Vanderbilt Cup Races

Race driver Dario Resta after he retired from racing went on to be the import agent/dealer for the British built Sunbeam cars in Manhattan. Most of the cars were imported as a running chassis complete with front fenders and hood but minus coachwork to save money on import tariff. As a running chassis it was not deemed a complete car. Coachwork was then designed, built and fitted to the chassis by American coachbuilders.

From Film:The Pan-Pacific International Expo: Site of the 1915 American Grand Prize & Vanderbilt Cup Race

Howard -
I would like to invite you and Al to speak to the members of the Greater New York Antique Automobile Club on the first Thursday in April.  The meeting location is at the American Legion hall in Williston Park.  There is parking to the south of the building where there is an entrance to the meeting room.  There is additional parking space to the north on - you got it! - the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway.  The annual Spring Meet held by the club will be held later in April on the grounds of the Motor Parkway.  Looking forward to hearing from you.  Althea Travis

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #15 & #16 The Brentwood Lodges at Commack Road

This car is a 1911 Stoddard-Dayton that is representing the pace car for the 1911 Indy race in the Indy Hall of Fame Museum. There is some question as to whether this is the actual car. The original car was owned by Carl Fisher as he was the local Stoddard-Dayton dealer. It was the first time an automobile was used to pace and start a major auto race. In 1990 we had a celebration of the 1915 Point Loma Road Race in San Diego. We were fortunate in that there was a locally-owned Stoddard just like the one in the photo and the owner kindly brought it to our event and drove it as the pace car for the two laps of the course.

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: 1911 Stoddard Dayton at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Omg,I’ve seen this car and know that it’s historical,got some searching and brain racking to do and hope I come up with something

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: 1911 Stoddard Dayton at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Hay guys,you all really know your stuff,great job on this one,don’t know how you do it. I recognize some of the photos, seen them so many times but don’t know where they are,so don’t even bother answering,just wait and see what the answers are and marvel at the amazement of it all. One last thing. One last thing,I hope all is well after the storm. We were very lucky here,only got about 4 inches. I know it was bad it was bad in some places

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

Howard:
You hit a homerun with this issue.  Every article was great.  Thanks for bringing these to us.  I note that Al is your favorite co-author, but isn’t he your only co-author? Some compliment!
Joe
________________________________________

From Howard Kroplick

My father always told me I was “his favorite son”! I do not have any brothers!

From Anatomy of a 1910 Survey: Proposed Location of the Deer Park Lodge

Identify the villages in the aerial
Starting in the upper left moving clockwise; Mineola, Carle Place, Westbury/Salisbury, East Meadow, Hempstead, Garden City
What is the approximate year of the aerial? Provide a rationale. 1943/44
Judging by the Wantagh, Northern and lack of Meadowbrook parkways and Mitchel runway configuration
Identify the Long Island Motor Parkway landmarks
Too many bridges and lodges to list! Many of the bridges are gone since this aerial is after the LIMP closed, but it starts at the very top edge with the LIMP golfway bridge in the Wheatley Hills Golf Club in East Williston to just after the LIMP Westbury Road Bridge in East Meadow and the 1938 Robert Moses bridge over the Wantagh Parkway at the very right edge of the photo.
Identify the golf course and sports venues
Ha! Which one? The photo is littered with sports venues/polo clubs and golf courses! I’ll just refer to the website;
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_golf_courses_adjoing_the_long_island_motor_parkway
Identify any other Long Island landmarks
Bonus: Find the star in the aerial. Whose boyhood home was located here in the 1950s?
I’m going out on a limb for this one and say this was your home Howard!

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

The runways look like old photos of Mitchell Field, but I can’t recognize any other landmarks!

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

It’s absolutely incredible that this bridge was “hiding” in plain sight.  What a find!!!
Thanks for the terrific photos.
Rog

From Inside the Wheeler Farmway Bridge #1: 1990s, 2008 and 2016

Bibendum Redivivus - This got me curious and I found the ashtray <http://www.cjbalm.com/auto-aero/mitem158.htm> on line.  Sam, III

From The Race to a Doctorate: Michelin, Bibendum and the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Mr. Bibendum has been my buddy for many years now (~65).  He was from an early Bakelite ashtray, long since disintegrated, and lost his feet in the last move - but he’s still smiling (great attitude).  I just went down to my cellar workshop and brought him, all 10cm of him, up and here he is: <http://sbiii.com/autopix/bibendum.jpg>.  Sam, III

From The Race to a Doctorate: Michelin, Bibendum and the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hemlock Av between Larch Ln and Chestnut Ln.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

Pre 1956, no Meadowbrook Pkwy. Roosevelt Field with hangars by Old Country Rd and horse stables, Mitchell Field fully developed, Polo fields adjacent to Motor Pkwy, the LIMP travelling north to south through Wheatley Hills golf course, over Hillside Av, under Jericho Tpke (Mineola Lodge), under Westbury Av, over the LIRR bridge, under Old Country Rd, through the Mayan Ruins, sharp left over Clinton Rd (Garden City Lodge and the Manager’s house). By the way, it was the manager’s house where I saw a pic of a weather vane on its roof that was a racing car, but nothing like that humongous copper racer that was recently found. I was unable to find that photo again.

The star in the aerial is the former site of Farmer Kroplick’s barn where cattle and horses were raised. It was reported that a motor garage existed semi attached to the barn on the same site. This garage was frequented by Vanderbilt Cup Racers and their racing machines, seeking cutting edge technology to soup-up their machines before the big race, which was performed all hours of the day and night by mechanician Sam Greco. The farm/garage was located at today’s (two possibilities) Larch Ln between Hemlock Av and Willow Ln, or less likely Prospect Av between Chestnut Ln and Garden Ln. (was I right?). Too much fun Howard, thank you.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

I have a good bit on this from 2008 (with Ed Murray) on my Queens page 3 at <http://sbiii.com/limp-qn3.html#wheeler>.  The thumbnails look blurred now so click on them for good pix.  There were definitely unmistakable signs of homeless tenancy back then.  Sam, III

From Inside the Wheeler Farmway Bridge #1: 1990s, 2008 and 2016

What a great hidden treasure under a busy path.

From Inside the Wheeler Farmway Bridge #1: 1990s, 2008 and 2016

From Lee Chambers:

I suppose I have an unfair advantage with Mystery Foto #4.  It’s obviously an aerial of Mitchel Field.  I can easily pinpoint my house at 363 Rice Circle, which at the time was the Commanding Officer’s Quarters. 

Notice how all the runways including the North / South one that runs parallel to Oak Street have been completed. The two main runways forming the ‘X’ were built in 1939, the one running parallel to Hempstead Turnpike in 1941 and the one parallel to Oak Street in 1943.  In fact, the date of the photo is April 24, 1943 and is attached. 

Roosevelt Field is to the Northwest, East Garden City to the West, Uniondale to the South, East Meadow to the East and Westbury to the North.

The star is sure to be the house you grew up in!

Now the Extra Bonus Question - What was the approximate elevation the photo was taken from? 

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

The Deer Park Lodge (if built), would have had average distances to preceding/following lodges (7 ½ mi. / 3 ¼ mi.), similar to other lodges on the LIMP. Perhaps the attached extra land behind was deemed useless, and the clincher for not purchasing or building. I was thinking a LIMP maintenance yard back there, but maybe we’re too far east and had to be more centralized.

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/images/blog/30Mar2007_Google_Image_Proposed_Deer_Park_Lodge_Location_(2).jpg

From Anatomy of a 1910 Survey: Proposed Location of the Deer Park Lodge

Hempstead, Hicksville, Uniondale.
Salisbury Golf course,
Mitchel Air Force Base, Roosevelt Raceway
Boyhood home of Howard Kroplick?

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16

The second annual LI Car Club Outing, Washingtons Birthday 1914 ended at Finlayson’s Hotel, Corner of Merrick Rd and Ocean Ave., Rockville Centre.  Looking for photographs of the event.
Thank you.

From The Making of "Chrysler's Chrysler: The Painting" Updated 1/18/16

Forgot to mention in my earlier entry the Northern and Wantagh State Parkways.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: A 1942 Composite Aerial of Mitchel Field and Roosevelt Field-Updated 1/26/16