Vanderbilt Cup Races

Love these adventures.  I am SOOOOOO OLD that I actually drove on the DMC!  Well - sort of - see <http://sbiii.com/limpkwy5.html#limpapoc>.  Keep posting!  “Old” Sam, III

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure” VIII: On to Deadman's Curve

National race cars driven by Aitken (#10 finished 3rd) and Disbrow (#31 finished 4th) at Long Island in October 1910. The cars are probably just arriving at their race headquarters because they still have their headlights installed.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: The Two National Racers Entered in the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Fascinating car and fascinating story.  Until you bought that car, I didn’t even know about its existance.  My wife and I owned a ‘67 Mustang coupe and I’m upset that we ever sold it.  Loved that car.
Rog

From Blue Smoke Article: How the Mustang III was Saved

Howard Thank you for saving and more importantly sharing such rich automotive history in your Alco, Mustang and Chrysler

From Blue Smoke Article: How the Mustang III was Saved

20+ years ago I visited the Garden City Chamber of Commerce on 7th St (original toll structure). After leaving a donation of course, I explored the museum. There was another visitor who thought “I was too young to be interested in this stuff”. He could see I was genuinely interested. And then he said “You have been bitten by the motor pkwy bug”. And yes I am. So Dave, I say too you; “You have been bitten by the LIMP bug”. Your video is a nice touch.

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure” VIII: On to Deadman's Curve

As Howard can attest, my son Gram and I made an ongoing journey much like this some years ago…and Gram, 9 or 10 at the time, concurred that Deadman’s Curve was his favorite part of the Vanderbilt as well. My grandfather worked on the road at that spot and, in fact, bought land just to the left of where you are and built a wonderful brick house just a block or so away.

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure” VIII: On to Deadman's Curve

Great photos and video. Thanks for sharing!!! I thought I was the only one checking out these spots. Lol.

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure” VIII: On to Deadman's Curve

great pics…just one note…the road actually is NOT at the fence line. It runs through people’s backyards. I had the privilege of viewing the road in someone’s backyard right in that area. Sad and cool at the same time

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure” VIII: On to Deadman's Curve

Well…...I’ll probably make myself look bad, but…...I will guess…...the two cars are National 40’s…...(now this could all be a trick for guys like me but…...) I will guess the drivers are Aiken and Merz as the further away driver does not look like Disbrow.

Both drove in the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup race.  I am guessing this because I seem to recall some later racing Nationals were a dark blue and few later were white.  The dark blue seemed to be the Speedway cars and west coast cars so far as I can recall.

As far as where this is….I’ve no clue, but with headlights on, spares on board it would suggest a point to point race rather than a 24 hour grinder as I’m not sure the added weight with close pit proximity was used on grinders, but I could be wrong.

I know little of NY longer point to point races needing headlamps, but I’ll yield to leave it for others and am looking forward to hearing the locale.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: The Two National Racers Entered in the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race

These race are. National. If I only knew the #s of the cars I would do better. I do know something though, the National #8 won the second Indy 500 driven by Joe Dawson in 1912 and these cars raced in 1909,10 and 12

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: The Two National Racers Entered in the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I think I do remember these cars.Now to remember when and where.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: The Two National Racers Entered in the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I enjoyed reading that article….Thanks…

From Queens Chronicle: Long Island Motor Parkway a revolutionary road

First time I’ve seen that car or heard of that race track,never know what you’ll find in your archives will you? Tell John nice catch

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: Barney Oldfield in the Winton Bullet No.2 at Empire City Track in Yonkers

Barney Oldfield, Master Driver of the World & America’s Legendary Speed King in the Winton Bullet #2, at Empire City Dirt Track, Yonkers, NY. October 3, 1903, 15 mile race, time 0:14:35.0, speed 61.71 mph. You Know Me, Barney Oldfield’s Great Great Nephew

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: Barney Oldfield in the Winton Bullet No.2 at Empire City Track in Yonkers

From Ariejan Bos:

Hi Howard,
This is my answer for last Friday quiz. I added two additional photos by Lazarnick from the George Eastman House archive and two reports, one from The Horseless Age and the other from The Automobile Review (in which you can see your mystery photo on the first page, top right). As always thanks for the fun!

The track is the Empire City track, the date Saturday, October 3, 1903 and the car the Winton Bullet No.2 with Barney Oldfield in a nice white shirt and with his characteristic pose behind the wheel. The weather was ‘nearly perfect’ for records that day according to the report in The Horseless Age of October 7. Earlier that year, on July 25th, Oldfield had set the mile record at 55.8 secs with the Ford ‘999’. Nearly perfect wasn’t perfect enough though, as during the 15 Mile Free for All race Oldfield wasn’t able to break his previous mile record (his fastest time was 56 secs). However he broke all records from 7 to 15 Miles.

All the best,
Ariejan

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: Barney Oldfield in the Winton Bullet No.2 at Empire City Track in Yonkers

Sam III—- you must have missed the Garden City post previous to this one—we have pics of everything you describe! We leave no rose unsmelled! The Garden City stretch is one of the best. It was past the Raymond Court location heading east through Levittown, not much going on there! But Bethpage is coming!

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure” VII: Westbury to Levittown

Thank you for a wonderful article and instilling a sense of history in your son; we need more of that!

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure” VII: Westbury to Levittown

I have a family friend who owns a 1948 J.T. Cantrell Dodge wagon.  I’m just trying to do a little bit of research for him.  Does anyone know of anyway to find out how many of the 1948 J.T. Cantrell’s were manufactured that year or even how many on that dodge chassis?  Or who I would need to seek that kind of information from?  Any information would be extremely helpful.

From Long Island Auto Manufacturers & Body Builders #2: J.T. Cantrell & Company of Huntington Part I

Wow - Robert Moses built some of the worst roads I’ve ever had the misfortune to need to use, yet he criticized LIMP, a real pioneer.  Ignoring his bigotry and hate for mass transit, he ignored every lesson in how to build efficient highways.  PA Turnpike, the Autobahn, and many other roads were far better designed AND built.

From Queens Chronicle: Long Island Motor Parkway a revolutionary road

Wonderful! Bravo!  Good to see the old days.  Thank you Jerry.  Include me it any future Blogs and emails.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive-The Helck Family Memoirs #1: Old 16 at the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race