William Bourque
First driver to be killed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Nationality: American
Born: 1883
Died: August 21, 1909 Indianapolis, Indiana 26 years
On the first day of the opening of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, William Bourque and his mechanician Harry Holcomb were the first to die from injuries received in a crash at the new Speedway.
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Jul 22
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Kleiner’s Korner: An Enterprising Church on the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course
The Methodist Episcopal Church in Woodbury took advantage of its location on the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race course to raise money.
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Oct 23
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Happy 105th Anniversary- The 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
In celebration of the 105th anniversary of the Fourth Vanderbilt Cup Race held on October 24, 1908, here are several of my favorite race images photographed near the grandstand and press box/officials' stand in the Hempstead Plains (now Levittown).
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Jan 14
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Three Amazing Photos from the Starting Line of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Three amazing photos of cars preparing for the start of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Courtesy of Paul Osika.
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Aug 20
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Then & Now: The Woodbury Turn of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Part II
The closest the Vanderbilt Cup Race courses of Long Island Island ever came to Suffolk County was the Woodbury Turn at the intersection of Woodbury Road and Jericho Turnpike.
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Jun 23
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First Races on the Long Island Motor Parkway: The 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes
When the Long Island Motor Parkway was completed in October 1908, the first race using the completed 9 miles of the road was not the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, but a series of five concurrent races called the Motor Parkway Sweepstakes. The story of these races and photo highlights are…
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Aug 01
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Archives: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Links to related posts on VanderbiltCupRaces.com (Updated: December 31, 2011):
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Mar 06
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Then & Now:The Woodbury Turn of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Nassau County made up the vast majority of the Vanderbilt Cup Race courses. For the 1904 race, approximately one mile of the 30-mile course was in Queens- linking Hempstead Turnpike with Jericho Turnpike. All the other courses (1905-1910) were located totally in Nassau County. The closest the race came…
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Starting Lineup: The 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
These are the 17 cars that raced in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race held on October 24, 1908. The race was run over a 23.46 mile course including 8 miles of the Long Island Motor Parkway. The winner needed to complete 11 laps of the course…
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Jan 22
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Starting Lineup: The 1908 Garden City Sweepstakes Updated: 2/15/16
On September 10, 1908, the AAA Race Commission announced plans to christen the Motor Parkway with an event called, “The Long Island Motor Parkway Sweepstakes.” Five concurrent stock car races were scheduled for October 10, 1908. The idea was to create an opportunity to test the new course, timing systems,…
Bob, the plates were purchased by members of the Wheatley Hills Golf Club and Links Golf Club. Both clubs had private…