Knipper at the Vanderbilt Cup

This pen and ink was created from a photo I recognized from the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup. Billy Knipper led much of that race and looked like a sure winner until his Chalmers-Detroit "Bluebird" suffered engine bearing failure on lap 20 of the 22-lap, 278.08-mile race. Earlier in the race he entered the turn at Westbury (Long Island) too hot and nearly tipped over. The primitive suspension systems of the day were not forgiving.