Vanderbilt Cup Races

Ever hear of Rex Mays? Qualified 3rd, finished third, driving a 2 year old Alfa, practice car for Nuvolari in 1936. Yep, my dad, was offered factory rides with Alfa Romeo, Auto Union and Mercedes for the 1938 season. His car was 30 miles per hour slower than the German cars and still finished with average speed only 3 miles per hour slower than the winner. I guess fake news has always been around.

From Newsreel "1937 Vanderbilt Cup Race"

To Al Velocci:  Leaving only a 115 ft wide space open for a proposed “super highway” doesn’t seem nearly wide enough to accommodate.  And the distance left open by Levitt, (even if you want to include the polaris ball fields) from Pintail lane to Bloomingdale road is only a mile and a half.  Far short of 4 miles.  Additionally, if there was a risk of this highway actually being built, why would Levitt then build over the Motor Parkway ROW from Bloomingdale road to Wantagh ave?  Not arguing, I’m just fascinated how it all played out.

From Greg O's Garage: An actual strip of the Motor Parkway sold

And I meant note the survey is courtesy of Al Velocci.  Thanks Al!

From Greg O's Garage: An actual strip of the Motor Parkway sold

The undeveloped lot.

From Greg O's Garage: An actual strip of the Motor Parkway sold

Ernie - here’s a survey done in 1949 showing the extension of Orchard Road at Carnation and the undeveloped lot.  1926 and 1950.

From Greg O's Garage: An actual strip of the Motor Parkway sold

Two things I always found curious about Levitt in this area. First is Orchid Road ended at the corner of Carnation, and the last north west corner plot (could have been #88 Carnation) was never developed, despite being an oversized when compared to its neighbors. Next is when in a later phase of Levittown Orchid was pushed out to Newbridge, but with a kink at this corner.

Fun fact: if you look close where the LIMP curves south by Pintail the fence line curves on the empty lot before Pintail Lane. That lot was once a school, and the fence line still to this day has that curve.

Years back on some forgotten blog I remember reading someone’s post who as a child lived on Carnation, and he said their back yard had a bit of a hill from the elevated curve of the former roadway.

In the Raceway picture showing number 12 there are some obscure details. First is the Newbridge hotel (now a Mobile gas station). Directly to the left of the race car is a square sign that surely reads “RAILROAD CROSSING LOOK OUT FOR THE CARS” as that is an at grade crossing of the Steward Line over Newbridge Road. The two power poles appear to be traditional trolley type power poles; at this time the Pennsylvania Rail road was using this section of track to test various power schemes for their under construction Pennsylvania Station of New York City.  See: http://arrts-arrchives.com/newpage1.html

From Greg O's Garage: An actual strip of the Motor Parkway sold

Levitt not being able to acquire all of the Motor Parkway ROW through today’s Levittown… seems like a no brainer, right ?  Especially when you consider the County claimed they were aggressively trying to sell off the Parkway ROW and get the property back on the tax rolls. Not so for the section between Clinton Ave. in Garden City and Rt. 135. After WW 11 there was talk about building a super highway in Nassau County. In January 1948 it was announced it would stretch from North Hempstead to Farmingdale “following the old Motor Parkway for a goodly distance “. On January 31, 1948, William Levitt agreed to keep vacant a 115 foot wide strip of land 4 miles long thru Island Trees for the highway. Coincidently it was on Jan. 5, 1948 that Levitt announced that his Island Trees development was to be called Levittown.

From Greg O's Garage: An actual strip of the Motor Parkway sold

That’s the Ormond Hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida. In the early years of the 20th. century, the beach located a short distance from the hotel was the site of several automobile and race related events. Participants and spectators for these events would stay at the hotel. Probably the most famous event took place on January 27, 1904 when Willie K. set the one mile land speed record at 92.3 MPH during the Ormond-Daytona Beach Automobile Tournament. Sadly, the hotel was demolished in 1992 and is now the site of the Ormond Heritage Condominiums. However, the hotel’s rooftop cupola was saved and restored. It now resides across the street in Fortunato Park. (see attached photo)

From Mystery Friday Photo #10 Solved: The Hotel Ormond -An early race destination at the "Birthplace of Speed"

The Ormond Beach Hotel. Own by Henry Flagler. 1992 torn down. It’s now condos.

From Mystery Friday Photo #10 Solved: The Hotel Ormond -An early race destination at the "Birthplace of Speed"

I grew up in Levittown just a half mile from this location. I’m also curious as to why Levitt didn’t purchase more property where the LIMP existed in Levittown. Thanks for the historical details Greg!

From Greg O's Garage: An actual strip of the Motor Parkway sold

Mystery Foto #10… The building is the Ormand Hotel in Ormand Beach, Florida. It was also known as The Flagler Hotel. Street address was 15 East Granada Boulevard.
In 1904 visitors and officials of the Ormand Datona Beach Automobile Tournament stayed at the hotel. At that event in January ‘04 Willy K set a land speed record of 92.3 mph. The building was razed in 1992 and a Condo is now on the property. To give credit where credit is due my wife, Marlyn Gorman solved this Mystery Foto even before I had a clue as to what building that was.

From Mystery Friday Photo #10 Solved: The Hotel Ormond -An early race destination at the "Birthplace of Speed"

  I remember Walt from the Long Island Old Car Club. Those are wonderful memories!
 
  Prayers to his family.

From Sad news: Walter McCarthy has passed at the age of 85

Great documentation of this part of the Motor Parkway ROW.  I still wonder why Levitt didn’t build on the Motor Parkway between Pintail lane and Jerusalem ave.  He seemed to have no problem buying land and building here as well as between Bloomingdale rd and Wantagh ave.

From Greg O's Garage: An actual strip of the Motor Parkway sold

-The building and its location

Ormond Hotel. Ormond Beach, Florida

-Its role in automotive history

Owner Henry Flagler in 1904 also owned the Ormond Garage, the first gasoline alley before Indianapolis Speedway. The hotel accommodated participating race cars during the beach races. The Ormond Garage would house the drivers and mechanics during the speed time trials. Owners and manufacturers stayed at the Ormond Hotel.

-The status of the building

Despite being added to the National Register of Historic places in 1980, in 1992 it was razed for condominiums.

From Mystery Friday Photo #10 Solved: The Hotel Ormond -An early race destination at the "Birthplace of Speed"

Close up of the cupola.

From Mystery Friday Photo #10 Solved: The Hotel Ormond -An early race destination at the "Birthplace of Speed"

The Ormond Hotel in Ormond Beach, Florida.

Headquarters for the road races that took place on the beach in the early 1900s, of which Willie K. participated.  The managers of the hotel in 1902, John Anderson and Joseph Price, organized the races with William J. Morgan of “Automobile” Magazine.  The Ormond Garage was built near the hotel in 1904 to service the racers and their mechanics and was known as “Gasoline Alley”.

Currently the Ormond Hertiage Condominium occupies the site where the hotel was.  Throughout its existence the hotel was a lifetime residence for the elderly and a retirement hotel, finally being demolished in 1992.  The only remaining part of the hotel is its cupola which sits in Fortunato Park across from the condominium.

From Mystery Friday Photo #10 Solved: The Hotel Ormond -An early race destination at the "Birthplace of Speed"

I once came upon a photo of Walter McCarthy, Walter Gosden, and Henry Austin Clark Jr., together surrounding an old relic in need of repair. I suspected the trio were all into renovating rare old motors.

My condolences to the McCarthy family during this difficult time.

From Sad news: Walter McCarthy has passed at the age of 85

- The Hotel Ormand, Ormand Beach, FL.
- Lodging, frequented by the Vanderbilts and others, convenient to racing at nearby Daytona Beach.
- The building was demolished in 1992 to construct a condominium.

From Mystery Friday Photo #10 Solved: The Hotel Ormond -An early race destination at the "Birthplace of Speed"

I only learned of Walter from the website here. His bio tells me he was a tremendous individual all around. Condolences to his family and may he rest in eternal peace.

From Sad news: Walter McCarthy has passed at the age of 85

Gary Cooper lived a bit NE of the museum; his wife’s family I believe were from the area, and as he aged he spent more time there, loving cars he would go to the museum to check them out and go for rides with Austin. Copper is buried in Southampton just east of the museum , no headstone to mark the grave but just a large natural stone. We used to drive through the graveyard after having lunch at John Ducks restaurant to pay our respects to Gary Cooper in the 1920 Autocar hotel bus.

From Mystery Friday Foto #9 Solved: Gary Cooper and Henry Austin Clark, Jr. going for a ride in the Hamptons (Circa 1960)