Last week's post on the Vanderbilt Cup struck a nerve with the folks over on the <a href="http://thegarageblog.com/">Ga...<P><P>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Wow............ I never saw the connection between road racing and American track racing before now. Amazing, the evolution of the sports from this point. Pretty amazing, an event that includes Louis Chevrolet, Barney Oldfield and Eddie Rickenbacher.
Very impressive! By the way, Louis Chevrolet was Swiss, but he had been in the States for 9 years in 1910.
Great photos and article. Will have to study it for awhile there are a bunch of great cars in the pics. Thanks for posting -Jim
Wild days. I believe those board tracks were very dangerous. Big engines, no/little brakes, skinny tyres, wild ride. Cycles also used to race on boards. A leftover from pre auto. pushbike racing. Ouch those splinters!
yeah they were wearing socks on their heads! that i feel was one of the most glorious days of racing why in so many pictures do the front grilles of the cars look like they angle forward, as if they are really charging to go fast like in SandDIegoJoe's post
I worked at The Ford Museum when they took delivery of the Locomobile "Old 16" from the Peter Helck estate. It won the Vanderbilt in 1908. I assisted in conservation efforts and had the honor of crank starting the 990 cu. in. 4 banger, and being the riding mechanic. What an awesome machine! The sound of the 6 inch long straight pipes and dual chain drives whipping while the wind blows you back in your seat. Still gives me chills! The car was geared to run 400 rpm at 60 mph in top gear!! Barely idling! Dan
The oval wheels and the "damn that car is screaming" stance was due to the way that cameras worked back then... "focal plane" cameras... discussed in this thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208476&highlight=oval+wheels rad, huh? - Joe
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