Vanderbilt Cup Races

Tom:

Thanks for the feedback on the website. I will be sending you some additional images and information on your Great Uncle Harry Grant, winner of the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races.

Enjoy!

Howard Kroplick

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

Melinda:

There were at least two George Robertsons who were involved in auto racing in the early 1900s and sometimes confused.

George Hepburn Robertson (1885-1955) was the winner of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race. He and his wife, Lillian, lived at 440 East 23rd Street in New York City and had three children, George Robertson, Jr., Joan Robertson Shriver of Summit, New Jersey and a son, Crawford of Garden City, New York. George Robertson, Jr. died serving with the US Army in Germany during the last weeks of World War II.  He was shot while on a balcony, probably by a sniper. Crawford’s wife Betsey still lives on Long Island.

George Francis Robertson (?- 1940)was a mechanic on some of the early Ford racing cars. I believe he spent much of his life in Texas.

Enjoy!

Howard Kroplick

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

I just ordered the book.  What a great website.  I am Tom Grant,. a great nephew of Harry Grant.  My Grandfather was Harry Grant’s brother.  Thanks again for your efforts.  Be well, Tom

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

We need to protest the information suplied above by Mr. Peter Hepburn Shriver.

We are the living relatives to George Robertson and my mother was his daughter

Perhaps Peter is a long lost relative?...

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

Phil:

Can you send me a photo? I will post it on the website.

Enjoy!

Howard

From Question of the Day: Searching for Willie K's Oldest Surviving Car

Michael:

Thanks for posting on VanderbiltCupRaces.com and your positive feedback.

You have quite the racing heritage. I have many images of the 1904 and 1905 Ormond Daytona Beach Tournaments and believe several include your relatives. I will check through my 20,000 image database and email them to you later this week. Have you also seen the film of the 1905 Ormond race?

Great to hear you are also race a Shelby Mustang. I own a white 1966 Shelby Mustang GTH-350.

http://www.vanderbiltracecelebrations.com/2007eventphotos.html

Enjoy!

Howard

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

Hello Howard Kroplick,
Thank you for putting together so much wonderful information on the Vandy races and the early footage! Fantastic. I have a direct connection to the Vanderbilt cup- my great Grand Uncle, B M Shanley purchased the 90 hp Mercedes- Willie K from WK V jr shortly after the race in 1904 Ormond Beach- yes the car that adorns the trophy was raced by my family until 1917. 
The 90 HP fell short of victory in 1905, but I have great photos of BM Shanley, WC Shanley (My Great Grandfather) and WK Vanderbilt, Jr at the 1905 races in Ormond. 

I have continued the tradition by racing Ford GT350 Mustangs- 1966 and 2006!  NASCAR Stock Cars and I currently own the fastest growing motorsports team in the USA, with over 6,000 active drivers in two years!  I was born in Manhassett - so the island is always home turf, if you have any more events, please let me know.  I am very sorry to have missed the last - but I was racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway!! 
I will get your book shortly and please - again- let me know if you have any more events- I attended the racing celebrations for Ormond and Fords 100 yr celebration! 

Best to you and THANK YOU For your effort in preserving the true beginning of Motorsports in America!
B Michael Shanley

Here is some of the history on the races- and Dick Punnet has got many more photos for me! 

http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/indycar/1904.html
30th January: 20 miles - Handicap
1   Herbert L.Bowden           Mercedes           0:18:40.0, 66.4 mph
2   Samuel B.Stevens           Mercedes 60         0:18:50.0
3   Walter Christie       Christie           Finished
4   Bernard M.Shanley     Decauville
5   Joe Tracy           Peerless
19th November - Weequahio Park, Waverly, NJ. 0.5 mile dirt oval.
Exhibition
    Bernard M.Shanley     Mercedes           0:01:17.8, 46.27 mph, 2 laps
    Bernard M.Shanley     Mercedes           0:02:37.0, 45.86 mph, 4 laps
    Bernard M.Shanley     Mercedes           0:03:57.5, 45.47 mph, 6 laps
    Bernard M.Shanley     Mercedes           0:05:17.2, 45.40 mph, 8 laps

5 miles - Under $6500
1   Bernard M.Shanley     Mercedes           0:05:56.2, 50.53 mph
2   J.H.Armory           Speedway 24         10 laps



http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/indycar/1905.html

31st January: 25 miles - E.R.Thomas Cup
1   Arthur MacDonald           Napier 90         0:15:23.0, 97.51 mph
2   William Wallace       Fiat 90           0:15:34.0
3   Harry Fletcher       De Dietrich 80       0:15:36.8
4   Paul Sartori         Fiat 90           0:16:01.0
5 8 Bernard M.Shanley     Mercedes 90         0:16:25.6

31st January: 10 miles - Major C.J.S. Miller Trophy
1   Arthur MacDonald           Napier 90         0:06:15.0, 96.00 mph
2 6 Edward R.Thomas       Mercedes 105       0:06:18.2
3 8 Bernard M.Shanley     Mercedes 90         0:07:25.4

B. Michael Shanley
203-455-4137

Team SCP, LLC

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

Wonderful to hear from the Vanderbilt Cup Race families! I will be emailing you a selection of photos of your grandfather and great grandfathers.

Enjoy!

Howard

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

there is one down the road from me, and it has been restored once in the 50"s, and has the “V” grille, and is in mint condition…....

From Question of the Day: Searching for Willie K's Oldest Surviving Car

I am the great granddaughter of Frank Lee. It’s great to see the pictures I remember as a child seeing in my great granparents home. Good job! Now where can I find the book?

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

hello. i am the great grandson to frank lee, who raced with harry grant as his mechanic,i still have some old photos but you may already have what i have…

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

I just finished your book and enjoyed it very much.  I am giving away several copies as well. I am the only grandson of George Robertson.  I’d like to learn more about the races.  thank you.

From Calling All Vanderbilt Cup Race Families

Jan:

Thanks for the post. I have a bunch of photos of Harry Grant and Frank Lee. If you would like copies, just send your email address to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Enjoy!

Howard

From Premium Vanderbilia Estimated Market Values

Love your site and have to get your book. My great grandfather was Frank Lee, Harry Grant’s mechanic. We have many photos from the races. The photo of them crossing the finish line hung in my great-grandmothers and then our home. The house burned in 99.It was a pleasure to see the picture again.

From Premium Vanderbilia Estimated Market Values

Kim,

It would be a pleasure. You can send me the Savannah race jpegs to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race was held in Savannah and then headed west:

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/races/1911-1960/races_from_1911_1960

Howard

From Premium Vanderbilia Estimated Market Values

Art:

Thanks for the post and your contributions by documenting the historic Long Island Motor Parkway.

I believe there were two Bethpage “Deadman’s Curves”  on the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Course. The first curve is described on your website http://www.freewebs.com/limparkway/bethpagedeadmanscurve.htm . A rare image of this curve during the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes is shown on this website:
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/races/races/the_motor_parkway_sweepstakes

The second “Deadman’s Curve” was the located about 1/2 mile north of the first curve right after the Central Avenue Railroad Bridge. This second curve was called the “Deadman’s Curve” in a 1908 New York Times article on the race course and a 1908 postcard (see top of this thread). Note you can see the Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge over the LIRR on the top of postcard between the trees.

Art, I look forward to seeing more of your LIMP photos on your website.

Howard

From Recommended Website: "Art's Long Island Motor Parkway Website"- Views of the Motor Parkway Today

Hi,

Howard,thank you for posting the link to my website in your blog.  I’m Art of “Art’s Long Island Motor Parkway” website and just came upon the The Vanderbilt Cup Races site.  I just can’t get enough of reading more and more about the LIMP and the races.  Congratulations on publishing the book from Arcadia.  I had contacted them a few years back about doing a book on the LIMP but they said they needed many photos of it from its glory days and I just didn’t have them.  I’m glad someone was able to chronicle the races.  Again, thanks for the link - now that its getting warmer out (at least its supposed to), I’ll be out with the camera to update my website.  Hope to add pages on Queens and eastern Suffolk. 
Best Regards,
Art

From Recommended Website: "Art's Long Island Motor Parkway Website"- Views of the Motor Parkway Today

The Riverhead location would make a great spot to build a museum dedicated to Long Island racing.

From Film Clip "1960 Cornelius Vanderbilt Cup Race"

wow, that was when long island used to be a great place to live. we need more motor sporting events here. let’s bring back long island’s true heritage,
http://www.epcalcentre.com

From Film Clip "1960 Cornelius Vanderbilt Cup Race"

I have a collection of period photographs and an autographed photo by Louis Wagner from the Savannah Grand Prize and Vanderbilt Cup races held 1908, 1910 and 1911.  Also, in March of 1908, Savannah held the first stock car races in America to prove to the Vanderbilt powers that Savannah could host the race and I have 3 photographs of cars and drivers racing on the course from that race too!  Can you let me send some .jpg images to you so that I could get an idea of the value?  Thanks!

From Premium Vanderbilia Estimated Market Values