| Country: | United States |
| Race: | Vanderbilt Cup |
| Date: | October 12 |
| Year: | 1936 |
| Official Name: | I George Vanderbilt Cup |
| Race No: | 4 |
| Season No: | 4 |
| Series: | AAA Championship Car |
| Location: | Roosevelt Raceway, Westbury, New York, United States |
| Course: | Purpose-built race course |
| Course Mi: | 3.97 |
| Course Km: | 6.39 |
| Distance Laps: | 75 |
| Distance Mi: | 297.75 |
| Distance Km: | 479.25 |
| Pole Driver: | Antonio Brivio |
| Pole Team: | Scuderia Ferrari |
| Pole Time: | 17:54.15 |
| Fast Driver: | Tazio Nuvolari |
| Fast Team: | Scuderia Ferrari |
| Fast Time: | 3:25.42 |
| First Driver: | Tazio Nuvolari |
| First Team: | Scuderia Ferrari |
| Second Driver: |  Jean-Pierre Wimille |
| Second Team: | Bugatti |
| Third Driver: | Antonio Brivio |
| Third Team: | Scuderia Ferrari |
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 a 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]
Sources:
ChampCarStats.com - 1936 George Vanderbilt Cup
The Golden Era of Grand prix Racing - I George Vanderbilt Cup Race
| Pos | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Row 1 | Brivio 17:54.15 | Winn 18:01.77 | Shaw 18:13.92 | |
| Row 2 | Connor 18:23.22 | Litz 19:26.86 | Putnam 19:28.17 | |
| Row 3 | Shafer 20:16.09 | Nuvolari 17:09.62 | Farina 17:24.40 | |
| Row 4 | Swanson 18:05.54 | Cantlon 18:08.96 | Tabor 18:12.20 | |
| Row 5 | C. Gardner 18:27.07 | Wimille 18:28.02 | Willman 18:32.92 | |
| Row 6 | "Raph" 18:41.80 | Zarka 18:42.93 | Snyder 18:46.62 | |
| Row 7 | Sommer 18:49.10 | Marion 18:50.04 | Horn 18:50.24 | |
| Row 8 | Decker 18:53.45 | Fairfield 19:02.53 | Rose 19:04.15 | |
| Row 9 | Tomei 19:15.81 | Cummings 19:28.11 | Andres 19:34.34 | |
| Row 10 | Stapp 19:50.03 | Davis 19:50.34 | McEvoy 19:51.50 | |
| Row 11 | Lake 19:53.94 | Étancelin 19:55.97 | Miller 19:56.88 | |
| Row 12 | Evans 20:01.61 | Banks 20:05.61 | Rayson 20:06.40 | |
| Row 13 | Brisko 20:06.43 | Snowberger 20:07.93 | Thorne 20:24.88 | |
| Row 14 | Chamberlain 20:36.37 | Howe 20:35.63 | Lewis 20:46.53 | |
| Row 15 | Gulotta 20:54.31 | Phillips 21:00.13 | Balus 21:13.08 |
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
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.
| Pos. | Driver | Car Constructor | Time (Status) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuvolari | Alfa Romeo | 4:32:44.0 | |
| 2 | Wimille | Bugatti | 4:40:55.9 | |
| 3 | Brivio | Alfa Romeo | 4:45:44.4 | |
| 4 | Sommer | 4:46:59.51 | ||
| 5 | Fairfield | ERA | 4:56:48.5 | |
| 6 | McEvoy | Maserati | 4:57:24.8 | |
| 7 | Cummings | Miller | 4:57:43.11 | |
| 8 | Rose | 4:57:47.2 | ||
| 9 | Étancelin | Maserati | 4:59:43.11 | |
| 10 | Litz | Miller | 5:01:05.82 | |
| 11 | Tabor | Duesenberg | 5:04:06.6 | |
| 12 | Andres | Stevens | 5:05:54.9 | |
| 13 | Howe | ERA | 5:06:11.75 | |
| 14 | Evans | Bugatti | 5:07:42.5 | |
| 15 | Lewis | ERA | 5:08:17.27 | |
| 16 | Decker | Duesenburg | 5:08:18.63 | |
| 17 | Putnam | Studebaker | +1 lap | |
| 18 | Rayson | Maserati | +1 lap | |
| 19 | Lake | Ambler | +2 laps | |
| 20 | Banks | Miller | +3 laps | |
| 21 | Gardner | +3 laps | ||
| 22 | Zarka | Ambler | +4 laps | |
| 23 | Swanson | Miller | +4 laps | |
| 24 | Gulotta | Stevens | +6 laps | |
| 25 | Shafer | Miller | +6 laps | |
| 26 | Miller | Rigling | +10 laps | |
| 27 | Brisko | Miller | +10 laps | |
| 28 | Balus | Duesenberg | +10 laps | |
| 29 | Chamberlain | +10 laps | ||
| 30 | Tomei | +10 laps | ||
| 31 | Connor | Weil | +3 laps (DNF - engine) | |
| 32 | Winn | Miller | +11 laps (DNF - rear gear) | |
| 33 | Snowberger | +14 laps (DNF - brakes) | ||
| 34 | Thorne | +26 laps (DNF - universal joint) | ||
| 35 | Stapp | Shaw | +27 laps (DNF - fuel tank) | |
| 36 | Horn | Wetteroth | +30 laps (DNF - stalled) | |
| 37 | Snyder | Stevens | +35 laps (DNF - rear axle gear) | |
| 38 | Cantlon | Miller | +40 laps (DNF - valves) | |
| 39 | Davis | +45 laps (DSQ - car towed) | ||
| 40 | Willman | Stevens | +54 laps (DNF - steering gear) | |
| 41 | Farina | Alfa Romeo | +58 laps (DNF - steering arm) | |
| 42 | "Raph" | Maserati | +66 laps (DSQ - push start) | |
| 43 | Phillips | Bugatti | +67 laps (DNF - connecting rod) | |
| 44 | Marion | +72 laps (DNF - clutch shaft) | ||
| 45 | Shaw | Shaw | +73 laps (DNF - crash) |
Sources: see Entries
