The Vanderbilt Cup Races Blog

Sunday, November 15, 2009: Opportunity to Provide Input on the Motor Parkway Trailway

2009-11-15T00:04:03-05:00

As reported on November 6, 2009, the contract for developing a master plan for a Motor Parkway Trailway in Nassau County has been awarded VHB Engineering, Surveying and Landscape Architecture, P.C. Here is an opportunity to provide your input on the master plan. The project description for the Trailway as issued by Nassau County is as follow: This project entails the preparation of a master plan for the preservation of the entire route of the Long Island Motor Parkway (Vanderbilt Parkway), a historic roadway that could become a valuable greenbelt and recreational trail. This project also includes the installation of route and historic signs, and construction of the initial phase of the master plan. Nassau County will fund cleaning of greenways. It is anticipated that a small section of the Motor Parkway right-of-way will be developed. The big question is; Where should this pilot be located? Please provide your input in a comment below or by sending an email to Howard@Kroplick.com on where you suggest the section of the Motor Parkway should be initially developed. I will forward your feedback to VHB Engineering. Here are possible pilot locations moving from west to east. Please feel free to add other suggested areas: -Lake Success: On the property of Great Neck South High School -Manhasset Hills: Includes the existing Old Courthouse Road Bridge over the Motor Parkway -Garden City : Former site of the Clinton Road Bridge, the original Garden City Lodge and the General Manager's Home -Levittown: Former site of the Vanderbilt Cup Race grandstand and press box near Orchid Road and Skimmer Road -Bethpage: Site of Deadman's Curve at N.Hermann Road and Sofia Road -Farmingdale: Located in Bethpage State Park -Old Bethpage: Located in Battle Row Campgrounds including remnants of Round Swamp Road Bridge -Old Bethpage: Located in the Restoration Village including the existing farmway bridge Enjoy the Weekend, Howard Kroplick Upcoming Howard Kroplick Presentations -Wednesday, November 25, 2009: Sound Beach Fire Department, Sound Beach, NY: "The Vanderbilt Cup Races, the Motor Parkway and Trucks" -Tuesday, December 8, 2009: Southold Historical Society: "The Long Island Motor Parkway" VanderbiltCupRaces.com Indexes -The Vanderbilt Cup Races -The Long Island Motor Parkway -57 Films and Videos

Saturday, November 14, 2009: John Walter Christie: Front-Wheel Drive Pioneer

2009-11-14T00:36:04-05:00

The struggle of the Christie team in the 1905 and the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Races was a kind of metaphor for (John) Walter Christie’s life. Born in River Edge, New Jersey on May 6, 1866, Christie spent his youth working as a machinist and studying mechanics. As a teenager, he worked at the DeLamater Machine Shop in New York where the Civil War ironclad U.S.S. Monitor had been constructed nearly 20 years prior. Ever the enterprising man, Christie set up his own business in 1899, the Christie Iron Works. That company focused on building and refurbishing gun turret tracks. A lathe he developed for this work triggered his imagination and he devised his innovative front wheel drive mechanism for automobiles. Christie worked hard to crack into the automobile business from 1904 through 1910, but never with much success. He formed the Christie Direct Action Motor Car Company in 1905 and spent a tremendous amount of effort promoting his product through racing. He continued this effort through 1910 and it may have proved more a distraction than a business stimulant. Reportedly the business never produced more than nine cars in total during that time. This total included six race cars, a roadster, a touring car and a taxi cab. In addition to racing for the Vanderbilt Cup as described this week, Christie competed in beach races such as the Ormond-Daytona automobile tournaments, hill climbs and horse tracks. In a disappointing misadventure, he entered the 1907 French Grand Prix and finished 33rd out of 37 cars. Upon his return he was roundly criticized for risking the reputation of the American industry with such dismal results. Christie spent much of 1908 barnstorming the country with Barney Oldfield and a small troupe of “daredevil racers.” These races were derided as fakery with some accusing Oldfield and Christie taking turns winning. Regardless, they attracted crowds and publicity. In 1909 he became one of the first drivers to compete on the newly brick paved Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a special time trial December 18. He set an American record for the quarter mile at 8.37 seconds or 107.53 miles per hour. Seven years later, long after Christie stopped racing, the same car made Indianapolis Motor Speedway history again in the hands of Barney Oldfield. In an exhibition run on May 28, 1916, Oldfield became the first man to turn a lap at the Speedway in excess of 100 miles per hour. Oldfield’s time was 1:27.70 for a speed of 102.623 miles per hour – gunning the front wheel drive Christie. Finally giving up on his dream of becoming a captain of the automobile industry, Christie attempted to establish a business developing fire engine tractors to haul water pumps. This business was only briefly viable and with the outbreak of World War I he transitioned to military tanks. He was late to market and the bulk of the opportunity ended with the conclusion of the war. Nevertheless, Christie continued this pursuit, producing tanks that achieved then-incredible speeds of 65 miles per hour in 1938. His tanks were never fully embraced by the United States military but Great Britain and Russia bought rights to the designs and manufactured them in significant numbers. John Walter Christie, his dreams unfulfilled, passed away in obscurity on January 11, 1944 at his home in Falls Church, Virginia at the age of 78. Comments, feedback and contributions are very much welcomed. Please leave your comments at the end of a post or send me an email at Howard@Kroplick.com . Enjoy the Weekend, Howard Kroplick Upcoming Howard Kroplick Presentations -Wednesday, November 25, 2009: Sound Beach Fire Department, Sound Beach, NY: "The Vanderbilt Cup Races, the Motor Parkway and Trucks" -Tuesday, December 8, 2009: Southold Historical Society: "The Long Island Motor Parkway" VanderbiltCupRaces.com Indexes -The Vanderbilt Cup Races -The Long Island Motor Parkway -57 Films and Videos

Friday, November 13, 2009: The Christie Returns to the 1906 Races

2009-11-13T02:42:54-05:00

Despite his lack of success and total disruption of the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race, Christie returned to the 1906 American Elimination Trial and the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race with another of his front-wheel drive creations. One week before the American Elimination Trial, Christie brought the new racer on the course for practice runs. On the morning before the the Elimination Race, Christie clobbered a telegraph pole during practice. He and riding mechanic Louis Strang – who went on to drive in the Inaugural Indianapolis 500 – were uninjured. Christie reported that the steering gear had been damaged the day before in a relatively minor accident. He and Strang had decided to start the car because they were having trouble with a sticky clutch. They thought moving the machine would release the clutch. Too late, they discovered the steering was useless. Christie immediately entered his 50-HP touring car in the competition. In this photo, the #17 Christie is making the Krug's Corner Turn in Mineola. Despite tire problems, the car finished fifth and qualified for the Vanderbilt Cup Race. During the race, the Christie developed various engine problems and finished a disappointing 13th of the 17 entries. Watch the Christie in action at the 26-second segment of this 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race film.

Thursday, November 12, 2009: The Christie Front-Wheel Drive Car in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race

2009-11-12T00:33:46-05:00

Among the most unique entries for the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race was the front-wheel drive Christie, named after its owner and creator, J. Walter Christie. One of just two cars to use Goodrich tires it was the first front-wheel drive car. Spur gears on each end of the crankshaft applied the engine’s 60 horsepower directly to the front axle. At one point in 1905 the car had a second engine in the rear, but it was damaged during one of the track or beach events Christie competed in prior to the Vanderbilt Cup Elimination Trial. As a result, it was removed. The lightest car in the race, it weighed just over 2,000 pounds. The car was assigned to driver George Robertson. This combination presented the strangest start for the American Elimination Trial. A minute after Joe Tracy’s departure, a small group of men led by Christie, rolled the car back about 15 feet from the tape. Then they pushed it forward to attempt the start, which failed. They pushed it back again, this time to about 25 feet, and then tried another push start. The engine cylinders finally ignited, just before the tape, and only seconds before their start time. This clumsy start was rapidly followed by disaster in the first major turn of the race. George Robertson charged into the Jericho turn, blew a tire and destroyed a wood-spoke wheel. Robertson telephoned the referees for permission to change the wheel, and after some deliberation he was allowed to do so – but the race was lost. After the race commission’s controversial decision to include the Christie racer in the Vanderbilt Cup Race despite its failure to finish in the top five of the American Elimination Trial, Walter Christie took over as the driver. Assigned to be the eleventh starter, Christie’s controversial “freak” front-wheel drive machine did not appear. The night before Christie was testing the engine by revving it with the front wheels jacked up off the ground. He may have over revved it because a connecting rod broke and punched a hole through the crankcase as well as cracking a cylinder. Instead of starting at his scheduled time of 10 past the hour, Christie eventually sped past the starting line 30 minutes late at nearly 6:40 a.m. He was allowed a rolling start by the officials, but again, his race was lost before it was started. In this photo, Christie can be seen trying to make up for lost time at the New Hyde Park Turn on to Jericho Turnpike. No single incident had more bearing on the outcome of the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race than the lap eight accident that involved leader Lancia’s FIAT and the Christie, Lancia, in a precautionary move, had decided to take advantage of his huge lead – at that point a lap on the entire field – by stopping for new tires at his FIAT station just east of Albertson. His mechanics were efficient and he was ready to return to the course in about six minutes. However, the American Christie was approaching at a good speed while only on its fourth lap. With Christie fast approaching flagmen shouted, “Car Coming!” and frantically waved their flags. Lancia either did not understand or made the poor choice of an impossible risk and pulled out into the path of the oncoming American racer. Christie swerved, but the road was not wide and his wheels partially slipped into a ditch in his evasive effort. The two cars hooked rear wheels, and the Christie swung 180 degrees around, throwing the driver and his mechanician, Nicholas Leightner, out of the machine. Christie was up and about immediately, but Leightner was taken by ambulance to Mineola hospital. Their car was a mess, the rear wheels crushed. Lancia’s FIAT was not damaged as severely, with only one rear wheel broken but his lead and hopes for the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race were gone. Enjoy, Howard Kroplick Upcoming Howard Kroplick Presentations -Wednesday, November 25, 2009: Sound Beach Fire Department, Sound Beach, NY: "The Vanderbilt Cup Races, the Motor Parkway and Trucks" -Tuesday, December 8, 2009: Southold Historical Society: "The Long Island Motor Parkway" VanderbiltCupRaces.com Indexes -The Vanderbilt Cup Races -The Long Island Motor Parkway -57 Films and Videos

Wednesday, November 11, 2009: “Black Beast” a Hit on Broadway

2009-11-11T01:17:22-05:00

It was a beautiful day on Tuesday when the "Black Beast" made its Broadway debut. Howard Kroplick presented "The Incredible Vanderbilt Cup Races" to over 60 enthusiastic members of the Chowder Society at Sardi's. The "Black Beast" was parked in front of Sardi's and drew a big crowd in the heart of the Theater District. Howard Kroplick and mechanician Guy Frost started up the "Black Beast" and made it roar. Helene Abramowitz was ready to take the "Black Beast" for a spin. Actor Jimmy Gary Jr. practiced for his upcoming film role as boxer Jack Johnson. Even Elvis left the building to see the "Black Beast"! November 12, 2009 Update: Additional photos submitted by Genia Wennerstrom and Mike Covello: The" Black Beast" and Howard Kroplick in front of Sardi's. A view from the Chowder Society meeting room. Chowder Society Co-Director Bruce Wennerstrom greets Howard and Roz Kroplick.

Presentation “The Incredible Vanderbilt Cup Races”

2009-10-30T01:53:45-05:00

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: “The Incredible Vanderbilt Cup Races” at Chowder Today

2009-11-10T01:00:29-05:00

The forecast is beautiful...... so the Alco-6 "Black Beast" will be at today's gathering of the Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving & Chowder Society. At the meeting (beginning at 12 noon), I will be presenting "The Incredible Vanderbilt Cup Races" featuring rare race films including one of the first sports films ever made and a Mack Sennett film of the 1914 race. Hear the "Black Beast" roar outside Sardi's, located at 234 W.44th Street in Manhattan. For information on the Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society, contact Bruce Wennerstrom at 203-661-1669 or email at GreenwichConcour@aol.com . Enjoy, Howard Kroplick Upcoming Howard Kroplick Presentations -Tuesday, November 10, 2009: Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society, Sardi's, 234 W. 44th Street, NYC: "The Incredible Vanderbilt Car Races" -Wednesday, November 25, 2009: Sound Beach Fire Department, Sound Beach, NY: "The Vanderbilt Cup Races, the Motor Parkway and Trucks" -Tuesday, December 8, 2009: Southold Historical Society: "The Long Island Motor Parkway" VanderbiltCupRaces.com Indexes -The Vanderbilt Cup Races -The Long Island Motor Parkway -57 Films and Videos

Sunday, November 8, 2009: Driver Profile: William Luttgen Part IV -The 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

2009-11-08T00:01:22-05:00

In response to a Luttgen family request, this week I have been profiling William Luttgen, who participated in four Vanderbilt Cup Races as a driver and mechanician. Prior posts included his initial success as a driver (1904), his dramatic experince as a mechanician (1905) and his return as a driver (1906). Today, we conclude the profile describing Luttgen's best ride in the memorable 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race. In September 1908 William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. decided to enter his Mercedes in the Vanderbilt Cup Race. As in 1906,Vanderbilt decided not to be a driver but to continue as the race referee. He then selected William Luttgen to drive his car based on Luttgen's extensive Mercedes experience. In this photo, Luttgen and his mechanician are refueling their #5 Mercedes in front of the Hempstead Plains grandstand and service "pits". Note William K. Vanderbilt Jr.standing behind the car carefully observing his car. At the end of lap nine, Luttgen was running strongly in fourth place. Beginning the next to last lap, he stopped at the pit for refueling and a change of the right rear tire. Luttgen and his mechanician reportedly quickly refreshed themselves with a bottle of wine and then jumped back into the heat of the battle. In typical Vanderbilt Cup Race fashion, the crowd swarmed the track almost immediately after the first two cars finished. The Race Commission had previously notified the teams they did not intend to call the race until five competitors had finished. It was not to be. The race was officially called off and telephone calls went out to signalmen to display white danger flags to waive off the remaining nine cars still running. Soon after, William Luttgen, still in fourth place, barged through the crowd at what observers judged to be tremendous speed. One newspaper called it “a mystery” that he made his way through the throng with no contact more severe than scraping a few shins in the crowd with his wheel hubs. In this postcard image, William Luttgen can be seen congratulating George Robertson, the first Amercian to win the Vanderbilt Cup Race in an American car. Luttgen was given fourth place in the race , averaging 57.8 miles per hour over the 11 laps. November 9, 2009 Update: Lisa Conley and Sandy Lillydahl, William Luttgen's granddaughters, have provided the following information and two wonderful vintage photos from their family archives. Soon after the 1908 race, William met Lillie Schweiter on a ship crossing the Atlantic. Lille was one of the first European-descent children born in Kansas- the daughter of Swiss-born Henry Schweiter. In June 1909, William married Lilie with the condition that "he give up the dangerous sport of racing". They lived in the Germantown/Yorktown section of Manhattan where he ran one of the first Mercedes dealerships in the United States. A little later, they moved to Elmhurst, Queens on Long Island. Later, the family moved to Wichita, Kansas where Lillie's family lived. As his granddaughter remembers; "When Grandpa taught his daughter Helen (our mother) to drive in Kansas, he took her to a back road in Wichita and put her behind the wheel. Then he said "Okay Helen, let's see how fast you can go!". According to the magazine Antique Automobile, when William Luttgen died at the age of 88 in 1965, he was “the last living participant in the first Vanderbilt Cup Race”. Lillie "lived to be over 100, and had stories about sod houses, log cabins, buffaloes, Indians and living on the Chisholm Trail."> Thank you Luttgen family for providing details on your remarkable grandfather!

Saturday, November 7, 2009: Driver Profile: William Luttgen Part III-The 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race

2009-11-06T22:53:42-05:00

In response to his granddaughter's request, this week have been profiling William Luttgen, who participated in four Vanderbilt Cup Races as a driver and mechanician. In Thursday's post, I described Luttgen's background growing up in Germany and his success drive in the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race. In Friday's post, Luttgen's mechanician role in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race was detailed including how he ended up on the front page of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Today, the focus is on Luttgen's return as a driver in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Three Mercedes were entered for the 1906 race. However, one week before the race, the Parisian company, which owned one of these 120-HP cars, put it up for sale. William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. had serious thoughts of purchasing the car and driving it in the race. However, after practicing on the course with the car, Willie K. abandoned the idea on advice of friends and, likely, his wife. The car was purchased by pharmaceutical magnate George McKesson Brown of Lloyd Harbor who selected William Luttgen as his driver. A close-up of William Luttgen and his mechanician preparing for the race. Luttgen in the #7 Mercedes making the Hairpin Turn in Old Wesbury. Note how close the spectators are to the car. Luttgen was captured in the 1906 race by the great artist Peter Helck. Luttgen's #7 Mercedes can also be seen in the 1906 film of the race. When Louis Wagner's French Darracq was declared the winner, Luttgen's Mercedes was still running on the course and finished 11th of the 17 entries. Profile of William Luttgen: To be Continued Enjoy, Howard Kroplick Upcoming Howard Kroplick Presentations -Tuesday, November 10, 2009: Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society, Sardi's, 234 W. 44th Street, NYC: "The Incredible Vanderbilt Car Races" -Wednesday, November 25, 2009: Sound Beach Fire Department, Sound Beach, NY: "The Vanderbilt Cup Races, the Motor Parkway and Trucks" -Tuesday, December 8, 2009: Southold Historical Society: "The Long Island Motor Parkway" VanderbiltCupRaces.com Indexes -The Vanderbilt Cup Races -The Long Island Motor Parkway -57 Films and Videos

Friday, November 6, 2009: Driver Profile: William Luttgen Part II: The 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race

2009-11-06T01:19:25-05:00

In a request from his granddaughter, yesterday I began a profile on William Luttgen, who participated in four Vanderbilt Cup Races from 1904 to 1908. Today's second installment focuses on the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The success of the first Vanderbilt Cup Race resulted in many more racers candidates trying to enter the 1905 race. The number of entries was limited to five for each country. An American Elimination Race for 12 racers was held to help determine the five entries who would represent the United States. The French Team was named based on the cars that made the best showing in the Gordon Bennett Elimination Trials. The German Team was selected among the many Mercedes which wanted to race by the Deutsher Automobile Club of Germany. Despite its strong showing in the 1904 race, the Deutsher Automobile Club did not select Wormser's Mercedes to race again and William Luttgen lost his ride. But, American Foxhall Keene was selected to race his Mercedes and he immediately hired the experienced William Luttgen to be his mechanician. Here Foxhall Keene and William Luttgen can be seen speeding down Jericho Turnpike in front of the Mineola grandstand (and Horace A. Beale, Jr.!) in their #5 Mercedes. A big challenge for the drivers during the 1905 race was the New Hyde Park Turn at the interesection of Lakeville Road and Jericho Turnpike. Here during the fifth lap of the 10-lap race, Keene and Luttgen had pulled into third place averaging 60.4 miles per hour. But, while driving hard on the Albertson "S" Curve at I.U.Willets Road and Willis Avenue, the race would end for the Keene/Luttgen team on lap 6. As their Mercedes skidded around the curve, the left wheel clipped a telphone pole and pitched Luttgen under the car. Miraculously, he was not injured.. The accident and the legs of William Luttgen made the front page of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, overshadowing the victory by Victor Hemery in the French Darracq. Profile of William Luttgen: To be Continued