Vanderbilt Cup Races

Islanders win cup.  1980.  Hempstead Turnpike

Fitting that the Islanders just won their first 3 of 5 playoff round this year.
(answered with a little help from my brother, Fred, an Islander fan forever)
Mitchel Field/Nassau Coliseum Complex, May 28, 1980
First NY Islanders Stanley Cup Championship, The Stanley Cup
Left - Right, Duane Sutter, Dennis Potvin, Steve Tambellini
Austin Clark
The 1904 VCR course on Hempstead Turnpike just south of the complex
Based on the license plate, a 1932 Olds (Roadster). 
Kudos question: Where was this photo published? - Newsday, May 29, 1980

Map of parade

Mystery Foto #32… The Mystery photo was taken on Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale in May 1980. The parade was to celebrate the Islanders winning the Stanley Cup Hockey Championship. Two of the guys in the car are Denis Potvin and Bryan Trottier. The driver of the car was Henry Austin Clark. I will guess that the photo was shown in Newsday.

NY Islanders Stanley Cup victory parade. I think it’s the first one, 1980. That looks like Charles Lindbergh Blvd. The people in the car are NY Islanders players - That looks like John Tonelli standing on the right. The driver looks like Truman Capote, but what would he be doing there? The car must be a ‘32 Lincoln, from the license plate and the emblem on the radiator. I should know more, because I followed the Islanders then, and still follow them now.

*Location & Date of Mystery Foto:  Mitchel Field Complex Uniondale NY. This parade - The Islander Salute, occurred on 5/28/1980.

*Reason for Event:  To celebrate the NY Islanders winning of the Stanley Cup due to their victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Islanders won the Cup in 1981, 1982 & 1983.

*People standing in Auto:  Left to right - Stefan Persson or Bob Bourne, I think it’s Stefan. Even though his head is down, the middle is Denis Potvin. I found a similar photo on the site here with Denis face up. On the right is Steve Tambellini.

*Auto Driver & Make,Year: That’s Henry Austin Clark Jr. His personal car here is a 1929 Lincoln Locke D/C Phaeton. I came across information about this on the site here.

*Link photo to VCR’s:  The license plate for the Lincoln   OLD - 32   was chosen in honor of the 1908 VCR winning auto, The OLD 16 ( 16+16=32 ). Joe Tracy in his later years was employed by Austin Clark ( Museum ). Peter Helck became friends with many of the VC drivers, Austin and Peter were friends. Nearby Hempstead Tpke was part of the 1904 VCR.

*Where was this photo published:  I found it in the Newsday archives. Photo isn’t captioned with the players names.

One more screenshot below.

The car is a 28 Lincoln Locke body phaeton. Driver Austie Clark.
Drove this Lincoln in the 1981 Smithtown NY Glidden Tour

The person driving the 1929 Lincoln model L sport phaeton by body by Locke Co. is Homer K. Wievelknip , he was my boss for sometime in the early 1970s and we would use this car to go into Manhattan to listen to musician Roy Eldridge play jazz at Jimmy Ryan’s jazz club on the upper west side on W. 52 and 5434th streets ( the club moved at one point) . We gave Mr. Eldridge a ride home from that club once to Valley Stream where he lived. Jimmy Ryan’s has a photo of my 1941 Packard station wagon on display behind the bar.

This was a celebration of the New York Islanders hockey team winning the NHL Stanley Cup.  They are riding in a 1929 Lincoln sport phaeton owned and driven by Henry Austin Clark, an automotive historian who owned the Long Island Auto Museum.

Obviously an Islanders victory parade, 1980, ‘81, ‘82, or ‘83, probably 1980 from the hysteria.  Stanley Cup (1963 Presentation Cup).  Probably a NEWSDAY pic.  My first thought was that the car is a 1930 Model K Lincoln but the bumper is wrong.  It’s no 32 K or KB.  Hmm.  Sam, III

GREAT PHOTO.  IT’S AT THE OLD BARN NASSAU COUNTY COLIESIEM .  IF THAT AIN’T AUSTIN THEN IT’S NOT IN NASSAU COUNTY, ( OR A TWIN TO AUSTIN ) 
I WAS THERE AT THE PARADE.

Howard,
The occasion was the winning of the 4th (I believe) Stanley Cup win by the Islanders.  It was at the Nassau Coliseum.  The driver of the car is Henry Austin Clark.  I believe the car is a Stutz.  Don’t know the year.  I can’t determine who was riding in the car.  Probably a couple of Islander players, but not sure.
I’ll bet that Walt Gosden might know most of the answers.
All the best,
Rog

The photo was taken on May 28, 1980 during the parade near the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale celebrating the New York Islanders first Stanley Cup championship.The three Islanders are: (L to R) Duane Sutter; Denis Potvin (face hidden); and Steve Tambellini. The driver of the lead car sure looks like Henry Austin Clark, Jr. although there is a resemblance to Truman Capote or Elton John. The parade route used part of Hempstead Turnpike which was also part of the course for the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Based on the license plate, I’m guessing the car is a 1932 something, maybe a Lincoln? A similar photo was published in the NY Daily News so maybe this one was also. Or maybe Walt Gosden had it in one of his newsletters.

Photo was taken on Hempstead Turnpike with the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the background, the Trophy is the Stanley Cup, for the Islanders win in 1980. The Driver is dear Henry Austin Clark Jr. In the car are Brian Trottier and Denis Potvin. Published in the N.Y. Daily News. The car may be a 1932 Lincoln.

Easy to spot the old barn, Nassau Coliseum in the background. 1980 The N.Y. Islander Stanley Cup win! Duane Sutter (left) and Steve Tambellini in Henry Austin Clark’s 1929 Lincoln Locke D/C Phaeton

Howard, This is an easy one for me…. I WAS THERE… Its the New York Islanders Stanley Cup celebration parade held May 29, 1980 around the Coliseum…. Islander fan since 1975, had season tickets. saw them win the Cup. What made it extra special for Islander fans was that it was the first parade to celebrate a professional sport championship on Long Island. Also, it was the first time a New York team won the Stanley cup in 40 years.                                                              Thats Henry Austin Clark at the wheel going nowhere, I recall players jumping in and out of the car and lifting up the Cup for all to see.  I think there were more than 25,000 fans at the celebration.

Even though Mr. Clarks head is turned, I thought it was him. Then image searched - Henry Austin Clark Parade - here on the site. Surprised to see the color photo that Walter McCarthy offered ( don’t know if we’re related). See the hangars in Walters photo, closer to the start of the parade. Crawfords photo is towards the end with the coliseum in the background.

Thinking too that some of you actually witnessed this celebration. Should we try finding Al & Artie in the photos?  : )

I *KNEW* that was Austie but HK said it wasn’t, so I had assumed it had to be Dr. Bob Banks (see <http://sbiii.com/automot1.html#old16> and attached), who I only now bothered to look up.  Remember Dr. B., Walt?  Oh, my; this get convoluted!  ‘29 Lincoln L (*NOT* K - only introduced in 1931)?  Oh, yeah - look more carefully at the bumper in the closeup - mea culpa.  Sam, III

It just occurred to me that not all LIMPers are old car nuts.  “D/C” is NOT a model designation but a body style; it stands for “Dual Cowl” (front AND rear cowls, usually (although not always) with two windshields.  Sam, III

The correct body style designation for this car is a Locke sport phaeton.  It was available with or without the second cowl.  The second (dual) cowl is more popular today but less practical.

Brian, You won’t find me in any of the photos. I stayed in my grandstand seat

When I posted the Mystery Foto, I actually thought the driver was Crawford Robertson because of its source! Fun stuff! Howard

the name of the man driving the car I mentioned - Homer K. Weivelknip was Austin Clark’s pseudonym and one he used to introduce himself many times when giving presentations , especially at the annual AACA meetings held in Philadelphia. Austin even had business cards made up with that name on it .  Am I the only one here reading this that knew his other name?

Walt, the name seemed so ridiculous that I ignored it but it did ring a very faint bell.  No wonder!  Thanks for the reminder.  Sam, III

Walt, this is very cool! Howard

Walt, Good one, never knew that, Fits right in with his character.

I will try and locate the business cards Austin aka Homer had made up. If I do I will scan and send for all to see ( oh boy) . I do recall the one that had Austins name on it listed his occupation as ” photographer of old cars and young girls”. Austin was a good friend, introduced me to Bev Kimes who with her husband Jim Cox became life long friends. I have lots of amusing stories about Austin -  he had a great attitude and loved to prove his type 35 Mercer raceabout was indeed capable of 100mph on North Sea Rd. between Sag Harbor and Southampton.