astorcup

Vincent Astor:

(see comments there)

John Purroy Mitchel:

Thank you B-59 for filling in the names from the VIP box. We'll add the information about the race along with the correction the next time we update the record.

I imagine the car is a Mercer. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercer_%28automobile%29

See Automobile Topics of Oct 7, 1916, books.google.com/books?id=8elZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA842&l... This has a picture of a Mercer that overturned when being driven by Ruckstall. Quicksell [sic] was his mechanic. According to oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83045782/1916-10-01/ed-1/se... the incident happened at the Sheepshead Bay Speedway on Sept 30, 1916 Ruckstall appears to be Guy E. Ruckstall from www.carsandracingstuff.com/library/articles/1834.php and books.google.com/books?id=qFM-AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA23&am...

But then I find a Glover Edwin Ruckstell, who could possibly be the same guy!! "A mechanical and aeronautical engineer, not really remembered as a driver, Glover was more behind the scenes, firstly as Mercer team manager, and then found fame by developing the two speed rear axle which would be adopted by Ford’s Model T trucks. While he had been involved in automobile racing, aviation was his main interest. He became head of the Hall Scott Airplane department, before setting up his own manufacturing company, being closely intertwined with Ford. A licensed pilot and engine mechanic, he founded the company, Grand Canyon-Boulder Dam Tours, which was the first enterprise to provide comprehensive tourist services. His background in automobile and machine shops earned him a World War I commission in the United States of America Aeroservice Aircraft Production Department. " Bio above from www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt2c60364c/admin/ See also www.dmairfield.org/people/ruckstell_ge/ From www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/auto-racing-1894-1944... "In the Sheepshead Bay 9/30 race the other Mercer was driven by Ruckstell but he blew a tire and flipped the car but neither he nor his mechanic Clarence Quicksell were injured. "

I've convinced myself that the person occasionally referred to as Guy Ruckstall is in fact, Glover E. Ruckstell. See, for example, Motor World Wholesale, Aug 24, 1921, page 43, column 3. books.google.com/books?id=yFnmAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA7-PA43&am...

swanq: you could be right that the guy might be Glover Ruckstell. We'll look into it further before making any changes to the record.

slightly crisper print currently for sale (not by me): www.ebay.ca/itm/Gil-Anderson-Stutz-Astor-Cup-Sheepshead-B...