Vanderbilt Cup Races

Nice find Art. I agree with Brian’s horse racing, but unlikely dog racing here on Long Island. The first location I’ve ever heard of dog racing was in the ‘70’s at Florida’s Hialeah Race Track in Miami. Gary’s historic views are priceless, that can be applied to further discoveries as well.

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

That’s a 1920 Hupmobile Model R Touring located in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum. How did I know? Been there; seen it; took a picture; saved the brochure. The story is that the first meeting of the founders of the American Professional Football Association (later the NFL) met in a Hupmobile dealership owned by Ralph Hay in 1920 and since there were not enough chairs for all attendees, some of them sat on the running board of a car similar to this.

From Mystery Foto #31 Solved: The 1920 Hupmobile at Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio

Football Hall of Fame - Canton, Ohio.  Determined by the posters on the walls. 
Hupp Motor Car Company, 1920 Hupmobile.

Reason for the car in the museum:
One of the organizers of the NFL (actually its various leagues early on) was Ralph Hays who owned a Hupmobile dealership in Canton, Ohio.  When Hays invited the team owners to organize a formal league, he held meetings in his showroom which had limited seating.  So several attendees sat in a 1920 Hupmobile on display and stood on the floorboards of the car.  Photos from Google and Hemmings. 

Have a good day, y’all!

From Mystery Foto #31 Solved: The 1920 Hupmobile at Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio

-The location of the photo.  How did you determine the location?

Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio….If I told you how I found out, I’d have to kill you.

-The manufacturer, model and year of the automobile

1920 Hupmobile R

-Why is this automobile the only vehicle in this museum?

Ten charter NFL team owners gathered in Ralph Hay’s car showroom in Canton, Ohio, to form the NFL. There weren’t enough chairs for everyone. A few of the future owners of NFL franchises instead sat on the running boards of the Hupmobile in the dealership. When they were ready to sign the papers to establish the league, they leaned on the hood of the car to finish up.

From Mystery Foto #31 Solved: The 1920 Hupmobile at Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio

Interesting discovery, Art. Maybe dog or horse racing in the past? Time to check out some aerials. Know that I’m thinking about it, I recall seeing quite a few track ovals on older aerials throughout Long Island.

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

Here’s some early photos of the Preserve and the original Museum Building when it was located on Sunrise Highway.  Notice the posts & twisted wire in the last photo of the path leading up to the museum!

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

As in the case of many other Nassau County owned parks and preserves, the property composing the Tackapausha Preserve was originally acquired for drainage purposes back in 1939.  The property contained 70 acres which controlled drainage along the 6 miles of the creek through Seaford. Trails were laid out and marked and the 1st Nassau County Museum opened in May 1947 to provide information on the natural history of the region.  At the time there wasn’t a Dept. of Recreation & Parks, instead all the properties were under the N.C. Dept. of Public Works (NCDPW).  All of this was happening even before the creation of Salisbury Park. 
I wouldn’t be surprised if those concrete posts were installed by NCDPW when it acquired the property.  They look like standard posts used along other roads and properties at the time.  Also, the 1935 map clearly states, “Proposed Lake Site”, so as is the case in so many maps, how much is proposed development versus actuality.  As an actual survey, that map shows it as a stream flowing from north to south.  The 1906 E. Belcher Hyde Nassau County Atlas shows the area as mainly owned by the Queens Land and Title Co. for future development.
Why was the museum named for Tackapausha?  Massapequa Sachem Tackapausha (aka Tackapousha) served as a mediator between the colonists and the Indians, eventually becoming the head Sachem of western Long Island between the 1640’s and 1690’s.  In 1947 it seemed like a fitting remembrance to him.

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

Howard:
Thanks for posting this information on Mark Dill’s work; I also read Mark’s blog site regularly. It’s important that we keep automotive history alive and relevant. I didn’t realize that he and I live close to each other; I’m contacting him to get a copy of the book.

From Excerpt from "The Legend of the First Super Speedway": Barney Oldfield at the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

That is Ralph K. Mulford, driver, and Joe Horan, mechanician, in the winning Lozier at Elgin, Ill. in 1910; Race was was referred to as the “western Vanderbilt”

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Ralph Mulford winning the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race in the #8 Lozier

Art, The letter from Vanderbilt to Kienzle regarding a “motordrome” has always intrigued me because that concept is completely different from what was being proposed in 1910. Why it never happened is a mystery because the demand was there. Note that Vanderbilt says, the motordrome preposition “might” go through. That tells me he was not personally involved. In 1912 the Metropolitan Motor Speedway was organized, the principals were Jefferson De Mont Thompson, president and A. R. Pardington and Fred Wagner as G.M. and V.P. with plans to build a two-mile track for automobile races on the Newark Meadows, “patterned after the big speedway at Indianapolis”. They were motivated by the fact Indianapolis was a huge success when you consider than their market was a population of less than 500,000 within a day’s driving distance. It was never built because it was going to cost a million dollars, in 1912 dollars, to bring in a enough fill to make the project a reality.    Shortly thereafter a new group planned to built a Motordrome in east Garden City on some 600 acres bound by Old Country Rd., Clinton Ave., Merrick Ave. and the Motor Parkway on the south. As we know that never happened either. So…., it appears someone approached Vanderbilt about building a Motordrome at Lake Ronkonkoma. The acreage was there as was the Motor Parkway and the LIRR for easy access. Hope to find out why it didn’t happen.

From Kleiner's Korner: The expenses of constructing the never built Ronkonkoma Racing Loop

The driver with the big smile is Ralph Mulford. Sitting next to him in the #8 Lozier racer is his mechanician, Billy Chandler. I believe the date was November 27, 1911 on the course for the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race in Savannah, GA. Reason for the smile was Mulford had just won the race.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Ralph Mulford winning the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race in the #8 Lozier

Howard, glad you was able to visit Marty, did Marty give you a souvenir from the Freeport Stadium ticket booth?

From Update July 20 2021: A visit to see Marty Himes and the Himes Museum of Automobile Nostagia

Many thanks to Mark Dill and his Website, The First Super Speedway, which was a great resource I cited in the National Register of Historic Places nomination for Auto Hall of Fame starter Fred Wagner’s Smithtown home (1912) listed on the NR in 2019 (see Vanderbilt Cup Racing post on “Residence of the Starter of Five Vanderbilt Cup Races . . .”). In 1915, Barney Oldfield and his wife were both in Fred’s house when Mrs. Wagner was presented by a committee with a “token of appreciation” for being a “charming hostess” providing meals for about 300 Motor Boosters at the Wagner’s 10th Annual Picnic outing at their Sunnybrook Farm. Oldfield and Wagner were photographed that September day with racing greats Burman, Cooper, DePalma, Harding, Resta, Robertson, Stutz . . . DePalma had just won the Indy 500 in May. Wagner’s friends rallied to Smithtown following the loss of A.R. Pardington (of Smithtown) in late July. Earlier that month, Wagner flagged in “first” on the courses at Sioux City Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska . . ., the future WWI flying ace Eddie Rickenbacher (who first would be taught to fly by Fred’s neighbor the future Capt. James Ely Miller, first WWI recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Fred’s huge dairy barn, within sight of his house, would become the Hall for the American Legion Post named in honor of Miller and rededicated in 2020 on the Post’s Centennial Anniversary. Thank you, Mark and Howard, for helping to get Fred’s American legacy honored nationally.

From Excerpt from "The Legend of the First Super Speedway": Barney Oldfield at the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Howard it great to see the step by step process of the restoration.  WOW.  The pictures look fantastic.  I am glad up upgraded from the original six cyl. to a 8 cyl.
I cannot wait to see the Challenger III completed.

From Restoration Update #1: The 1962 Holman-Moody Challenger III

This was a new one to me. Fantastic!

From Restoration Update -July 30,2021: 1962 Holman Moody Challenger III' s windshield and gas tanks

Wonderful progress report on a very significant car. I do not participate in Facebook and the era of the car is not my focus but this is one super neat preservation and restoration of a great machine!

From Restoration Update -July 30,2021: 1962 Holman Moody Challenger III' s windshield and gas tanks

The excitement jumps off of every sentence…

From Excerpt from "The Legend of the First Super Speedway": Barney Oldfield at the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Driver: Ralph Mulford (winner)
Mechanician: Billy Chandler
Racer: Lozier
Race: Vanderbilt Cup Race
Date: November 27, 1911
Location: Savannah, GA

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Ralph Mulford winning the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race in the #8 Lozier

PS:  the number 22 car is the winner of the Savannah race, Hughie Hughes driver of the Mercer.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Ralph Mulford winning the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race in the #8 Lozier

November 27, 1911 8th Vanderbilt Cup at Savannah GA.
Winning #8 Lozier driven by Ralph Mulford with mechanician Billy Chandler.
Of interest to me is that The Lozier Motor Company started in Plattsburg, NY

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Ralph Mulford winning the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race in the #8 Lozier