Vanderbilt Cup Races

Drove at Limerock numerous times in my TVR…but…THIS was SO much more fun! Look forward to seeing you and the beast at upcoming events. Gram wants you to sign his Indy 500 program.

From Video: "Take a Ride with the Black Beast on the Lime Rock Track"

Hi Art:

It was wonderful for me too!!

Howard

From The Marmon Wasp -Winner of the 1911 Indy 500 Race

I loved your drive around the Lime Rock circuit. What a great way to enjoy your Black Beast. Take advantage of every oppertunity to run the Black Beast, a real thrill.
Roy

From Video: "Take a Ride with the Black Beast on the Lime Rock Track"

Great video Howard.
  I can’t imagine the guts of the oldtimers who had these up to what 90MPH on the rough roads of the time.  Have you considered visting something like the Bonneville Salt flats to drive the Black Beast wide open?  From the Indy video I had the impression she had plenty more to give… What’s your view about top speed?

From Video: "Take a Ride with the Black Beast on the Lime Rock Track"

Jim and Robert:

I have added Carl Mensel and William Luttgen to the post. Thanks for the suggestions!

Dianne:

I don’t have any information on your grandfather in my collection. Sorry!

Enjoy,

Howard

From A Tribute to the Mechanicians of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Ah, the great Nuvolari.
For sure the greatest all-around driver of his time in my opinion.

From Archives: 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Has anyone come across the name of my Grandfather, Andrew C. Balfour, Sr. who was hired by the Whitney’s and Vanderbilts out of New Orleans to be their chauffeur and mechanic in Oyster Bay.  I have a photo of my Grandfather sitting in car 11 of the Vanderbilt Cup Race of 1910.  He knew Theodore Roosevelt, and often had long conversations with him.  Mrs. Edith Roosevelt made my mother’s christening gown…

From A Tribute to the Mechanicians of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

One of my favorite photo’s is that of William Luttgen in the 1905 race where his was a riding mechanic on Foxhall Keene’s #5 Mercedes.  He was pinned under the Mercedes after it hit a telephone pole, and the resulting photo made the front page of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.  As you mentioned in a previous post, that photo of Keene looking down at my Grandfather’s legs sticking out from under his car sort of upstaged the story about the actual winner of the race.

Thanks again Howard for all your work preserving this part of our history.

From A Tribute to the Mechanicians of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

much apprieciated tribute howard.

From A Tribute to the Mechanicians of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

And let’s not forget to mention Carl Mensel, George Arents’ mechanician in the 1904 race.

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/driver_profile_george_arents_jr

From A Tribute to the Mechanicians of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

From Robert Miller:

“It’s always been my belief the bridge was installed, but not used, ca 1911, as the one print I’ve seen of it ca 1944/6, shows it to be the same type of railroad through girder bridge used over the Oyster Bay and Main Lines, plus a few north-south roads from Winchester Boulevard east.

The biggest difference from the older plate girder bridges seems to be the addition of the tubular top rails which the old bridges didn’t have.  I have a paper print from the Queens Archives file dated ca 1944/46, with the bridge badly overgrown/surrounded with all kinds of vegetation—it looked as old as the 1911 steel bridges further east—couldn’t see the railroad right-of-way beneath it.  Grateful for your data.”

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series:#4 The Bridge over the Queens Central Rail Road Right-of-Way

Thanks Joel for the information. To clarify: The lead photo is a 1902 Mors but not Vanderbilt’s car:

http://ucapusa.com/lost_marques_mors.htm

Howard

From Willie K's Cars: #4 1902 60-HP Mors Racing In Europe

Howard;

You may have some errors in this posting.

Give me a call.

Joel

From Willie K's Cars: #4 1902 60-HP Mors Racing In Europe

From E. Dean Butler:

“Today one of my guys from Zakiras Garage was at a shop near Indy where he saw the 1911 Marmon Wasp. The damage from the recently-thrown rod is not all that bad. The crankcase will be welded and a new rod is being made. Good news!!!”

From What Hampered the Marmon Wasp During 2011 Indy 500 Parade Lap

From Richard W:

“I look forward to the info you send out….the video of the Long Island Automotive Museum was both sad and uplifting at the same time…...I fear that America’s infatuation/ love affair with the automobile is waning…...I try to instill the wonder of the auto in my kids, but…..... I have a fully restored 1930 Model A Ford Cabriolet and an unrestored 1948 Plymouth Special Deluxe 4 door edan that was owned by my grandfather…...absolutely beautifully engineered vehicles with personality. I look forward to your next newsletter!”

From Then & Now: Long Island Automotive Museum

From Mark DeSantis:

Louis Chevrolet led the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup race until he crashed with suspension failure in his Marquette Buick. He would have easily won the race with better suspension. Instead he ended up in a Long Island hospital.

From Joe Dawson- Hero of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race & Winner of the Second Indy 500

Hi Jean-yves:

Merci beaucoup!!

I have added the ad above.

Howard

From Joe Dawson- Hero of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race & Winner of the Second Indy 500

From Jean-Yves Lassaux (Paris):

I am sending you this interesting comparison between Grant’s Alco and
Dawson’s Marmon during the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup.
Extracted from this very good website :
http://chuckstoyland.com/national/racing/index.html

Enjoy!
Jean-Yves Lassaux
http://www.etoilespassion.com/histoires/introduction.html

From Joe Dawson- Hero of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race & Winner of the Second Indy 500

Mitch:
Thanks for the aerial. I have added the image above. The orignal Motor Parkway was certainly visible 13 years after it closed.

Dennis:
This land was originally part of the Motor Parkway ROW. Accordingly, it is likely owned now by Queens County or is part of the NYC Department of Parks.

Howard

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series:#4 The Bridge over the Queens Central Rail Road Right-of-Way

I have been riding my bike past there for YEARS and wondering what that side road was all about!  Howard, you’re doing great work here. 

Any idea why that piece of land was never developed?  There are houses on what would have been the bridge and rest of the road.

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series:#4 The Bridge over the Queens Central Rail Road Right-of-Way