Vanderbilt Cup Races

Related Posts

• May 18 2013

  In Search of the Grandstand, Press Box/Officials Stand and Pits in Levittown

  From 1908 to 1910, the center of the auto racing world was a 200-yard strip of the Long Island Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains, now Levittown.

• Apr 23 2013

  Profile: Frank Lee, Mechanician for the Alco Black Beast

  Frank Lee was the mechanician for driver Harry Grant's Alco Black Beast for 15 of the car's 16 major races and all six major victories.

• Apr 01 2013

  Mystery Foto #8 Solved: Levittown/Bethpage on May 27, 1947

  Congratulations to Tim, Frank Scotty, Greg Tsistinas, Steve Lucas, Brian McCarthy, Frank Femenias, susansmoose, Gary Hammond, Art K., and Joe Oesterle for correctly identifying last Friday's Mystery Foto.

• Mar 23 2013

  Then & Now: Massapequa Road During the 1908-1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races

  The intersection of Massapequa-Hicksville Road and the Long Island Motor Parkway was a favorite location for watching for watching the 1908, 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races.

• Dec 27 2012

  A View of the Vanderbilt Cup Races From the Massapequa-Hicksville Road Motor Parkway Bridge

  One of the most exciting spots to view the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races was from the Long Island Motor Parkway bridge over the Massapequa-Hicksville Road.

• Dec 01 2012

  Vanderbilt Cup Races Stats: Drivers, Cars and Manufacturers

  Here are summary stats for the Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910.

• Oct 25 2012

  The Making of an Alco Black Beast Watercolor Painting

  Artist George Ellis has painted this beautiful watercolor painting of the Alco Black Beast at the Hicksville Turn during the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race. George has provided background information on the painting.

• Jul 16 2012

  From the Pickering Collection: Images of the Vanderbilt Cup Races and Long Island

  William Pickering (1865-1929) was one of the earliest Long Island photographers documenting many of the people, buildings and events in Nassau County including the Vanderbilt Cup Races. In 2009, Catherine Pickering shared with me these photos and postcards taken by her grandfather.

• Jul 14 2012

  Race Profile: 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race in San Francisco, California

  In 1915 both the Vanderbilt Cup Race and the American Grand Prize were held in conjunction with the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California.

• May 12 2012

  Then & Now: The Santa Monica Course for the 1914 and 1916 Vanderbilt Cup Races

  Both the 1914 and 1916 Vanderbilt Cup Races were held on the beautiful Santa Monica, California road course bordering on the Pacific Ocean. Check out the changes over the last 98 years.

• Apr 28 2012

  The Hempstead Plains Motor Parkway Bridge Near Bloomingdale Road

  Tim Ivers: "Howard, the 1932 Hagstrom Map shows an overpass over the LIMP (Bloomingdale Road extension) which connected with Hempstead Tpke. The overpass is about halfway between Jerusalem Avenue on the west and Wantagh Rd (Ave.) on the east. Are there any known photos of this overpass, or other information?"

• Apr 06 2012

  Fred Wagner- The Official Starter of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

  Fred Wagner was the official starter of all the Vanderbilt Cup Races with the exception of the 1904 race. Accordingly, Wagner was the "Zelig" of early racing and captured in hundreds of photos. Here are my some of my favorites.

• Nov 30 2011

  In Search of Alcos: #1 Alco-6 Black Beast Racer Archives

  Links to related posts on the Alco-6 Black Beast Racer on VanderbiltCupRaces.com (Updated: September 14, 2011):

• Nov 01 2011

  Archives: Alco-6 Racing History (1909-1911)

  Index to posts related to the Alco-6 Racing History (1909-1911) Updated: December 1, 2011

• Oct 20 2011

  Anatomy of a Photo: Harry Grant Winning the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race

  One of my favorite photographs in the book Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island captured the moment Harry Grant and Frank Lee won the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race. A closer look of the photo is revealing:

• Jun 29 2011

  Favorite Images of the Vanderbilt Cup Races and the Long Island Motor Parkway

  Eric M: "Can you provide a sampling of your favorite Vanderbilt Cup Race and Long Island Motor Parkway images?":

• Jun 04 2011

  Exclusive Video: Emerson Fittipaldi Driving the Alco Black Beast During the 2011 Indy 500 Parade Lap

  This ten-minute "thrill of a lifetime" video documents two-time Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi and Howard Kroplick driving the restored Alco Black Beast during the 2011 Indy 500 Race parade lap on May 29, 2011. Over the 2 1/2 mile lap, the racer averaged 45 mph with a maximum speed…

• May 24 2011

  Postcards from the Long Island Automotive Museum: Alcos

  The Long Island Automotive Museum offered a wide array of related merchandise including; jewelry, label buttons, photos, model car kits, china and series of postcards. As described in this brochure , provided by Walter McCarthy, there were over 500 cars postcards published featuring the cars of "Henry Austin…

• Jan 22 2011

  Article “The ALCO Story: Distinctive, Durable, Doomed”

  In the early 1970s, author Howard L. Applegate wrote a history of the Alco in the tabloid newspaper Old Cars. Here is a pdf of the article The ALCO Story: Distinctive, Durable and Doomed.

• Jan 08 2011

  Drivers Who Raced in the 1911 Indy 500 and the Vanderbilt Cup Races (1904-1910)

  The decision of the Indianapolis Speedway to hold one major 500-mile race in 1911 with an unheard purse of $25,100 (equal to $571,000 today) attracted the best racing teams and drivers. Not surprisingly, many of the drivers who participated in the Vanderbilt Cup Races and its associated races also drove…

• Dec 08 2010

  The Three Alco Racers at the 1911 Elgin National Trophy Race

  The 1911 Elgin National Trophy Race was the only major race in which American Locomotive Company supplied entries besides the Black Beast. The three Alcos in the race were serviced by a team of 12 drivers, mechanicians and mechanics. As captured in this photo provided by Lee Ferbin of…

• Dec 07 2010

  Harry Grant Describes His Last Great Race with the Alco Black Beast

  Harry Grant's last great race in the Alco-6 Black Beast Racer's was the 1911 Elgin National Trophy Race held on the Illinois course. Driver Harry Grant was shown here with his mechanician George Babcock prior to a practice run. This was the only major race in which mechanican Frank…

• Aug 01 2010

  Archives: 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race

  Links to related posts on VanderbiltCupRaces.com (Updated: January 31, 2012):

• Aug 01 2010

  Archives: 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race

  Links to related posts on VanderbiltCupRaces.com (Updated: December 31, 2011):

• Jul 31 2010

  Archives: Harry Grant

  Links related to Harry Grant on VanderbiltCupRaces.com (Updated: October 31, 2011):

• Jul 06 2010

  Starting Lineup: The 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race

  A large field of 30 cars raced in the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race held on October 1, 1910. The race was run on the same course as in 1909- a total of 12.64 miles including 5.15 miles of the Long Island Motor Parkway. The winner needed…

• May 15 2009

  Film “The Inaugural Indy 500 Race”

  In celebration of the Indianapolis 500 Race on Memorial Day, this film shows the first Indy 500 Race held on May 30, 1911. Highlights include:

• Apr 20 2009

  Film “A.R. Pardington and the 1911 Indy 500 Race”

  A.R. Pardington was William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s right-hand man and helped develop both the Vanderbilt Cup Races and the Long Island Motor Parkway. Last March, a family member Marshall Davies Llyod emailed VanderbiltCupRaces.com requesting photos and films of A.R. I found the photos but no films... until…

• Apr 06 2009

  Brochure “Harry Grant’s Own Story”

  Richard, in 1911, American Locomotive Company published a promotional brochure The Vanderbilt Cup Race-Grant's Own Story. The brochure described Harry Grant's strategy in winning the Vanderbilt Cup Races in 1909 and 1910. He also gave credit to your grandfather:

• Mar 03 2009

  New photos of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Discovered

  Over 25 years ago, Hayden Allen provided his grandfather's photo album to Walter Gosden to help document the history of their home town of Floral Park. The album also included 16 photos taken by Mr. Allen's grandfather of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Walter Gosden, who is now the…

• Jan 09 2009

  The Alco at the 1911 Indy 500 Race

  Driver Harry Grant with mechanician Frank Lee drove the 1909 Alco Black Beast in the greatest races of its time; two Vanderbilt Cup Races, two Elgin National Trophy Race, one American Grand Prize and the Inauguaral Indy 500 Race in 1911.