Vanderbilt Cup Races

Couldn’t come up with anything with this photo in researching, so I’ll have to go with a guess with what’s in my empty noggin….

Looks to be the Locomobile Joe Tracy raced in the 1906 Elimination trials and Cup Race. The only 2 people I am sure about are A. (Andrew) L. (Lawrence) Riker vice-president of Locomobile, and Joe Tracy in the driver’s seat. Standing next to the Loco in googles, I’ll assume it to be Al Poole. The gentleman in the mechanician seat and the other towards the front of he vehicle I do not know. This is in 1906, and judging by other photos, this could be Riverside Drive in NYC.

While going through the Peter Helck archives, I found some other photos with connections to the mystery photo. Unsure if these are unpublished or not, but are originally from the Austin Clark collection.
The first, is another photo of Joe Tracy and A.L. Riker in the Loco, with an unidentified person in front of the vehicle. The second, Joe Tracy in the mystery photo Loco (or sister car) stripped of all the extras and ready to race. And third, Joe Tracy and Al Poole in the Loco also on Riverside Drive in NYC.

The last Tracy photo is a different Locomobile as the radiator is not rounded at the top and more squared off like Old 16.

The driver looks a little like Victor Hemery and maybe there’re on 5th. Avenue, NYC near Vanderbilt’s house but that’s all I’ve got. Didn’t have much time this weekend. Looking forward to the answers.

The location looks like Manhattan somewhere, maybe Hell’s Kitchen. More research needed.

I believe this is the sister car to old 16. In 1906, Locomobile made two almost identical race cars,  numbered #1 and #16 for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The number 1 car was painted white while the number 16 was painted grey. This picture was evidently taken in 1906. The driver may be Joe Florida. Most people know old 16 still exists and is in the hands of The Henry Ford Museum but the #1 car, the one pictured above, has been restored and is in a private collection. Both cars passed from racing history to Andrew Riker, chief engineer at Locomobile.  Peter Helck owned both cars.

This car is easily distinguishable from its sister car by the wheels and color, though black and white photos are tricky when it comes to color. Old 16 sports a much heavier wheel construction.

Mystery Foto #21…The race car is 1905 Locomobile and it competed in 1905 Vanderbilt Cup, the 1905 Gordon Bennett race and 1906 American Elimination Trial (winner). The driver is Joe Tracy and the passenger could be Al Poole. A.L. Riker may be there too. Brand new car…so the location could be the Locomobile factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

I believe the first picture posted by Greg O above, is a picture of the 1905 car Harold Thomas of Chicago, Illinois commissioned Locomobile to build. It is what prompted Riker to build the two 1906 cars. It had a 7x7 T head motor while the two 1906 cars had a F head motor. That may be Harold Thomas at the crank. There is a lot of confusion over the three cars.

Informative website about A.L. Riker

http://www.kcstudio.com/riker.html

Brian, wonderful link. Thanks! Howard

 
I agree with all those who have identified A.L.Riker, Joe Tracy and Al Poole. I think
it a strong likelihood that the person in the mechanic’s seat is S.T. Davis jr. then
president of the Locomobile Co. I have a letter written by him dated Oct 11,1906
indicating that they had a written offer for one of the racing cars for $15,000 but
had not made up their minds to sell it. Obviously as president of the company he
was very involved with the cars and could well have been pictured in the car.

Binney, You’re assumption is logical and may be correct. However, after a search for a photo of him to compare, I’ve come up without one. At the time of the photo in 1906, Samuel Todd Davis would have been 33 years old. The gentleman in the mechanician seat appears to be around that age. He was President of Locomobile from 1903 through 1915 when he died of food poisoning, then known as Ptomaine poisoning, so again, logic and timeline makes your assumption possible. I’m going to keep searching, but maybe Art K. can uncover further info on him.

Below is a screenshot from the website that I shared here. A.L. Riker in 1st place, S.T. Davis Jr. came in 2nd, 50 mile race here on Long Island.

Not sure if this picture will prove its Samuel Todd Davis in the car.  From Automobile Quarterly.  The short bio is from the Davis Family History published by a family member (George Jacob Davis, Jr.) in 1955.

Art, this is great! I wonder if his friends called him Sammy Davis, Jr.?

Yes! And he was widely known for unexpectedly breaking into an upbeat rendition of The Candyman during Locomobile board meetings…

Knew you’d come up with something Art!
Personally, I’m seeing some similarities between the shape of his head, ears and sideburns. I’m leaning towards it being Sammy in the seat next to Tracey…

Interesting bit of trivia, The electric car referenced by the article posted by Brian McCarthy above was built by Andrew Riker. I don’t believe the article states that fact. That vehicle still exists today and is in private hands. Neat, neat, stuff.

It is important to note that Locomobile also built another race car in 1905. A Mr Harold Thomas from Chicago, Illinois commissioned the car to be built. It was raced by Locomobile in 1905. It had a T head motor while the two 1906 cars had F head motors. I did some research into the three cars and posted my findings on the AACA Forums under Locomobile and then “What car is this?” The three cars were confused in history and I had a difficult time discerning between the three.

Just came across some more photos of the Locomobile testing on Long Island With Joe Tracy, A.L. Riker, and Al Poole on the same day as the top photo I submitted above.

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