Vanderbilt Cup Races

Killian did a very nice job putting the film together!

From Video of the Week: The Vanderbilt Museum presents Moments in History: The Alva, A Ship for Seven Seas

Your Baker tribute conquering the Port Jeff hill climb!

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

A great exchange, I learned a lot, as usual I got my spelling wrong . In 1904 another electric racer , The Baker Torpedo Kid went about 58 mph at Ormond Beach, the same year Wille K. went over 90mph

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

I wonder if my father, who spent part of his life in Syracuse and was an aeronautical engineer, knew them.

Thanks for the story!

From Update-Cradle of Aviation Archives: The 1948 purchase of Aircooled Motors, Inc by Tucker Corporation from Republic Aviation

This one was easy to find. Oct. 15, 1958, in Babylon. The plane was a C123 military transport. It ran out of fuel trying to land at Zahn’s Airport, and crashed on the Southern State Parkway, hitting three cars before stopping in flames. One man died of head injuries, and five people suffered minor injuries. The car is a ‘53 or ‘54 Pontiac.

From Mystery Friday Foto #49 Solved:The 1958 Airplane/Three Car Crash on the Southern State Parkway

I have W. G. Brokaw’s two silver trophies from those races.  I also have his gold plated cigarette case with cabochon sapphire adornment.

My step father Michel Manesco always called him “Uncle Billie’.  Not sure why as I am not sure the relationship.

From Was the "Man in the Leopard Coat" the Inspiration for Jay Gatsby?

Just wanted make sure Ariejan Bos was noted for his information . He’s a legend with research.

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Thank you Ariegan Bos for clarifying this amazing event during early motor history

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Great post here Brian. I somehow never connected Al Riker to the early races here on Long Island, even though I’ve seen these photos before. Great work on your part!

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Howard,

Those blueprints of Camp Mills are priceless!  Which one of them shows the roadways in the area?

As you will recall from my post in 2018, we came to the general consensus that the ‘Mystery Road’ that ran from Clinton Street eastward through the Camp and later Mitchel Filed (dead-ending at East Road) was most likely New York Avenue (seen in this post from 12/21/18):

https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/in_search_of_the_mystery_camp_mills_new_york_road

But as Frank pointed out, there remained a gap in the roadway east of where the Hospital building was constructed and where the Quadrangle would be created.  It would seem unlikely these were once two discreet roads - they simply line up too perfectly.

My final analysis at the time was the only solution would be to go out there with a handheld GPS unit and capture the coordinates of the various streets in East Garden City west of Clinton Street, and the existing roadways through Mitchel Field.

Guess what?  When I last visited the area this past July, I did just that, painstakingly noting the coordinates of all major intersections on the Base.

I have not had time yet to do a detailed analysis of which roadways from Camp Mills lined up with those on Mitchel Field.  But a cursory view certainly indicates numerous instances of extant residential roads in East Garden City (all of which are named after trees for some reason) with roads on the Base still in use today (though in some cases, buildings now stand on the property once occupied by roadways in the 1927 - 1932 pre-reconfiguration of the Base). 

When I have some free time, I will attempt to do an A/B comparison of the roads originating in East Garden City which extended eastward past Clinton Street onto Camp Mills with those thoroughfares on Mitchel itself.  Something tells me, there’s gonna be a whole lot of nearly identical coordinates!

More details to come in 2023!

From Greg O's Garage: Newly Discovered 1919 Blueprints of Camp Mills in Garden City

Much history here that I never knew. Amazing accomplishment with the early-electric automobile in 1901. I see the twin-motors mounted on the rear axle. I wonder if they were powered by Nickel-cadmium batteries. Electric seems the direction today to power automobiles with advanced Lithium-ion batteries.

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Had a notion this is Al Riker operating one of his Electric Cars. That might be the Locomobile Factory in the background. There’s a blog here on the website about Al Riker winning a 50 mile race here on Long Island. He was only that entered the race with an electric car. Realize I’m not trying to solve this mystery foto, just leaving some screenshots below.

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Howard, The bare-bones vehicle is the Riker’s Torpedo Racer. The photo was taken during the race held on Nov. 16, 1901 at Coney Island. It was the only electric vehicle entered. The driver was Andrew Riker, to save weight the “machancian” didn’t have a seat, he sat on the frame work of the vehicle. Riker came in third, setting the official speed record for electric vehicles covering the one mile course in 63 seconds. The racer still exists today, it is at the Henry Ford Museum. Connection with the Vanderbilt Cup Races ?  The were both held on Long Island ????

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

More accurately it was the Sheep Pens Rd. bridge. Note that it wasn’t paved. It was used primarily to get sheep (and some cattle) to the grazing areas of the Plains and to the pens which were located in the vicinity of Merrick Ave. and Old Country Rd.  A small portion of the road still exists. now known as Westbury Rd. with the eastern terminus at Oak St. and the westerly end in Hempstead Village.

From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

Thank you so much for sharing Really valuable information and your experien

From Twenty Years Ago, the Alco Black Beast Reached 95 MPH in England

These are very early bicycle mechanics (1901), working hard towards creating the future of the motorized automobile, while using standard bicycle components

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Another mystery photo indeed!

From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

I agree with Brian, it’s the Roosevelt Field highway bridge, photo looking east. Note the 1918 photo below with similar railings. Also the 1940s photo view from on top of the bridge looking in the same east direction, with the landscape now heavily overgrown after 30+ years

From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

Additional documentation

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

The location is Coney Island, NY at the Long Island Automobile Club’s Sponsored Race.
Vehicle is the Torpedo Racer which set the world’s speed record for electric cars on November 16, 1901 going one mile in 63 seconds (57 mph).  Held record for 10 years. 
Andrew Riker was the inventor and the driver. 
The vehicle is owned by the Henry Ford Museum and is currently on loan to the Studebaker National Museum. 
Riker eventually went to work for the Locomobile Company and designed the 90 HP car that was entered in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race.

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island