Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hi Art:

Glitch is fixed.

Howard

From Art Kleiner's Exploration #1: The Motor Parkway near Colonial Springs Road in Wheatley Heights

More good reporting Howard. Thanks for the pics.  I’m usually on Salisbury Park Drive 3 or 4 times a week and many times daydream about it being the Motor Parkway.  Speed limit is enforced at 30 mph. so I try to limit the daydreaming however.

Interestingly, the Ladenburg property is actually in today’s unincorporated area of Salisbury, which at one time was called South Westbury and which is now generally thought of as being Westbury (using Westbury’s zip code). And Long Island’s way of assigning school districts makes it more complicated, with Salisbury containing an elementary, middle and high school of the East Meadow school district (which may be why you’ve considered it East Meadow). What’s more, I live in a section of Levittown, bordering Salisbury, and my children went to one school in East Meadow and two in Salisbury (i.e., Westbury). And if you want more, my water is supplied by the Hicksville Water District. I’m sure it must have been much less confusing in Willie K’s days!

From Then & Now: The "Meadowbrook" Motor Parkway Bridge in East Meadow

It will be nice to be reminded of Austie’s machinations. I feel that the end of Bridgehampton Race Circuit also contributed to his demise. His and Alec Ulmann’s stories are largely missing from the history of “The Bridge”.
Bridgehampton Racing Heritage Group will be staging a revival with the Historical Society on Oct. 1 and 2 and invite any and all old-timers to tell their tales (and bring appropriate cars with a racing heritage).

From Archives: Long Island Automotive Museum

Thanks for posting Howard.  The three pics in the middle don’t seem to be opening for me, however.

From Art Kleiner's Exploration #1: The Motor Parkway near Colonial Springs Road in Wheatley Heights

Hi Al:

Thanks for the information!

Howard

From Archives: Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates

From Bob Swanson:

“I had no idea that only 12 ALCO vehicles exist today, I’ve only rode in the one truck. The Paul Milhous 1913 looks like it has been restored since the post card photo was taken my Henry Austin Clark sometime in the 1960’s I believe. Austie found the car in Walter Scott’s junk yard here in Ridgefield in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s.

I wonder what other cars were out there at the time. Walt had a repair shop next to his house and it is still there. The care taker of St. Mary’s Cemetery lives there now and the property in back will be used for future expansion. Mom and Dad, along with my Grandparents and both Aunties are buried there. Mrs. Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl is just across the way on the corner. I never knew her middle name until I read of her passing. Dad worked for her part time on the weekends in the early 1960’s.

The ALCO Vanderbilt Cup winner lived here while Joel Finn owned it, Dad worked part time for Joel doing carpentry work. He did get a ride in the ALCO.

The 1907 Renault that James Melton had that is now in a Utah collection came out of Ridgefield in the late 1940’s one of seven I believe that William K. Vanderbilt had commissioned for friends. Ridgefield was the only town in Connecticut to have a battle in the Revolutionary War. The Stebbins house on Main Street was part of the barricade the patriots built to slow the British troops on their march to the shore in Westport.

The day Austie Clark told me about the Milhous ALCO he told me the Stebbins were relatives I can’t remember the details. That about drains all the info I have on the topic.”

From In Search of Alcos: #4 1913 Alco Convertible Touring Car Formerly at the Milhous Museum

Dear Mr Henry Austin Clark Jr, I have been trying to locate you for some time.I was in the antique restoration auto busines for a long time ago. I had A 1929 7 year restoration project. This auto was a Studebaker 1929 president cabriolet fe model. I took it to the Hershey 1984 show and it took first junior .I have great color picture of auto.I use to visit your Long Island Automotive Museum many,many times. It was the greatest day spent. I have about 20 of your 1900 car prints 1957 and they framed and matted. Also have some large Auto Framed prints of famous race prints. I am in a wheel chair now 80 yrs old. I would like to like to the value of them, I don’t want to give them away as I need the money now for precriptions.Please contact me as soon your time allows you to do.Respectfully Mr Jerry Gringer

From Memories of Henry Austin Clark, Jr.

Have been searching all over of a video/dvd copy of the closed circuit broadcast of the 1964 Indy 500 race.  It’s hard for me to believe that there isn’t a copy somewhere.  Any response I get would be appreciated.  Thankyou for your time.  The cost of geting it would not be an issue.

                Perry
                908-281-0199

From Archives: Indy 500 Races

Jean-Yves

Good catch! Thanks!,

Howard

From From the Hank Wieand Bowman Collection: Vanderbilt Cup Races (1915-1937)

Hi Howard,
The winner of the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup was Dario Resta in the Peugeot EX3 #9 (already winner of the GP one week before). DePalma drove the Mercedes GP #22 and finished 4th. (visible in the middle of the first row next to the Peugeot). With this car (ex Louis Wagner, 2nd in the 1914 ACF GP at Lyon) owned by E.C. Patterson, DePalma won the Indianapolis 500 in may 1915.

From From the Hank Wieand Bowman Collection: Vanderbilt Cup Races (1915-1937)

Tom:

The track was losing money on each race. In addition, American and European drivers disliked the road racing course.

Howard

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

Indeed great aerial shots. Why did the Roosevelt Raceway only last for 2 “road races”?
Development creeping in already at that point?

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

From John M:

“I would love to help in the maintenance and restoration of the Motor Pkwy.  As I child growing up in Fresh Meadows my dad often took me for walks along the old stretch between the LIE and Cunningham park.  When we moved out to Bethpage I spent my youth playing on Dead Mans curve not realizing the significance.  Now I have two children of my own and we take early Sunday walks along sections still remaining of the old road, Especially my little guy who looks for the fragements of the old asphalt during these walks.  I am a board member of the Porsche club of America and currently live in Bethpage not far from the road.

Please keep me informed of when you need help what I can do to help. I interact with the motor pky every day as my office is right by the old schoolhouse foot bridge off of Maxess Rd. in Melville.”

From Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

From Dan Templeton , Secretary, New York Military Vehicle Club:

“I’ve just seen your webpage, regarding the old Motor Parkway Bridge in Old Bethpage Village, and I’d like to offer some help from the New York Military Vehicle Club. If possible, a date in June would be preferable, as May weekends are already booked on our Calendar. Please let me know if we can be of any help.”

From Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

Howard, With respect to the Motor Parkway plates issued to William K Vanderbilt Jr., records at the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport indicate plates bearing #100 were first issued to him in 1924. Between 1924 and 1927 he would order four plates with that # every year. Starting in 1928 and at least through 1933 he would order eleven #100 plates every year. In 1935 even Vanderbilt was feeling the effects of the Depression as as he scaled back his order to just ten plates that year. Only two #100 plates are known to exist, both issued in 1937. One is at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and the other in private hands. By the way, #200 was issued to his attorney, Henry B. Anderson, #300 to Vanderbilt’s brother Harold and #400 to Vanderbilt’s daughter, Muriel. As to the #1 plate, I’m surprised that more examples haven’t surfaced. Between 1922 and 1937 approximately sixty #1 plates were issued to Grier.

From Archives: Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates

From Sam Berliner III:
“I knew the OBVR bridge was in a bad way but hadn’t realized how severely deteriorated it had become since I last saw it”

From Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

From JD:

“That aerial view is terrific.”

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

From Wendy:

“cool aerial shot. also liked that pix of the bull hotel on northern & glen cove rd.”

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

From Ron L.
“Great stuff Howard. Keep’em coming!”

From Midget Auto Racing at Roosevelt Raceway in 1939

I know the L.I.Model A Ford club has been involved in cleaning up the bridge site in the past.  I look forward to being able to help restoring this site.
Roger Price

From Update #2: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge