Vanderbilt Cup Race 1936 & 1937 Photo Archive

Between 1904 and 1916, William K. Vanderbilt underwrote a series of road races named in his honour. Altogether, there were nine contests for the William K. Vanderbilt Jr. Cup. Thereafter, America's highways were closed to road races and the curtain was brought down on the famous classic. The original Vanderbilt Cup Races aroused enthusiasm, as they attracted crowds of up to 250,000. The winner in 1908 was American George H. Robertson. It was Robertson, a founder of Long Island's Roosevelt Raceway, who revived the Vanderbilt Cup contest in 1936. Rechristened the George Vanderbilt Cup Race, the first event was run over a distance of 300 miles over Roosevelt Raceway's closed four-mile course. For 1937, the raceway was rebuilt and the race was run a distance of 300 miles over a three-and one-third-mile course. The George Vanderbilt Cup Races of 1936 and 1937 attracted an international array of competitors, and pitted American speedway-style cars against European road racing machines. Legendary drivers such as Tazio Nuvolari, Bernd Rosemeyer, "Wild Bill" Cummings, and Rex Mays piloted specials from Alfa Romeo, Auto Union, Bugatti, Duesenberg, Mercedes Benz, Miller, Offenhauser, and others. Sadly, losses suffered by the sponsors brought an end to the George Vanderbilt Cup Race after only the second contest. Brock Yates, esteemed automotive journalist, recounts the history of the George Vanderbilt Cup Races. His introduction and captions bring the excitement of the events to life, as captured in Smith Hempstone Oliver's fine photographs.