May 08 2023

Mystery Friday Foto #18 Solved: Herb Lytle winning the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes


Did you identify this weekend's mystery racer?

Answers to the Mystery Foto questions:

Identify the following;

  • The race car and driver

P42 Isotta driven by herb Lytle

  • What was 'unique' about this driver?

Lytle drove  in the first Vanderbilt Cup race (1904) and the first Indy 500 Race (1911). He also raced in more races associated with the Vanderbilt Cup Races (6) than any other driver.

  • The race and date

The Motor Parkway Sweepstakes held on October 10, 1908- opening day of the Motor Parkway.

  • The outcome for this racer

Lytle finished first averaging 64.25 mph.

Comments (4)

Congrats  and Kudos to David Miller, Steve Lucas, Dick Gorman and Frank Femenias for correctly identifying Herb Lytle's P42 Isotta and his unique achievements.

 

Greg O.  and Howard Kroplick

Less blurry image posted on November 3, 2018. Good find David Miller!


Close-Ups


Comments

May 04 2023 David Miller 10:32 PM

This is Herb Lytle winning the Motor Parkway sweepstakes held on September 10th 1908.  He is driving #P42 Isotta (Italy).  He came in first place with an average speed of 64.25 mph.  This driver was unique in the fact that he was the only driver to participate in two race “firsts”:  The first Vanderbilt Cup Race (1904), and the first Indy 500 race (1911).  He also drove in more races associated with the Vanderbilt Cup Races (6) than any other driver.  Three VCR races (1904, 1905, 1908), two American Elimination Trials, (1905, 1906) and winning the Motor Parkway Sweepstakes in (1908).  He came in second place in the 1908 VCR.  He also switched teams in 1908 to drive for Italy which I would say is also “unique”.  The picture in this week’s mystery photo seems a tad blurry.  I don’t know if that was intentional to throw us off but the blog from November 3rd, 2018 has this same picture but a lot clearer, which helped me to better solve this week’s questions.

May 05 2023 Steve Lucas 5:44 PM

That’s Herb Lytel driving the the number P42 Isotta. Lytel drove in more Vanderbilt Cup Race events than any other racer having participated in six different races. This photo shows him in the Motor Parkway Sweepstakes on October 10, 1908 which he won with an average speed of 64.25 MPH.

May 07 2023 Dick Gorman 4:41 PM

Mystery Foto #18… The car pictured was #P42 Isotta as driven by Herb Lytel.
And this driver participated in more races associated with the Vanderbilt Cup than any other driver. The race was the 1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes held on October 10. Herb Lytel took the big Isotta to victory in that race at an average speed of 64.25 mph. And two weeks later would finish second in the Vanderbilt Cup Race.

May 07 2023 frank femenias 8:02 PM

1908 Motor Parkway Sweepstakes race held on Oct, 10. The race was the christening of the newly built Motor Parkway (1908-1938) by the AAA Race Commission. Photo was taken looking west in between the Levittown Grandstand and Official’s Stand/Press Box (1908-1910). The Italian #42 Isotta driven by Herb Lytle finished in 1st place with an average speed of 64.25 mph, meaning this racer had periodically achieved speeds in excess of 70 mph throughout the course. Very impressive for a 1908 vehicle!
Herb Lytle (Lyttle) participated in more Vanderbilt Cup Races than any other driver.

Extensive coverage of this race here—> https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/races/story/1908_motor_parkway_sweepstakes

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