1936 Vanderbilt Cup

The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup (formally known as I George Vanderbilt Cup) was a Championship Car race that was held on October 12, 1936 at Roosevelt Raceway near Westbury, New York. It was the fourth and final race of the 1936 AAA Championship Car season, not counting the non-championship events. The race, contested over 75 laps of 6.39 km (3.97 mi), was won by Tazio Nuvolari driving an Alfa Romeo 12C-36 from eighth starting position.

For the history of the Vanderbilt Cup: see Vanderbilt Cup

This was the first time that the Vanderbilt Cup was held since 1916. George Washington Vanderbilt III, the nephew of the founder of the Vanderbilt Cup, William Kissam Vanderbilt II, sponsored a 300-mile race (480 km) in 1936 at Roosevelt Raceway. Just as in the original races, European drivers were enticed by the substantial prize money - Scuderia Ferrari entered three Alfa Romeo racers. However, because of little American competition and an unexciting course layout, the race was organized for only two years. Both races were won by Europeans. After 1937, the Vanderbilt Cup would not be raced until 1960, and in a far less prestigious form.^[1]

• DNA = Did not arrive
• DNS = Did not start
• DNQ = Did not qualify

Sources:
ChampCarStats.com - 1936 George Vanderbilt Cup
The Golden Era of Grand prix Racing - I George Vanderbilt Cup Race Archived 2017-05-12 at the Wayback Machine

Sources:
ChampCarStats.com - 1936 George Vanderbilt Cup
Vanderbilt Cup Races - Starting Lineup for the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing - I George Vanderbilt Cup Race Archived 2017-05-12 at the Wayback Machine

Twelve of the forty-five drivers that started the race were Europeans driving an English ERA, a French Bugatti or an Italian Alfa Romeo or Maserati. The rest of the field was made up of Americans in dirt track cars with two-speed gearboxes. Although the course contained only one long straight, and the European drivers had to get used to the loose dirt track surface, the Americans were no contest for the Grand Prix cars. For example, even with Nuvolari's V12 Alfa Romeo running on eleven cylinders, he won by eight minutes on Wimille. The best American driver was Cummings finishing seventh almost twenty-five minutes behind the winner.

• DNF = Did Not Finish
• DSQ = Disqualified

Sources: see Entries

• ChampCarStats.com - 1936 George Vanderbilt Cup
• www.goldenera.fi - I George Vanderbilt Cup Race Archived 2017-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
• Vanderbilt Cup Races - Exclusive: Starting Lineup for the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
• Vanderbilt Cup Races - Race Profile: 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
• Driver Database - The page of each aforementioned driver was consulted.
• Racing Sports Cars - The page of each aforementioned driver was consulted.
• YouTube - 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
• Vanderbilt Cup Races - 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race: Photos from the Nassau County Division of Museum Services
• Vanderbilt Cup Races - Spectacular Aerials of Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway (1924-1938)
• www.goldenera.fi - Roosevelt Raceway, New York (USA) Archived 2021-07-25 at the Wayback Machine