Vanderbilt Cup Races

Long Island in recent years missed an opportunity to bring back motorsports at the EPCAL site in Calverton, opting for a less popular theme park with a ski mountain. It seems our rich motorsports history is being kept just that by our politicians, History. There is much history laying in fields and yards rusting away because of no place to house it.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: 1910 Plans for the Ronkonkoma Motor Speedway

Erratum #2:  “also known as the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway”

Motor Parkway Fact: When the Long Island Motor Parkway was active from 1908 to 1938, the road was never referred to as the “Vanderbilt Motor Parkway” by either newspapers, automobile trade media or William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.

Adding to the confusion, today a section of the existing parkway in Suffolk County was named the Vanderbilt Parkway. However, true LIMPers never use the term “Vanderbilt Motor Parkway”.

From The New NYC Parks & Recreation Motor Parkway Historical Marker in Queens

Erratum #1: “12 toll lodges designed by John Russell Pope”.

Motor Parkway Fact: John Russell Pope designed only the first six toll lodges. There were 20 toll collection structures associated with the Motor Parkway.

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

Howard

From The New NYC Parks & Recreation Motor Parkway Historical Marker in Queens

At Santa Monica, the checkered flag was used as a finishing signal for the first time in 1914. Yellow meant stop, green said one lap remained. In 1913, the checkers indicated one lap remaining.
For the 1909 Santa Monica race, the flags were: Red = stop; White = course clear; Green = slow down; Black = finish.
What is often overlooked is the fact that the sport of auto racing in this period had yet to develop as an actual sport as we see them today. There were rules, yes, but most of the requirements for safety and operation had yet to be decided upon due to plain ol’ ignorance of what was needed. Drivers had trouble keeping track, imagine how hard it was for fans to follow along.    HOPublishing.com

From The Checkered Flags of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

I second the motion re. the awe inspiring work Howard is doing with the Vanderbilt Cup web site.

Thank you Howard!

From The Checkered Flags of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

I would like to say how much I am enjoying the excellent photos and information in your blog on your Vanderbilt Cup Site. I check back every day to see what you
have added.

From The Checkered Flags of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Thank you, Howard, for including my father’s work in your blog. And thank you for sending me a copy of your wonderful book. I will be stopping briefly in Long Island in early May for a high school reunion, and I hope to be able to talk to the new director of the Nassau County Museum of Art about hanging some of my father’s works in the museum.

From "Old 16" Tin Can Art by David Wasserman

Great photo. Lindburgh stayed awake for 55 hours to make the flight to Paris. What a piece of history.  In 1951 they closed the field and turned it into a Mall. It is very close to Garden City, NY and most who live there have no idea what happened on that strip of land in 1927. They drive right by.

From Charles Lindbergh and the Motor Parkway in 1927

Hi Paul:

Thanks for the positive feedback!

Howard

From AACA Presentation and Feb. Event Update: Club Meetings, Car Shows and Car Cruises

Howard I do not know where the P43 picture was taken.  Using the building in the back, playing with the PC sharpens it, ive looked at East Norwich, Jericho, Mineola nothing. Maybe HIcksville.  The picture was taken by Joseph Burt photographer thru the 30s Mineola area and beyond. Do you know the machanics name? How was Philly?  Bob Valentine

From Starting Lineup: 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes

A very interesting and informative website. I was at the get together at the Bonwit and it was great.  Keep up the good work, am sure it takes a lot of effort and is appreciated.  Stay Well. Paul Emmert

From AACA Presentation and Feb. Event Update: Club Meetings, Car Shows and Car Cruises

Hi Randy:

Thanks for the information!

Howard

From Jay Leno & the 1906 Stanley Steamer Vanderbilt Racers

I’m not sure that the picture you have from 1940 for the 4 min 26 sec mark is actually of the same place.
What you can’t tell from the video is that the LIMP starts going downhill well before the first overpass and then sharply downhill as soon as you get to the overpass.  Maybe they did some major changes when widening the road in later years?

From Video "The Queens Motor Parkway Bike Path"

Hi Richard:
That’s pretty funny! The person to Willie K’s right in the photo was Fred Wagner, the starter for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race and many of the major auto races of the era.

Howard

From The Vanderbilt Cup Race Pits: An American Innovation

Wonderful concept.
Development of hiking and biking trails with an nod to the historical significance of the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway would be great. 

With current economic climate and lack of “spine” among the political class, however, sorry to say like most public construction project of late I’m not optimistic.

From Long Island Business News Article "Hope for the Vanderbilt"

Is that Guy Frost standing next to Willie K. in the photo with “William K. Vanderbilt Jr.standing behind the car carefully observing the car which he owned.”?

From The Vanderbilt Cup Race Pits: An American Innovation

So the term “racing pits” was literal in those days. Actually, the pits as they were arranged then were a safety hazard to both the auto and the pit workers with the possibility of a car dropping into the pit when entering the area. Separating the pits and the race course apparently came later.

From The Vanderbilt Cup Race Pits: An American Innovation

Fascinating. I came upon this path almost accidently a couple of years ago from the Shea Stadium parking lot. I came back again with my bike and rode over to Union Tpke. It was only when I mentioned the ride to my cousin who lives in the area that I heard about the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway. Before he told me, I only knew of it as an exit on the L.I.E! Thanks. I can’t wait to go back when the weather is warmer.

From Video "The Queens Motor Parkway Bike Path"

Howard,
Here is some more info on Leno’s Stanley Racer.

Neither of the two original Stanley “Vanderbilt” cars exist, but more than eight replicas have been constructed by enthusiasts in recent years. One replica is owned by Jay Leno, who was famously stopped for speeding while driving it on an LA freeway.

http://patentpending.blogs.com/patent_pending_blog/2005/11/steam_car_sets_.html

From Jay Leno & the 1906 Stanley Steamer Vanderbilt Racers

These 1908 pits were a lot more impressive in terms of safety and utility than those we saw at the Bridgehampton road races 43 years later!

From The Vanderbilt Cup Race Pits: An American Innovation