Vanderbilt Cup Races

Nice to see that map.  I live in Dix Hills only a short distance north of the LIMP and drive on it quite often.

From 1927 Map Showing the Long Island Motor Parkway and Proposed Highways & Parkways East of Queens

This house is located on Green Drive in Searingtown/ Roslyn Heights. The undeveloped land that this section of LIMP was on is located off Old Searingtown Road across from the Albertson VFW on Searingtown Road. Al must have taken this picture soon before the property was developed.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: A House Built on the Long Island Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way

Sam Berliner III

The 1957 Grand Reopening film shows that famous 1946-47-48 Chrysler mobile starting gate in action at 1:15 on .  Last I knew, it sits in the Yonkers Raceway museum.  Does anyone have more specific information about the car itself?  The mobile gate was invented in the U. S. by Steve Phillips in 1937.
My older daughter was a Brownie scout when she participated in a jamboree at the grandstand, so that had to be ca. 1970.  I created a panorama of half-size whale and dolphin cutout silhouettes, plus one of a Brownie, which were draped across the inner back wall of the stands.
And then, of course, there was my (in)famous (and illicit) run around the track in my 1954 XK-120M Jag drophead immediately after the end of the 19 Jun 1960 “VCR race”.
Great memories!
Sam, III

From Memories of Roosevelt Raceway (1936-1988)

The house is definitely in the Searingtown area, just south of I. U. Willets Road between Searingtown Road and Shelter Rock Road. Possible candidates for the actual street the house is on are: Reed Drive, Sugar Maple Drive, Capri Drive, Green Drive, or Fiesta Drive. I’m going with Green Drive.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: A House Built on the Long Island Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way

Definitely Searingtown. Can’t locate the home, but I’ll guess somewhere near where the old IU Willets LIMP bridge was, Reed Drive.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: A House Built on the Long Island Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way

I remember once (‘80s-‘90s) driving on a two-way paved road eastbound through the Roosevelt Raceway field area, and seeing that last building sitting in ruins in a large field, surrounded by other fields. Driving through here I felt something significant was abandoned, which I knew nothing about. Thanks for shedding light on this area of Long Island that once exhibited these historic events.

From Memories of Roosevelt Raceway (1936-1988)

I was hoping to get some Model T (1925) reverse action in the video link below. No dice, but also interesting is how to start and drive it. This would take some time to get used to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxfHMtgg2d8

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Frank, There are other instances where the fencing is close to the over and under passes where the ROW is 100 feet wide, primarily for safety reasons. Some of the photos of the VCR races posted by Howard clearly show this. The primary purpose of the fencing was to keep cheaters and farmers and their live stock off the Parkway.  Not every section was fenced. Where it was deemed very difficult to gain access to the Parkway roadway, such as in the bottom photo, fencing of certain areas did not come until the concrete posts replaced the original cedar posts. To the best of my recollection, the Parkway ROW east of Route 110 wasn’t fenced until the advent of the cement posts in the 1930’s

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Just a guess here,but I’m thinking North HIlls.Love these things,Howard & Al-!!!

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: A House Built on the Long Island Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way

Sam III - I too was hoping that this image was a known, you know it’s going to be tough when NO ONE has the unequivocal answer.

The 2 images of The Old Country Rd Hwy Bridge that Frank posted above - The northbound image must have been photographed from uprise of the parkway that’s seen in the southbound image, Clinton positioned himself at the uprise to obtain a ‘level’ full on photo. This also made the ROW appear wider than it was. Viewed closely, the southbound image shows the extended abutment walls rather straight than flared out.

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Many cars of the ‘40’s had similar styling, and the first couple of years after the war, the manufacturers recycled the prewar designs. Looking at pictures of cars from this era, I put this as a (circa) 1940 Olds Club Coupe. The design of the front fenders, which don’t go to the doors, and the taillights are my clues.

From Mystery Auto #2: 1941 Chevy Special Deluxe Coupe Parked In Front of the Roslyn Mill Tea House

The 1926 aerial shows the LIMP in Searingtown, the only place where it curves like that. I’m placing the house on the south side of I.U. Willets Road, between Carriage Road and the northern entrance to Herricks High School, in Searingtown. My rationale is it’s one of the view places where the LIMP runs south to north.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: A House Built on the Long Island Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way

1941 Chevy Coupe

From Mystery Auto #2: 1941 Chevy Special Deluxe Coupe Parked In Front of the Roslyn Mill Tea House

This home is on Green Dr Searingtown. I never visited this remnant of the LIMP, but wished that I have because of the newer homes along Old Homestead. Connection between the Swamp & St George Lake is very clear on the 1950 map. Appears the LIMP ROW was able to stay clear of the swamp?

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: A House Built on the Long Island Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way

The car is a 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe coupe, however base on the condition of the car it appears the photo was taken post war time period, 1950s?

From Mystery Auto #2: 1941 Chevy Special Deluxe Coupe Parked In Front of the Roslyn Mill Tea House

Hmm not sure Al. On the top photo there are boundary posts that appear close to 50ft width if the roadway is only 16. The bottom shows no posts indicating a wider RoW width. I’m assuming the LIMP RoW was more than 50ft north of OCR.

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Al - I meant both sides of the climb on the North Hempstead Turnpike (HA!) up out of Roslyn.  Seems to me the west side is steeper but I’m not about the check my topo maps.  Ditto Spinney Hill.  From my Automotive page <http://sbiii.com/automotv.html>, “A Dr. Doehm, a veterinarian in Roslyn, Long Island, drove a Franklin as his every-day car well into the ‘60s or ‘70s; his favorite trick was to start the car cold and drive it directly up the Northern Boulevard (25A) hill (very long and steep) in top gear without even warming it up or shifting down, which the car did without even hesitating!”  Dr. D.‘s place was at the base of the hill on Bryant Ave. (#55?) opposite the westbound on/off ramp from 25A.  He drove ONLY air-cooled Franklins.  Of course, his later cars were from the 20’s and 30’s.  We really should have an indexed archive for all this stuff!  Sam, III

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Frank,  Note that in the top photo the embankment walls are extended and angled outward. The Parkway could not do that on the south side of OCR because the overall width or the Parkway ROW was only 50 feet wide.

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Al - I noticed in the first photo Robertson positioned the camera at ground level, attempting to include the horizon under the OCR bridge on the other side. I had a similar issue recently when photographing a RR trestle that also had a dip underneath. Robertson barely cleared it, and fortunately was able to include most of the Mineola RR bridge with its steep incline to the north. In the second photo the camera was held normally and cleared the horizon without a hitch, likely indicating a higher elevation on the south side than in the north.

Sam - Interesting how the Model T was a better hill climber in reverse gear. Guessing it was due to the gear ratio.

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Still Open for Discussion: A Motor Parkway Bridge Built on a Curve

Love the image of the pedestrian underpass, sections of the stadium that rarely get captured in race photos

From Mystery Racers: The 1914 Indy 500 Race