Vanderbilt Cup Races

I talked to one of the McCamish
Many years ago they told me A few good stories
About their family living there years ago.
Looking at one of the pictures of them on the roof
Reminds me that he said they used to watch the fireworks
from the top of the roof of the lodge

From Update: Greg O’s Discovery: The McCamish Family and Their Time in the Meadow Brook Lodge

The Worlds Fair 50 anniversary was the same year as the mustang anniversary
they open the New York Pavilion that day
I got to go in like i did 50 year ago when I was a kid.Very cool to go in again.

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

Eugen Bjornstad, Alfa Romeo P3 from 1933, race team owned by Alistair & Esmond Martin, named after the hunting lodge in Scotland “Balmacaan” that they rented.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Racer Eugen Bjornstad in a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza

Added a very funny 1964 World’s Fair slide show.

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

Mystery Foto #12…The driver of the car is Eugen Bjornstad. He earned the nickname King of Speed because of a very aggressive driving style. The car is an Alfa Romeo 8c 2300 Monza. Eugen was entered in the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup race in this car. Finished 16th. Balmacaan is a Scottish hunting estate from which Eugen got sponsorship.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Racer Eugen Bjornstad in a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza

Additional supporting material.  Last picture is the Balmacaan Racing Team #8 Maserati also entered in the 1937 George Vanderbilt Cup Race. 

The history of Eugen Bjornstad coming to America and the Bradley-Martin family make interesting reads if you are so inclined.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Racer Eugen Bjornstad in a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza

Additional supporting material.

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Racer Eugen Bjornstad in a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza

Driver is the Norwegian Eugen Bjorstand.
He earned his nickname the “Scandanavian King of Speed” for his aggressive and spectacular driving style developed from his many years of ice racing”.  (Historicracing.com). 
The make and model of the race car: Alfa Romeo Monza
The link to the Vanderbilt Cup Races: Raced in the 1937 George Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Field.
Balmacaan was the name of the racing team of which Bjornstad belonged: the team was owned by the Alistar and Esmond Bradley-Martin brothers who named the team after the Scottish hunting estate their family stayed in going back to the late 1800s (interestingly, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt was a guest in1909).  The Martins were residents of Old Westbury who grew up as wealthy socialites.  They entered another care, a Masareti in the 1937 Cup Race also which was driven by Deacon Litz. 

Kudos question: Post other jpegs of the racer and the driver.
Sources: Nassau Daily Review, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, American Road Races (Joel Finn), Henry Ford Museum (the latter two from the vanderbiltcupraces.com research library).

From Mystery Foto #12 Solved: 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Racer Eugen Bjornstad in a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza

Art - Interesting read on shenanigans during Motor Parkway operation. I previously read another incident where they hammered the gas station shop owner over a pinball machine incident, after being served food from the owner. Absurd! All were caught and arrested. 
Gary - Great revelation of Yoakum’s estate as present day Bethpage Park. I had no clue the park was location of the estate.

From Kleiner's Korner: And now for something completely different: Part 2 (Motor Parkway 1911 - 1930)

Art, There was a parkway heights development at Lake Ronkonkoma ca 1912

From Kleiner's Korner: And now for something completely different: Part 2 (Motor Parkway 1911 - 1930)

Interesting to note the comments in the late 1920’s saying that the LIMP had little traffic and was already falling into disrepair. If you can find some pictures of it at various locations just before it closed in 1938 that would be interesting too.

From Kleiner's Korner: And now for something completely different: Part 2 (Motor Parkway 1911 - 1930)

As obvious as the Gillies are brothers, thinking their wives are sisters to each other; too.

From Newsday LI Life: High Society -Where the elite on Long Island learned to fly

Someone(s) was making sure Gill wouldn’t do well in the race.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Little Known (until now) 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Driver: Howard Gill

For those who might not know, railroad tycoon Benjamin Franklin Yoakum’s estate is now Bethpage State Park.

From Kleiner's Korner: And now for something completely different: Part 2 (Motor Parkway 1911 - 1930)

As noted in this photo’s caption Gill attributed the cause of his Thomas’ mechanical problem to iron filings placed in the car’s cyclinders the night before!  The car completed only one lap.  From the Helck Family Collection.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Little Known (until now) 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Driver: Howard Gill

Great story and shout-out! 

Found a picture in the Peter Helck Family Collection of the socialite Gillies family of Syosset prior to taking off from Sands Point to participate in the LI Aviation Club’s Eighth Annual Seaplane Cruise.

From Newsday LI Life: High Society -Where the elite on Long Island learned to fly

March of 2021—- I have seen, in person, 11 Tucker ‘48s.
The Prototype, 1001, 1005, 1013, 1016, 1019, 1022,
1026, 1028, 1050, and the remains of 1042.
My plan? To see five more: 1012, 1015, 1024,
1025, and 1047. By then, I’ll be plum Tuckered out!

From Profile Series: Tucker 1005- The Green Tucker at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum

I was nine years old in ‘64 and have fond memories of the fair. I get a little sad when I see what the fairgrounds look like today.

I think Jay Leno owns one of the Chrysler turbine cars.

There are lots of Jam Handy films in the Prelinger Archives. Most are industrial and training films, and ads. They were based in Detroit, and their biggest client was General Motors.

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

Frank, Just the opposite.  I hacked into the Hubbell Telescope Observatory, used the automotive aperture,  the heat sensing combustion engine option and the manufacturer app, was able to discover more than half the automobiles were GM and Ford products, followed by Chrysler. 3 Studebakers and one 1908 Alco.

From Mystery Foto #11 Solved: A view of Old Country Road (Salisbury) section of the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race courses

Al - Most vehicles are from the 1940s? You must’ve used an electron microscope! :D

From Mystery Foto #11 Solved: A view of Old Country Road (Salisbury) section of the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race courses