The 1936 AAA Championship Car season was a relatively short but competitive series in American open-wheel racing, consisting of four official championship events held between May 30 and October 12, 1936. The season opened with the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Louis Meyer took victory, and continued with the Goshen 100 and the Syracuse 100, before concluding with the George Vanderbilt Cup at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York. In addition to these four points races, the AAA also sanctioned three non-championship events early in the year, including the Oakland 150, Ascot 125, and Springfield 100. Across the championship trail, consistent high finishes were crucial: Mauri Rose emerged as the AAA National Champion, edging out Meyer in the standings through strong results across the schedule. Meyer’s win at Indianapolis helped him finish a close second in the championship. The season was notable for its mix of traditional oval racing and the inclusion of the Vanderbilt Cup road race, which brought European Grand Prix competitors like Tazio Nuvolari into the series and highlighted the diversity of racing formats in that era.
October 12, 1936
