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The famous Borg Warner trophy on display at the IMS
Hall of Fame museum, circa 2010. (The Tomaso Collection)
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Yeah, its pretty funny how this all got started,
since it had nothing to do with auto racing per sei, instead being triggered by
a chapter in a fantastic ‘lil book I’ve harped on ‘bout quite a bit over the
past few years here in Nofendersville. Having read I-T at my typical snail’s
pace; Hmm? Snail’s, like one certain ‘Juan named Turbo who was going to Indy 'Wayback
in 2012 when I began this; Oh Never Mind!
Thus I was reading ‘bout a dude named James
Fisk in the book titled They Went That A-Way
by Malcolm Forbes; noting that Fisk, reputedly was one of Wall Street’s most
audacious raiders back in the day, whom effectively wrassled control of the Erie
Railroad away from another tycoon named Cornelius Vanderbilt thru a stock scam
aided by another Wall Street scoundrel named Jay Gould during the 1866-68 Erie
War which reputedly cost Vanderbilt a whopping $7-million dollar loss!
Hmm? As an once-astute observer of the good
‘Ol CART Dazes, that name immediately rang a bell, as isn’t that what the
Championship auto Racing Teams (CART) series handed out at the end of the
season as their championship trophy?
And looky 'Thar
TG; Err Mum! NO mention 'bout that 'lil thingy forever known as "The
Split" scribbled here...
Alas, like a bull in a china shop, your humble No Fenders Scribe has gone off in
search of the Holy Grail regarding America’s premiere Open Wheel Racing
trophies, i.e.; the Vanderbilt and Astor Cup respectively, whilst Y'all are
probably thinking Borg Warner trophy instead, right? Especially since we're
about to see another named added to it...
As I know that at least four facsimiles of these
various championship trophies reside somewheres in Nashville, right? And NO; not at the
residence of Mr. & Mrs. Oil Pressure, but three doors down at Dashley
LePew’s, aka Dario Franchitti; Hooah! (As this tale was begun before Dario
& Ashley's divorce and hence, I have NO idea if Dario still resides in
Nashville?)
Actually, Mr. "REO Speedwagon"
(Dario Franchitti) was the winner of the inaugural 'N prestigious? One 'O a
kind "Naked Man on a 'Uni" IndyCar championship trophy in 2010, for
which the recently retired Dom 'O IndyCar Bloggers Pressdog used his
typical wit to lure readers in with another provocative title!
Along with the Unicycle trophy, Dario also
holds possession of two Indy Racing League Cup's (2007, 2009) as the Vanderbilt
Cup, soon to be retired was being used by a rival series instead! And finally,
one facsimile of the rejuvenated Astor Cup (2011) and three "Baby" Borgs...
Vanderbilt Cup
This trophy was created by Vanderbilt family
member William
Kissam Vanderbilt II, son of William Kissam Vanderbilt, who
ironically was founder of the (Coney Island) Jockey Club, which later sold its premises
to the Sheepshead Bay Speedway Corporation, where the inaugural Astor Cup races
were held at Sheepshead Bay, NY between 1915-16, for which I scribbled
labourisly in;
Yet back to the Vanderbilt Cup, reportedly
America's first significant racing trophy, first being awarded during the inaugural
race held on public roads, primarily dirt, consisting of a 30m course run first
in 1904, with the first three races being won by foreign makes & drivers.
As the race was inspired by the international Gordon Bennett races.
As the more esteemed Borg Warner trophy,
awarded to the winner of the Indianapolis 500 didn't come onto the motor racing
scene until 1936 at the bequest of then Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker.
After the death of a spectator in 1906,
along with persistent crowd control
issues whilst competing on public roads, the race was canceled for 1907, yet
returned a year later as a way to popularize the brand new Long Island Motor
Parkway commissioned by "Willy K" (William K. Vanderbilt II)
for which portions of this 48-mile purpose built road were used for competition
the following three years.
Even better yet, the 1908 race was won by local
'Yank George Robertson aboard an American Locomobile chassis, with a further
example finishing third.
Between 1911-15, the race was held in
multiple locations: Savannah, Milwaukee,
San Francisco and Santa Monica twice, with such Indy 500 luminaries, and
winners Ralph Depalma and Dario Resta each winning two times apiece; Depalma in
1912, 1914 and Resta in 1915-16, before the race ceased due to America's late
involvement in the first Great War, aka WWI.
Resta was the third of a total of three
drivers to win the race twice
consecutively, the first being rival Indianapolis 500 competitor Harry Grant
from 1909-10, who contested the Indy 500 four times from 1911-15, with a best
finish of fifth in his final outing.
Yet sadly, and ironically, Grant lost his
life during a practice run for the inaugural Astor Cup race in October, 1915...
Grant's "Double" was followed by
Depalma in 1912, 1914, as the race wasn't run in '13. As this trio were the
most successful winners of Vanderbilt Cup races.
In 1936 the trophy was revived by George
Washington Vanderbilt III, nephew of Willy K, along with George Preston Marshall, original
owner & president of the NFL's Washington Redskins and Eddie Rickenbacker, at
a less than stellar Roosevelt Raceway in the town of Westbury, on Long Island, NY,
which once again enticed foreign competitors with its massive prize fund, as
Scuderia Ferrari no less participated with three Alfa Romeo's, winning with the
revered Tazio Nuvolari at the controls!
The race only lasted two years, due largely
to its uninteresting layout, with the second and final edition won by Bernd Rosemeyer
aboard the all conquering Auto Union, with the Cup going dormant for 23yrs.
In 1960, Cornelius Vanderbilt IV revived the
race, although this time as a Formula Junior race once again held at Roosevelt
Raceway before ceasing another four years.
And finally, albeit relegated to Sports Car
status, the Cup was awarded to the winner of the Bridgehampton Raceway USRRC Sports Car race, held in Sag Harbor, NY between
1965-68.
The final Vanderbilt Cup races were won by such luminary names as Jim Hall, aboard his
Chaparral, Jerry Grant, (Lola T70-Ford) Mark Donohue and Skip Scott, both
piloting the potent Lola T-70
Chevrolet's...
The original Vanderbilt Cup made out of
sterling silver resides in the Smithsonian and is not available to the public,
measuring a height of two and one-half feet - it features an image of William Kissam
Vanderbilt II driving his Mercedes at Ormond Beach, Florida,
being 'Uber fond of motor racing and fast cars. As Willy K used the same
vehicle to set a land speed record on Daytona Beach's Road Course in 1904!
Yet William's life wasn't all luxury, as his
father put him and his brother Harold Stirling Vanderbilt to work, becoming the
last Vanderbilt's to work in their families Railroad Empire, where William rose
to president of the New York Central Railroad prior to his death in 1944.
Ironically, Harold, who took over for his
deceased brother, was to see the railroad wrestled from his control in a
hostile takeover in 1954 by financial tycoon Robert R. Young, who
subsequently committed suicide in 1958 during a bout of depression!
As the fate of the once mighty NYC Railroad makes me think of Cornelius
Vanderbilt, William' & Harold's Great Grandfather had suffered summarily 'Wayback in 1868...
(Photo Courtesy of No Fenders ‘Offical Photographer
‘CARPETS)
