Text and pictures with courtesy of Hathitrust.org hathitrust.org; compiled by motorracinghistory
THE MOTOR WAY Vol. XV, No. 8 August 23, 1906
THE 1906 VANDERBILT CUP COURSE
By E. PERCY NOEL
New York, August 20 – In the history of the Vanderbilt there has never been so much activity so long before the elimination trial as this year. Yesterday many of the manufacturers‘ representatives were on the course, making arrangements with carpenters, inn-keepers and farmers. In two weeks, at the remotest, all the domestic manufacturers will have their cars and men in quarters along and near the course. The new course has been agreed upon, the sanction of the board of supervisors received, the location of the grand-stand decided; reservations are pouring in at the Garden City hotel, as well as at the inns in the locality of the course, and the speed of preparation appreciably increased.
THE COURSE
For various reasons that part of last year’s course which included the Jericho turnpike from New Hyde Park to Krug’s corner, in Mineola, has been abandoned. The trolley car tracks on the Jericho pike constitute the main reason for the change of course. As agreed yesterday by supervisors and the racing board upon the 1906 course will be from Krug’s corner, Mineola, to a point a few miles below the Mackey estate on the Glencove road, the same as last year. That is, beginning at Krug’s corner, near where the grand-stand will be built, we may follow the course by driving along Jericho turnpike to Jericho, taking the easy turn there into the Oyster Bay road, continuing to East Norwich. At East Norwich we make a sharp turn to the left onto the New Hempstead pike. The road which up to this time has been fine, now becomes excellent, as we continue to the sharp turn at Bull’s Head. Here we take the Glencove road to the Old Westbury road, where it is necessary to make an- other sharp corner. Continuing over the Old Westbury road, Mineola avenue is reached. This road connects again with the North Hempstead pike, which we left at Bull’s Head on account of the steep hills and bad roads one encounters between Bull’s Head and Roslyn. The North Hempstead pike from its junction with the Old Court House road to Manhasset is a grand stretch of roadbed, where the fastest car may run wide open.
After passing through Manhasset, we encounter a hill 1½ miles long. – and straight, without any convenient shelves – where the driver may again open his throttle wide. From the top of the hill the road curves around a little to the left and meets the Hyde Park road, which is good. We follow this to Lakeville and there get on the winding Willets road. We continue on Willets road to Searington, and thence down Mineola avenue, eliminating the famous S turn.
The grand-stand will be located somewhere along the Jericho turnpike, east of Mineola. The site has been agreed upon exactly, but is being kept a secret for business reasons. It is expected that each contestant will be allowed to have a repair station in front of the stand, where only the machine crews-driver and mechanician-will be permitted to make repairs. At other stations along the route assitance will be allowed as heretofore.
It is officially stated that the course is exactly thirty miles. Many have expressed themselves as highly pleased with the new course, and the general conception is that it far surpasses the course of 1905. It will be thoroughly oiled within the next few weeks.
QUARTERS AND DRIVERS
With only one or two exceptions the entrants have provided headquarters for themselves, quarters for their men and their cars, each one hoping to have cause to retain them for the final race for the cup.
At Frank Krug’s road-house, where „Krug’s Korner Klockers“ held forth last year, the De Dietrich, victor of Ardennes, will be quartered, as well as the Apperson cars, one of which George Robertson will drive. Not far from Krug’s the Maxwell cars will be quartered.
The Olds company will have its headquarters at a new place being built for it in Westbury, off the Jericho pike.
The entire establishment of August Parrier, which was occupied in 1904 and 1905 by the Fiat team, has been engaged by the Hol-Tan company. About September 6, ten mechanics will arrive from the factory with four of the 1906 Fiat racing cars. The three Fiat drivers, Lancia, Nazarro and Dr. Weillschott, are booked for passage from France September 15.
As last year, Garden City will be the scene of the most activity. The Mercedes cars and men will be quartered near Mineola in a new $50,000 garage, except Foxhall Keene, who will make his headquarters on his father’s estate, as last year.
The E. R. Thomas company will be located at Pope-circle.
The Pope cars will be quartered at the inn at Bull’s Head, where the White cars were last year.
The Clement-Bayard cars and men will be at Johren’s, Mineola.
The three Frayer-Miller racers will be quartered in an ideal retreat on the estate of George B. Holman. Ten or twelve men will be quartered in rooms that have been specially fitted up for them, above the huge three-entry barn that is being converted into a garage for the racing machines. The berths for the three racing cars will be on inclined run-ways, so arranged that when the wheels of the cars are unblocked the machines will run out into the quadrangle. This is a precautionary arrangement against fire.
Joe Tracy and the Locomobile will be at Lakeville.
The Matheson cars will probably be quartered on the Williston estate, near the S turn.
The Apperson company will have quarters on the Albertson estate near the S turn. The barn will serve as a garage and quarters for some of the men, while headquarters will be at Albertson’s.
Elliott F. Shepherd, who will drive the Hotchkiss car, as a member of the French team, will sail from France on September 2. Two shaft-driven Hotchkiss cars of 125- horsepower will be shipped from France on August 29; one of them will be used in the race and the other for practice spins.
THE EUROPEAN CONTESTANTS
Reports received from abroad show that European manufacturers who have entered cars for the Vanderbilt are making greater efforts than ever before to bring on the ground racing machines as near perfection as it is possible to make them. Since the Grand Prix and the Ardennes races, the principal matter thought of at the works of the de Dietrich, Darracq, Hotchkiss, Clement-Bayard and Panhard in France; the Fiat and Itala in Italy; the Mercedes in Germany has been to look after those cars that will soon be shipped to New York.
The Frenchmen are full of confidence that they will again be able to win the American Derby, while the Italians are sanguine that they will make up for their former hard luck and win the much desired cup. The Germans have little hope and are decidedly discouraged and it is only because they want to show that they are game, even in defeat, that they have entered their premier car, the Mercedes.
It cannot be said truthfully that the manufacturers of Europe do not fear the American cars. Last year confidential reports and conversations brought out the fact that in Europe the makers are keeping in close touch with the rapid rise of the American automobile to a point near perfection, and that although the average man will be told, when he goes into the factories of Europe, that „We do not fear your manufacturers from the new world, because we are still at least two years ahead of them,“ that such commentary by the manufacturer of France, Italy, England or Germany is not an exact reflection of what he really thinks of the automobile progress in America. The excellent performances of American cars in the Vanderbilt races of 1904 and 1905 and the good showing made by our cars in our elimination races, when ordinary stock cars showed how powerful and reliable they were, is a matter which made the European automobile builder work and come to the conclusion that he would have to make a mighty good car to win.
TIRES
It is now certain that all the American cars with per- haps one exception, will be equipped with the removable rims such as were used in the Grand Prix and the Circuit des Ardennes in France recently. Not only has Walter Christie offered the use of his own invention, but an American manufacturer will be ready to equip all the cars with removable rims of American manufacture.
It is understood that the Diamond Tire company will have 30 men on the course during the elimination trials.
It is also said by the Traction Tread Tire Company that at least one of the cars in the elimination trial will be equipped with movable rims of its manufacture.
The Pennsylvania Rubber Company is exhibiting a re- movable rim that will be attached to at least one of the cars in the elimination trial.
Photo captions.
Page 2. A VANDERBILT RACER IN THE MAKING
TESTING 8-CYL ENGINE OF THE TYPE THAT IS TO FURNISH THE MOTIVE POWER FOR THE MAXWELL BRISCOE MOTOR CO CUP CANDIDATE
Page 3. NEW HEMPSTEAD TURNPIKE (PHOTOS BY SPOONER)
THE VANDERBILT CUP COURSE ROAD – – – SHOWS CIRCUIT FOR 1905. _____ SHOWS CIRCUIT FOR 1906
Page 4. GLEN COVE INTO OLD WESTBURY – INTO OLD COURT HOUSE ROAD
Page 5. EAST NORWICH TURN – INTO LAKEVILLE ROAD – JERICHO TURN INTO OYSTER BAY
