Vanderbilt Cup Races

Regarding the left handed ignition switch: I recall reading (very long ago) that a Ford executive was driving with his family and his child reached over and shut off the ignition while they were going down the highway.  So as a safety feature it was decided that henceforth all Ford ignition switches would be placed out of reach on the left side.  Keep in mind that at one time most cars had bench seats and no one worried about putting children in the center of the front seat.
However, a quick Google search didn’t confirm my memory.  Does anyone else share my memory?

From A first look inside and under the 1962 Holman Moody Challenger III

As with the Beast I’m already hoping some company will deliver a diecast of this incredible historic Falcon!

From A first look inside and under the 1962 Holman Moody Challenger III

The early 1960s was a very interesting time for Ford Motor Company. Lots of dollars for racing. I missed most of it being in the Army in the Pacific until 1965. Nice to catch up.

From A first look inside and under the 1962 Holman Moody Challenger III

I grew up around the corner from the grandstand site, in fact moved back there too. Used to play on and about the roadway as a kid circa 1967+, it made a great stingray bike area.

The roadway itself was strange in that it was about a foot lower than the surrounding ground.

I never noticed any paving to indicate the grandstands, just the concrete roadway scattered with broken glass.

From Kleiner's Korner: What Became of the Vanderbilt Cup Race Grandstand?

That’s Willie K. driving his 23 HP 1900 Daimler Phoenix “White Ghost” He used it to set a speed record for covering the distance between Newport, RI and Boston, MA. Additionally, he won 3 out of 5 races at the Aquidneck horse race track outside Newport, RI on Sept. 6, 1900. Since he bought the car in June, 1900 and was no longer the owner of record when it was used in a fatal accident in Feb., 1902, the date must be sometime in between so I’ll go with 1901. The location of the photo looks like “Brookholt” in East Meadow, his mother and step father-in-law’s mansion at the time.

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Willie K in his 1900 Daimler White Ghost at the Brookholt Estate in East Meadow

The manufacturer, year and racing record of the automobile

1900 23 HP Daimler ‘White Ghost’.
From VCR.com: In this car, he cut the speed record between Newport and Boston to about half the previously recorded speed and remained only slightly above the railways’ driving time….On September 6, 1900, Vanderbilt and his society sporting friends gathered at a half-mile Aquidneck Park horse track near Newport, Rhode Island, for a series of automobile races. Willie K. was the star of the meet with the White Ghost, winning three of the featured five mile races, averaging 33.7 mph.

The driver

Willie K

The year of the photo

1900

Kudos question: Where was the photo taken?

A little thrown off by this question. The title clue, ‘father-in-law’s Long Island home’ is strange in that James Graham Fair lived in San Francisco and died in 1894, years before this photo. Not sure what I’m missing here…Confusion has set in….
Maybe I’ll come up with something before the reveal.

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Willie K in his 1900 Daimler White Ghost at the Brookholt Estate in East Meadow

Well Art we know where the material didn’t end up. In those four houses that now occupy the site! Those residents probably don’t know the history of their property.

From Kleiner's Korner: What Became of the Vanderbilt Cup Race Grandstand?

Recall the plans for the grandstand being dismantled and relocated to Ronkonkoma. But the Speedway never came to be. All that building material was fairly new, so it must of been put to good use. Bet they utilized the Central RR to transport the materials to storage yards.

From Kleiner's Korner: What Became of the Vanderbilt Cup Race Grandstand?

I like the color picture too, looks more fresh.

From Greg O.'s Garage: Plans for the Meadowbrook Country Club Motor Parkway Bridge

Interesting pictures, stories and comments.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Mysterious Seaford "Speedway" (posts and all!)

. . . Continued.  Reports of the proposal indicated the Motor Parkway right-of-way would be used as a rail bed.  (all from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle of May 25, 1912)

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: North Hempstead Town Supervisor Edwin C. Willets Driving a 1904 Buckmobile

Further details regarding the proposed use in 1912 of the I. U. Willets property as a cemetery.  Following a political battle a state law was passed that prohibited the building of new cemeteries in Nassau County.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: North Hempstead Town Supervisor Edwin C. Willets Driving a 1904 Buckmobile

My favorite pic is of Howard getting a ticket for having excessive fun….
WAY TO GO, HOWARD!!

From Update: Videos and highlights of the 2021 Port Jefferson Hill Climb

Howard, Regarding the the gold medal, yes it was issued during the Reliability Run….but only as an after thought.  The contest was a timed event with speed limits at or below local ordinances, some areas as low as 6 MPH. Contestants had to be at specified locations at given times. The one with the least number of demerits would be the winner of the ACA’s Presidents Cup. Problem was 17 participators turned in perfect scores, that is, without a single demerit. so…. it was decided that a gold metal would be issued to those 17 and their names and the vehicle driven would be inscribed on the Cup.

From Mystery Foto #33 Solved: Windsor White's gold medal from the 1902 500-mile Reliability Contest from NYC to Boston and return for the White Steamer

“Excessive Fun”, :D. LOVE IT!

From Update: Videos and highlights of the 2021 Port Jefferson Hill Climb

Mystery Foto #33… The contest associated with this medal was the ACA 500 mile Reliability Contest, “New York to Boston and Return” October 1902.
The driver was Windsor T White.
As for a link to the Vanderbilt Cup Race, Windsor’s brother Walter drove a White steam powered racer in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race…. the only steamer to ever run in the Vanderbilt.
The manufacturer of the auto was White Sewing Machine Co. and this was a steam powered car. The car was built in Cleveland, Ohio.
Both US Presidents Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt owned White steamers.
A likely reason why White was awarded this medal was that the auto made relatively good time and speed along the way.

From Mystery Foto #33 Solved: Windsor White's gold medal from the 1902 500-mile Reliability Contest from NYC to Boston and return for the White Steamer

1.The Automobile Club of America October 9 - 15, 1902 500 mile Reliability Run from NY City to Boston and back to NY City.
2. Windsor T. White was the driver and E.W. Wheaton was the observer.
3. White Sewing Machine Co.
6. President Shattuck of the Automobile Club of America offered the presidents cup for contestants who averaged 14 miles per hour for each stage.  The maximum average speed of 14 mph (4.285 minutes per mile) to avoid violating the 15 mph State speed limits.

From Mystery Foto #33 Solved: Windsor White's gold medal from the 1902 500-mile Reliability Contest from NYC to Boston and return for the White Steamer

Brian, the 999 is a Baker Torpedo Kid Replica owned by Ron Laravie the organizer of the event, he’s on Facebook.

From Update: Videos and highlights of the 2021 Port Jefferson Hill Climb

I think I’m going to go with some Capt. Obvious answers today. According to the inscription on the medal, it was produced for the A. C. A. sponsored Reliability Run
between NYC and Boston and return (a distance of 488 actual miles) from Oct. 9-15, 1902. The driver was Windsor T. White who was an early financial backer for the building of the LIMP, having purchased $5,000.00 worth of stock in 1906. A White Steamer (driven by his brother Walter) participated in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The car that was awarded the medal was a White Steamer manufactured by the White Sewing Machine Co. which was located in Cleveland, OH. Presidents Taft and Teddy Roosevelt both owned White Steamers. The medal was probably awarded for the best time in completing the run or possibly for having the least number of repair stoppages during the run.

From Mystery Foto #33 Solved: Windsor White's gold medal from the 1902 500-mile Reliability Contest from NYC to Boston and return for the White Steamer

Enjoyable day for me being there. I was there 6 years ago so I knew what to do this time. Got there an hour earlier, parked close by in the lot, walked over asked some questions about iffy weather, it’s on, got a freebie bagel with cream cheese, walk back to my car, got my folding chair and walk back to a spot across the street from where the announcer was position where the 61 cars left to go up the hill. The weather was not good, very cloudy mid 80s, oppressive humidity and poor Howard getting a little sweaty, but afterward the sky opened up had nice chat with people I know in the back area. Just to let you what to do in 5 years when they have it again?

From Update: Videos and highlights of the 2021 Port Jefferson Hill Climb