Vanderbilt Cup Races

-Identify the driver and every Vanderbilt Cup Race that he was associated with.

George Robertson drove in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup American Elimination Race, crashed during practice for the 1906 race, and won the 1908 race.

-What was the reason that he stopped racing?

From VCR.com;
“Robertson’s driving career came to an untimely and abrupt conclusion at the scene of his greatest triumph during practice for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The decision to allow a news reporter to ride with him proved disastrous. When the panicky reporter clutched at Robertson at exactly the wrong moment, his life was changed forever. Arm injuries suffered in the resulting accident meant the end of race driving for George Robertson.”

-In which Nassau County village did the driver’s son live?

His son Crawford lived in Garden City.

-Associate the driver with the Village of Roslyn.

From VCR.com;
“
In the summer of 1929, George H. Robertson, winner of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, became head of North Hempstead Press and publisher of The Roslyn News, The Nassau County Sun and The Williston Post. While viewing the swamp, he remarked it was “an ideal spot for a public park” and started a fund-raising campaign.
Robertson discovered that former Roslyn resident Alice Hicks had established a trust fund for a memorial center for Henry Bergh, founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.  He convinced the Hicks’ executor that the “memorial centre” be built in Roslyn Park rather than New York City. Robertson also “corralled officials from the Town of North Hempstead and local organizations” to pay for the other elements of the park.”

-What was the likely year when this photo was taken?

Just an educated guess knowing previous images; 1940

Tough mystery. I’ll keep trying.

George Robertson, 1905, 1906 American Elimination Races, 1908 VCR (Winner)
Left racing due to arm injuries incurred during practice for the 1910 VCR.
Son Crawford Robertson lived in Garden City. 
George became publisher in 1929 of several local papers, including the “The Roslyn News”.  He also spearheaded the fundraising campaign in 1930 to clean up Roslyn Park, now named Gerry Park. 
Picture taken mid-late 1940s.

See photos indicating George and family lived at 36 Superior Road in 1930 in Bellerose (Floral Park) and his occupation as newspaper publisher.  In 1940 he is listed as head of sales with a razor manufacturer and Crawford as sales engineer for an air conditioning service.

George’s involvement with Roslyn and picture of son Crawford.

Mystery Friday Foto #23… Here is my take on the driver photo. I will say it was George H. Robertson, who raced and won the 1908 Vanderbilt cup. He stopped racing because he was injured in practice for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup. In that practice session he allowed a news reporter to ride with him. The panicked reporter clutched at Robertson at exactly the wrong moment. Robertson suffered arm injuries in the resulting accident which meant an end of racing for George.
Later in life George was the publisher of a newspaper called the Roslyn News.

Nice photo of Crawford which looks to be Opening Day of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, Art. Probably found within a local history book?

From Art Kleiner:
Brian - I found the picture of Crawford on-line in “The Garden City News”(gcnews.com) of July 17, 1995.  The story was written by John Ellis Kordis and was actually an account by Crawford’s boyhood friend, Ned Scott, of how they got to see Charles Lindbergh taking off from Roosevelt Field in 1927.  Here’s the link.  Enjoy!
https://www.gcnews.com/articles/eyewitness-to-history/