Great Video on Vanderbilt Cup History

This is a nice 10-minute clip that neatly summarizes the history of Vanderbilt Cup auto racing from 1904 through 1960. The initial Vanderbilt Cup was commissioned by William K. Vanderbilt Jr. in 1904 and was America's first major auto race. Plagued by uncontrollable huge crowds - upwards of 250,000 - that constantly crowded the course, the event was forced in 1910 to leave its original location in Long Island, New York after several casualties. Those initial races produced incessant drama and controversy, including a political struggle between the two major United States - based sanctioning bodies of the day: the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the Automobile Club of America (ACA).  Also born of the race was the concrete paved Long Island Motor Parkway, America's first modern highway.

After leaving Long Island, the William K. Vanderbilt Jr. race ran five more times, skipping 1913 and ending in 1916. During that period it traveled to Savannah, Milwaukee, Santa Monica (twice) and San Francisco. A revival was attempted in 1936 and 1937 at a specially developed track back in Long Island, but "Willie K" refused to be involved. A cousin, George Vanderbilt lent his name, if not his enthusiasm to what proved to be a financial failure. Twenty-three years later another revival was attempted with yet another member of the Vanderbilt family lending his name: Cornelius Vanderbilt. Finally, a replica of the original cup was employed by the Championship Auto Racing Teams series, but the desired connection to the legacy of the original historic race was never effectively communicated and went largely unnoticed.

This film was produced by Howard Kroplick, the world's leading authority on the Vanderbilt Cup Races. Check out his book on the topic, "The Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island."