Vanderbilt Cup Races

Otto Linton and Lew Fink owned the Scorpion - DKW/Rytune that he ran there and I had always heard stories about the car. There were only three of them, the Rodriguez brothers owned the other two…..eventually selling the one that Wallace drove.

There are lots of bad info on these early races…..Ray Heppenstall started working for Otto right out of high school, and he was used to transport some of the cars for Otto and Tom Flemming…...he often shows up in the records as having owned / driven them (but he did not).

The dagrada was a nice car….Otto had a good look at one at the Fairmont Park races in Philadelphia. The Scorpion was blindingly fast in short distances as it could lap the entire field within the first few laps. At the time, Lew mentioned that the champ car drivers we taken back at the huge speed difference between the cars during practice having told Lew “you guys in the Scorpions must be crazy”. The Scorpions seemed to be in a class of their own…..but in long distance runs the DKW engine heated up and the pre-charge did not work as well and their advantage would evaporate.

So had the two Lancia/dagrada cars run….they would have shown well over the 75 mile race.

cheers,

Roger Linton

From The Dagradas and the 1960 Cornelius Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Raceway

I think you’ll find you’ve posted all those pictures reversed! Either that, or there’s some very creative tailoring going on!

I look forward to seeing the rest.

From From the Drennan Collection: The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race Awards Ceremony

Michael and Richard:

Thanks for the information. Much appreciated.

I have just received over 50 glass plates and negatives from the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race from the Cradle of Aviation. About 1/3 are drivers in unidentifed cars ...so I may need your expertise in identifying these previously unpublished photos:

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/friday_may_7_2010_from_the_drennan_collection_the_1936_awards_ceremony

Howard

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

A group of us from Boston went on a tour in the mid 70’s and met up with a group of old car people from the island.  Henry was a member of the group.  That was the only time I met Henry who was a perfect host.  On the Saturday of our tour, he took us by the museum and gave people whatever parts they needed.  That evening we visited his home in Southampton before going to John Duck’s for dinner.  That was a weekend I’ll never forget.  God bless you Henry wherever you are.

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?

Michael is correct - driver of the Bugatti is The Hon Brian Lewis. Phillips’ Bugatti’s bodywork was modified around the scuttle and had no aeroscreen.

His identification of Earl Howe is right too.

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

Howard, Didn’t the bridges over Willis AV. and Roslyn Rd. have three openings also? Al

From Rare 1930s Photos of Two Motor Parkway Bridge Accidents

E. Dean:

Thanks for the feedback!!! Much appreciated.

Howard

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Rare 1908 PAL Race Painting Discovered

Absolutely fantastic stuff! I love this web site—one of the best I visit.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Rare 1908 PAL Race Painting Discovered

Hi Michael:

Thanks for the info!

Here is a link to Eddie Rickenbacker in the Peugeot at the 1914 Corona Race:

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

Howard

From The Peugeot EX3- Winner of the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race in San Francisco

The EX3 Peugeot in which Dario Resta won the 1915 Grand Prize and Vanderbilt had been brought to the US in 1914 for the Indy 500, and for Georges Boillot to drive. Ralph Mulford and Eddie Rickenbacher drove it before Resta.

From The Peugeot EX3- Winner of the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race in San Francisco

It is possible to determine the lineage of the Bothwell car: it was driven in 1916 by Ralph Mulford, and owned by Lutcher Brown of Orange, Texas. Brown sold it via Ralph de Palma to Frank Book of Detroit, Michigan, who sold it to Bothwell.

It is not entirely clear who drove the car at the 1914 Grand Prix, though. Only two cars can be traced from the Grand Prix to specific American owners, namely Georges Boillot’s car which was driven by Johnny Aitken in 1916 and Jules Goux in 1919, and the spare car which was driven by Dario Resta in 1915/16 and Ray Howard in 1919. The Bothwell car may have been driven by Goux or by Victor Rigal in the Grand Prix.

From The Peugeot EX3- Winner of the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race in San Francisco

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vcrsys/Images/Alco/Top-745_edited-2.jpg

This is Floyd Davis in a Thorne/Miller. This car and its sister had been entered at Indy with Dodge engines, but did not qualify. They both ran in the Vanderbilt Cup and the following year’s Indy race with Miller engines.

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vcrsys/Images/Alco/Top-747_edited-2.jpg

This is Babe Stapp in the Topping/Miller again, as stated by Tony de Seta.

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vcrsys/Images/Alco/Top-746_edited-2.jpg

This not Babe Stapp, but Englishman Earl Howe in his ERA.

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vcrsys/Images/Alco/Top-743_edited-2.jpg

This not Overton Phillips, but I’m not sure: I believe it may be Englishman Brian Lewis.

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

A few photo ids:

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/vcrsys/Images/Alco/Top-739_edited-1.jpg

Car is correctly identified as the 1936 Shaw/Offenhauser, seated in it is Giuseppe Farina (1950 FIA World Champion), standing from left to right are Wilbur Shaw, Tazio Nuvolari, unknown, Rex Mays and Antonio Brivio.

From 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services

Hi Randy:

Thanks for the information!

Howard

From Dario Resta and the Peugeot- Repeat Winner of the Vanderbilt Cup Race

Excellent, love to see these photos. As well I look very much forward to seeing The Bridge ones as well as others!

From A Treasure Box of Long Island Auto Racing Discovered by the Cradle of Aviation

Hi Howard,
    Thank you very much for walking the extra mile regarding my inquiry. Let’s see if there are any of our fellow enthusiasts that might have some information.
    Charlie had a “New York connection,” we uncovered photos of Charlie at Watkins Glen in the late 1940’s, when the SCCA was still in its gestation period; in one photo Dave Garroway (of the original NBC Today Show) thanking Charlie for helping to prepare his SS 100. Also Charlie had an extremely close friendship with Luigi Chinetti; and of course Chinetti rode out WWII working for Alfred Momo, in Manhattan.
Immediately after the War Chinetti approached Ferrari to build and import automobiles, after Enzo agreed, one of the first persons Chinetti turned to here in the States was to call Charlie and made Charlie his “go to man” in the midwest. Charlie made numerous trips to Manhattan to help Chinetti launch the Brand…..when you think about it…..what a risk…what a challenge! In 1948 who, in the U.S. knew what a Ferrari was? Did even Chinetti have the vision to know how far his endeavor would go, the scale, the mystique?
    Charlie would continue to make frequent trips to The Glen every year, usually to service Chinetti entries, or Chinetti customer cars.
It was also not uncommon for Charlie to pick up customer cars at the Manhattan showroom and drive them back to the midwest and deliver them directly to the new owners. He was active until the late ‘60’s.
    Again, thanks for your efforts.
    Best regards,
    Jim Scott

From In Search of Master Mechanic Charlie Kirschhoffer

Hi Richard:

I have photos of the 50th anniversary of the 1904 Vanderbilt Cu Race…but have nothing on the 1958 celebration.

Howard

From The Dagradas and the 1960 Cornelius Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Raceway