Walter Christie had wrecked his best race car in practice, one week before the American Elimination Trials, the qualifying event for the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race. Apparently back in the factory sat a beautiful, brand new Christie Touring car.
1906 Christie Touring Car
1906 Christie Touring Car
With no time to spare, off came the plush seats, hood and headlights. Christie somehow even found time to pull the special rear brakes off the wrecked racer and put them on his new touring car/racer. His big problem was horsepower: he now had only 50 and to be competitive one had to have at least a 100hp.
Walter Christie preparing to start the American Elimination Trial
Walter Christie preparing to start the American Elimination Trial
He had quite a few other problems as well. Many American manufacturers were very serious about getting into the Vanderbilt Cup race.
Maxwell leased 5 acres of land a quarter mile from the start/finish line. A portable garage was erected containing a machine shop, storage for their racer and sleeping and dining rooms for the employees. For the management and guests, a nearby house was also leased.
Both Thomas and Frayer-Miller arrived with full 3 car, factory supported teams. Locomobile had a car for Joe Tracy, who had finished 3rd in last years race. Locomobile also had a spare car for Tracy. There were also a Haynes, Pope/Toledo, Oldsmobile and Matheson. Several other manufacturers didn't make the start, including Stanley, B-L-M and Wayne. George Robertson in an Apperson crashed heavily in practice and was another DNS.
Walter Christie was a clever inventor and owner of his own machine shop in NY. But just to finish in the top five and qualify for the Cup race would be a monumental task.
Maxwell leased 5 acres of land a quarter mile from the start/finish line. A portable garage was erected containing a machine shop, storage for their racer and sleeping and dining rooms for the employees. For the management and guests, a nearby house was also leased.
Both Thomas and Frayer-Miller arrived with full 3 car, factory supported teams. Locomobile had a car for Joe Tracy, who had finished 3rd in last years race. Locomobile also had a spare car for Tracy. There were also a Haynes, Pope/Toledo, Oldsmobile and Matheson. Several other manufacturers didn't make the start, including Stanley, B-L-M and Wayne. George Robertson in an Apperson crashed heavily in practice and was another DNS.
Walter Christie was a clever inventor and owner of his own machine shop in NY. But just to finish in the top five and qualify for the Cup race would be a monumental task.
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