Bridgehampton Race Circuit
Encyclopedia
Bridgehampton Race Circuit was a race track located near Sag Harbor, New York
, United States
. The circuit opened in 1957, following a series of road races held from 1949 until 1953. It was one of the first permanent road racing venues in the United States, opening after Thompson Speedway, two years after Road America
, the year after Watkins Glen International
, and the same year as Lime Rock Park
and Laguna Seca Raceway. In its early years, Bridgehampton was host to major international series, including the World Sportscar Championship
, Can-Am, and NASCAR Grand National. By the early 1970s, the track was used mostly for amateur events, and closed permanently in 1998.
Bridgehampton was renowned as a fearsome course, requiring the utmost of driver skill.
from 1915 until 1921. The course ran counterclockwise on an approximately 3-mile (4.8-km) rectangle, beginning on Montauk Highway
, then turning left onto Halsey Lane, left onto Pauls Lane, left onto Ocean Boulevard, and left back onto Montauk Highway.
The races were revived in 1949, utilizing a 4-mile (6.4-km) circuit adjacent to the pre-war circuit in Bridgehampton and Sagaponack
. It ran clockwise beginning on Ocean Road, turning right onto Sagaponack Road, right onto Sagaponack Main Street, right onto Bridge Lane, and right back onto Ocean Road. The races proved successful, and joined the SCCA National Sports Car Championship
when it was created in 1951. The road races came to an end in 1953, after a driver was killed in practice and three spectators injured during the race. These events, combined with a spectator death in a crash at Watkins Glen
in 1952, led the State of New York to ban racing on public roads.
Hills in 1956, and constructed a 2.85 miles (4.6 km), 13-turn road course. Although construction was not completed, the first races were held in 1957. The headline event, the Bridgehampton Sports Car Races
, were a part of the SCCA National Championship; Regional races would be added in 1958. The race would shift to the professional United States Road Racing Championship
in 1965, and resurrected the Vanderbilt Cup
, which had been run on Long Island
from 1904 until 1910. A second National event was added in 1961. This event
would shift to the World Sportscar Championship
for 1962, marking Bridgehampton's biggest event. The WSC gave way to Can-Am from 1966 until 1969. Can-Am was scheduled to return in 1970, but the race was moved to the newly opened Road Atlanta
after heavy storms damaged the track. A 1971 IMSA GT Championship
event was the last major event at the track.
Sag Harbor, New York
Sag Harbor is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York, United States, with parts in both the Towns of East Hampton and Southampton. The population was 2,313 at the 2000 census....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The circuit opened in 1957, following a series of road races held from 1949 until 1953. It was one of the first permanent road racing venues in the United States, opening after Thompson Speedway, two years after Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
, the year after Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
, and the same year as Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock Park
Lime Rock Park is a natural-terrain motorsport road racing venue located in Lime Rock, Connecticut, United States, a hamlet in the village of Lakeville, Connecticut, in the state’s northwest corner...
and Laguna Seca Raceway. In its early years, Bridgehampton was host to major international series, including the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
, Can-Am, and NASCAR Grand National. By the early 1970s, the track was used mostly for amateur events, and closed permanently in 1998.
Bridgehampton was renowned as a fearsome course, requiring the utmost of driver skill.
Early road races
The first road races in Bridgehampton were held on public roads around the hamlet of BridgehamptonBridgehampton, New York
Bridgehampton is a hamlet in the South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2000 census....
from 1915 until 1921. The course ran counterclockwise on an approximately 3-mile (4.8-km) rectangle, beginning on Montauk Highway
Montauk Highway
Montauk Highway is one of the original through highways of Long Island, New York, extending from Jamaica, in the New York City borough of Queens to Montauk Point in Suffolk County, a distance of approximately 100 miles ....
, then turning left onto Halsey Lane, left onto Pauls Lane, left onto Ocean Boulevard, and left back onto Montauk Highway.
The races were revived in 1949, utilizing a 4-mile (6.4-km) circuit adjacent to the pre-war circuit in Bridgehampton and Sagaponack
Sagaponack, New York
Sagaponack is a village in the town of Southampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The village incorporated on September 2, 2005, in the wake of the failed attempt by Dunehampton, New York to incorporate. Dunehampton's incorporation would have blocked Sagaponack from Atlantic Ocean...
. It ran clockwise beginning on Ocean Road, turning right onto Sagaponack Road, right onto Sagaponack Main Street, right onto Bridge Lane, and right back onto Ocean Road. The races proved successful, and joined the SCCA National Sports Car Championship
SCCA National Sports Car Championship
The SCCA National Sports Car Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Sports Car Club of America from 1951 until 1964. It was the first post-World War II sports car series organized in the United States...
when it was created in 1951. The road races came to an end in 1953, after a driver was killed in practice and three spectators injured during the race. These events, combined with a spectator death in a crash at Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
in 1952, led the State of New York to ban racing on public roads.
Permanent circuit
Local racing enthusiasts formed the Bridgehampton Road Races Corporation in 1953 to finance the construction of a permanent race circuit in the area. The corporation purchased a 550 acres (2.2 km²) parcel known as NoyackNoyack, New York
Noyack is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 2,696 at the 2000 census.Noyack is an Indian word meaning “a corner or point of land”. It’s...
Hills in 1956, and constructed a 2.85 miles (4.6 km), 13-turn road course. Although construction was not completed, the first races were held in 1957. The headline event, the Bridgehampton Sports Car Races
Bridgehampton Sports Car Races
The Bridgehampton Sports Car Races was a sports car race held at Bridgehampton Race Circuit between 1949 and 1971.-History:The first road races in Bridgehampton were held on public roads around the hamlet of Bridgehampton from 1915 until 1921...
, were a part of the SCCA National Championship; Regional races would be added in 1958. The race would shift to the professional United States Road Racing Championship
United States Road Racing Championship
The United States Road Racing Championship was created by the Sports Car Club of America in 1962. It was the first SCCA series for professional racing drivers. SCCA Executive Director John Bishop helped to create the series to recover races that had been taken by rival USAC Road Racing...
in 1965, and resurrected the Vanderbilt Cup
Vanderbilt Cup
The Vanderbilt Cup was the first major trophy in American auto racing.-History:An international event, it was founded by William Kissam Vanderbilt II in 1904 and first held at a course set out in Nassau County on Long Island, New York. The announcement that the race was to be held caused...
, which had been run on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
from 1904 until 1910. A second National event was added in 1961. This event
Bridgehampton Grand Prix
The Bridgehampton Grand Prix was a sports car race held at Bridgehampton Race Circuit between 1961 and 1969.-Results:...
would shift to the World Sportscar Championship
World Sportscar Championship
The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
for 1962, marking Bridgehampton's biggest event. The WSC gave way to Can-Am from 1966 until 1969. Can-Am was scheduled to return in 1970, but the race was moved to the newly opened Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
after heavy storms damaged the track. A 1971 IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT Championship
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...
event was the last major event at the track.
Decline and demise
Bridgehampton's facilities remained primitive. Only a small media and scoring building and a small grandstand were installed. The Bridgehampton Road Races Corporation did not have the money to upgrade and maintain the tracks infrastructure to world-class standards. The track's land had appreciated to several million dollars in a few decades. Locals began complaining about noise in the mid-1970s, and in 1983 the town passed an ordinance limiting noise and effectively ending any chance of big-league racing returning. Plans were announced in 1994 to turn the property into a golf course. Races continued until 1997, and a racing school and club meets lingered until 1998.Events
- Bridgehampton Sports Car RacesBridgehampton Sports Car RacesThe Bridgehampton Sports Car Races was a sports car race held at Bridgehampton Race Circuit between 1949 and 1971.-History:The first road races in Bridgehampton were held on public roads around the hamlet of Bridgehampton from 1915 until 1921...
; SCCA National Sports Car ChampionshipSCCA National Sports Car ChampionshipThe SCCA National Sports Car Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Sports Car Club of America from 1951 until 1964. It was the first post-World War II sports car series organized in the United States...
, United States Road Racing ChampionshipUnited States Road Racing ChampionshipThe United States Road Racing Championship was created by the Sports Car Club of America in 1962. It was the first SCCA series for professional racing drivers. SCCA Executive Director John Bishop helped to create the series to recover races that had been taken by rival USAC Road Racing... - Bridgehampton Grand PrixBridgehampton Grand PrixThe Bridgehampton Grand Prix was a sports car race held at Bridgehampton Race Circuit between 1961 and 1969.-Results:...
; Can-Am, World Sportscar ChampionshipWorld Sportscar ChampionshipThe World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...
NASCAR Grand National results
| Year | Date | Driver | Car Make | Winner's Prize (USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) | Distance Laps/Miles (Km) | Average Speed (mph) | Race Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | August 2 |  Jack Smith |
Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918... |
$800 | 35 / 99.8 (160.6) | 80.696 | 1:14:10 |
| 1963 1963 in NASCAR 1963 in NASCAR was the fourteenth season in what is now called the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.-1963 Daytona 500:The 1963 Daytona 500 was won by Tiny Lund driving a 1963 Ford. Lund drove his number 12 to victory in three hours and 17 minutes... |
July 21 |  Richard PettyRichard Petty Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series... |
Plymouth Plymouth (automobile) Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:... |
$1,000 | 35 / 99.8 (160.6) | 86.047 | 1:09:04 |
| 1964 | July 12 |  Billy Wade |
Mercury Mercury (automobile) Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand... |
$1,225 | 50 / 142.5 (229.3) | 87.707 | 1:37:29 |
| 1966 1966 in NASCAR 1966 in NASCAR evolved into the first of three NASCAR Grand National championships for David Pearson, whose 15 wins through the season was second only to Tim Flock's 18 victories in 1955 at that time. NASCAR allowed the return of the Chrysler Hemi engine in 1966, and at the same time Ford decided... |
July 10 |  David Pearson |
Dodge Dodge Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide.... |
$1,375 | 52 / 148.2 (238.5) | 86.949 | 1:42:16 |
Trans-Am results
| Year | Winner | Entrant | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 |  Mark DonohueMark Donohue Mark Neary Donohue, Jr. , nicknamed "Captain Nice", was an American racecar driver known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victories. Donohue is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp “Can-Am Killer” Porsche 917-30 and as the winner of the 1972... |
Penske-Hilton Racing Penske Racing Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske... |
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 |
| 1969 | George Follmer George Follmer George Follmer is a retired American race car driver, and one of the most successful road racers of the 1970s. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona.... |
Bud Moore Engineering Bud Moore Engineering Bud Moore Engineering was a championship-winning NASCAR team. It was owned and operated by mechanic Bud Moore and ran out of Spartanburg, South Carolina. While the team was a dominant force in the 60s and 80s, the final years were tumultuous due to lack of sponorship and uncompetitive race cars.-... |
Ford Mustang Boss 302 Boss 302 Mustang The Boss 302 Mustang is a high performance variant of the Ford Mustang originally produced in 1969 and 1970, but revived in the 2012 model year. It was produced for the Trans Am racing series, while the Mustang Boss 429 which was produced the same years was built around a larger engine.-First... |
| 1970 | Mark Donohue Mark Donohue Mark Neary Donohue, Jr. , nicknamed "Captain Nice", was an American racecar driver known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victories. Donohue is probably best known as the driver of the 1500+ bhp “Can-Am Killer” Porsche 917-30 and as the winner of the 1972... |
Penske Racing Penske Racing Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske... |
AMC Javelin AMC Javelin The Javelin was a production version of one of the AMC AMX prototypes shown during the 1966 AMX project nationwide tour. Intended to rival other pony cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. American Motor's Javelin debuted on 22 August 1967, for the 1968 model year... |