1936 Vanderbilt Cup

1936 Vanderbilt Cup Grand Prix
Roosevelt Raceway in 1936
Race details
Date	12 October 1936
Official name	I George Vanderbilt Cup
Location	Roosevelt Raceway Westbury, Long Island, New York City, USA
Course	Purpose-built race circuit
Course length	6.39 km (3.97 miles)
Distance	75 laps, 479.25 km (297.75 miles)
Pole position
Driver	Antonio Brivio	Scuderia Ferrari
Time	17:54.15
Fastest lap
Driver	Tazio Nuvolari	Scuderia Ferrari
Time	3:25.42
Podium
First	Tazio Nuvolari	Scuderia Ferrari
Second	Jean-Pierre Wimille	Automobiles Bugatti
Third	Antonio Brivio	Scuderia Ferrari

The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup (formally known as I George Vanderbilt Cup) was a Grand Prix that was held on 12 October 1936 at Roosevelt Raceway near Westbury, Long Island, New York City, USA. It was the fourth and last 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 after starting from eighth position.

Background

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 like 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 organised for only two years. Both races were won by Europeans. After 1937, the Vanderbilt Cup would not be raced until 1960.

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

Entries

No.	Driver	Car	Note
2	Bill Cummings	Miller-Offenhauser
3	Wilbur Shaw	Shaw-Offenhauser
4	Emil Andres	Stevens-Offenhauser
5	Shorty Cantlon	Miller
6	Chuck Tabor	Duesenberg-Offenhauser
	Chet Gardner		DNS - Tabor drove the #6 car
7	Billy Winn	Miller
8	Tazio Nuvolari	Alfa Romeo 12C-36
9	Antonio Brivio
10	Nino Farina
12	Frederick McEvoy	Maserati 4CM
	Carlo Felice Trossi
14	Frank Brisko	Miller-Brisko
15	Deacon Litz	Miller
	Tony Willman
16	Raymond Sommer	Alfa Romeo Tipo B
17	Chet Gardner	Miller
	Frank Beeder		DNS - Gardner drove the #17 car
18	Jean-Pierre Wimille	Bugatti T59
19	Zeke Meyer	?-Offenhauser	DNQ - no qualifying attempt
21	Babe Stapp	Shaw-Offenhauser
22	Ted Horn	Wetteroth-Miller
23	Russ Snowberger	?-Offenhauser
24	Philippe Étancelin	Maserati V8RI
25	Floyd Davis	?-Offenhauser
26	Phil Shafer	Miller
27	George Connor	Weil-Miller
28	Dave Evans	Bugatti T51
29	"Raph"	Maserati V8RI
32	Mauri Rose	Miller-Offenhauser
33	Rex Mays	Adams-Sparks	DNS - crash in practice
34	Al Putnam	Studebaker
35	Fred Winnai	Mercedes	DNA
36	Chet Miller	Rigling-Carew
37	Brian Lewis	ERA B-Type
	Sidney Cotton		DNS - Lewis drove the #37 car
38	Joel Thorne	?-Miller
39	Frank McGurk	?	DNS - crash in practice
42	Tony Willman	Stevens-Miller
43	Jimmy Snyder	Stevens-Offenhauser
44	Tony Gulotta	Stevens-Miller
45	Earl Howe	ERA B-Type
46	Pat Fairfield
47	Brian Lewis	Bugatti	DNS - cracked cylinder head in practice
48	Teddy Rayson	Maserati 4CM
	Goldie Gardner		DNS - Rayson drove the #48 car
49	Overton Phillips	Bugatti
51	Bob Swanson	Miller-Offenhauser
	Billy Devore		DNS - Swanson drove the #51 car
52	Lewis Balus	Duesenberg
53	Louis Tomei	?-Offenhauser
	Bob Swanson		DNS - Tomei drove the #53 car
56	Ben Brandfon	Duesenberg	DNS
57	Ted Chamberlain	Duesenberg-Miller
	George Wingerter		DNS - Chamberlain drove the #57 car
59	Rick Decker
61	John Cebula		DNQ
62	Milt Marion	?-Miller
63	Frank Wearne	Miller	DNA
64	Mike Caruso	Mercedes-Ford	DNQ
	Bob Sall		DNS - Caruso drove the #64 car
65	Henry Banks	Miller
66	Gus Zarka	Ambler
	Chuck Tabor		DNS - Zarka drove the #66 car
67	Roy Lake
68	Lem Ladd	?	DNA
73	John Moretti
74	Don Moore
?	Louis Meyer	Bugatti Type 59	DNS - crash in practice
	Attilio Marinoni	Alfa Romeo	DNS - drove only in practice

• 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

Grid positions

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 Archived 2017-05-12 at the Wayback Machine

Race results

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)

• DNF = Did Not Finish
• DSQ = Disqualified

Sources: see Entries

Sources

• ChampCarStats.com - 1936 George Vanderbilt Cup
• www.kolumbus.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.kolumbus.fi - Roosevelt Raceway, New York (USA) Archived 2021-07-25 at the Wayback Machine