Vanderbilt Cup Races
The Vanderbilt Cup was the first major trophy in American auto racing
1904 October 08th. An international event, it was founded by William Kissam Vanderbilt II and first held on a course set out in Nassau County on Long Island, New York.
The Vanderbilt Cup was held successfully on Long Island until 1911 when it was showcased at Savannah, Georgia in combination with the American Grand Prize. The next year it moved to a racecourse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, then for three years in California: Santa Monica in 1914 and 1916, San Francisco in 1915.
The Vanderbilt Cup was not held again until 1936 when William Kissam Vanderbilt II's nephew, George Washington Vanderbilt III picked up the cause and sponsored a 300-mile (480 km) race at the new facilities at Roosevelt Raceway.