cruised” east of the entrance…...and low and behold,  there’s the Monument Store !!! My guess is that the HH road was very close to the graveyard (probably the service road). Over time, ramps went up,  houses were demolished and it must have been an earth moving extravaganza - and we all can agree that the LIE is north of the service road looking east -  however, we do have a gravestone right next to the road in that old picture, with no ramps or LIE yet, but the cemetery was there since the 1890s, and im guessing, so was the monument store. However, with an earth moving ordeal going on all around during the construction of the LIE and ramps, it was possibly a grave that had to be relocated, or it could be a gravestone not yet sold from the monument store…....definitely a great mystery. I’ll bet that someone at the cemetery office has an old diagram in their records.  Mike

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Howard, I think Michael’s photo in question may make a great mystery!

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Hi Michael! That corner is still there. It’s where Cedar Grove Cemetery is located on Horace Harding Expwy and about 350ft east of College Pt. Blvd. It used to intersect with Rodman Street (still existing) there but the L.I.E. changed all that. Heavy traffic there then, and still today! I believe the white sign below the Motor Pkwy sign on the post says Cedar Grove Cemetery. This is 3mi. west of the LIMP terminus. Those cars are indeed speeding, and they’re on the future L.I.E., heading east towards the terminus. The gravestone may have been used as an entrance post for the cemetery once but removed., After using Google street view, I was unable to locate it but it may still be there requiring a visit for a closer look. I doubt it’s there though because it looks too old and out of date to be used as an entrance post, if that’s what it was. But looking at that roadway, I cant decide which I’d prefer, dirt or potholes. Lol. Keep on ridin’

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939

Hi Frank, This Picture is the one im curious about….what is that stone marker ? Mike

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/from_the_nyc_municipal_archives_images_from_the_motor_parkway_and_the_1937_

From Mystery Foto #18 Solved: The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows on July 23, 1939