Bridgehampton

What's funny is that I was looking for a Ravi Shankar video when I stumbled across this, some old footage from Bridgehampton.

http://youtu.be/SQDSmvPbcKE

This is the first track that I ever, drove, too. I did Skip Barber there in 1992. Boris Said was my instructor. Sadly the track went silent years ago.

I have a friend who caddies there now

Growing up on Long Island, this was the first track I ever went to also...

Hey, maybe we stood next to each other at the fence. By the way, I'm pretty sure that I saw David Donohoue run there when he was just starting out.

I drove there as well. Everyone said the downhill was the hardest part of the track. The valley of the lefts scared the crap out of me as you were accelerating all the way to the end and the turns got progressively tighter and tighter (probably due to the speed) and then it was a game of chicken of where you were going to brake. And my car was really light due to the rough pavement. I loved the light bulb. IT was like an amusement park ride only you were driving the roller coaster.

I also found that the disappearing pavement on the track out on many of the corners made things interesting as well.

I had my first serious off at that place as well. That was a mans track. to drive it to its full extent you needed a REALLY REALLY big set!

I miss that place. If I won the powerball the other week I would have tried to purchase it and restore it to a track. Who needs golf courses anyway.

That's some really cool old footage. Did you notice Ol' Blue Eyes blowin' some smoke at about 10:20?

jstein77 wrote: That's some really cool old footage. Did you notice Ol' Blue Eyes blowin' some smoke at about 10:20?

Shhhh, we're not supposed to notice that. You know, I should see if my dad has any movies from there. He has a bunch of slides and b/w from back in the day.

I raced Jim Russell school there in 1980. In 1981 I raced/worked there as a Jim Russell mechanic. When I got there for an SCCA National in 1984, a four wheel off during Qualifying coming out of the second left hander resulted in 2 barrel rolls and 2 endos. Lots of ruts in the sandy runoff area. I had already gone 2nd fastest, but didn't get to start.

A great track. I miss it.

Doane wrote: out of the second left hander resulted in 2 barrel rolls and 2 endos.

The one at the top of that little uphill or the next one? My car always got really light at the top of the uphill and because of that I was usually more towards the center of the track in case I needed more room to land the car.

I went to drivers school there in 1971 and subsequently probably logged 12-13K miles there . Coming under the bridge and turning in blind for the downhill with no lift was a real thrill. I started out with an HP Honda S600 and then ran an FP 1500 Turner. Many great memories such as being on track with Janet Guthrie (pre Indy) when she was running a Toyota. It ranks as one of the best tracks ever in my opinion.

The video quality is not so good but the inca really shows just how harry the track was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjRyFotFR9c

Another better quality one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p3DAQ2osuY

The THIRD annual race at the bridge. This is so cool. Allard and even a Stanley steamer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPxQVYLIH-Y

In reply to David S. Wallens:

My poor, poor Opel Rallye 1900 (Manta) died out there.... that was back in the late 1970s

Don49 wrote: I went to drivers school there in 1971 and subsequently probably logged 12-13K miles there .

That rules. My dad went there in the '60s. My visits were mostly 1987-'92 or so.

David

dean1484 wrote:

Doane wrote: out of the second left hander resulted in 2 barrel rolls and 2 endos.

The one at the top of that little uphill or the next one?

The one at 1:16 in the 2nd/PCA You Tube video you posted

PAine wrote:

dean1484 wrote:

Doane wrote: out of the second left hander resulted in 2 barrel rolls and 2 endos.

The one at the top of that little uphill or the next one?

The one at 1:16 in the 2nd/PCA You Tube video you posted

Ahhh At the end of the valley of the lefts. That is the part of the track where I was carrying the most speed. That corner that always scared me. Probably why I never crashed there. I had my big off at the last turn before the front strait. IT was a weird one. As you probably remember there was that little rise at the end of that strait that you either had to check up before the rise or keep it to the floor and aim the car over the rise at the apex of the corner that came out on the strait. I of course used the latter of the two options. On this occasion I landed the car and it immediately wanted to swap ends. Since I was heading at the corner worker stand at over 100mph I decided to put it to the floor and see if I could spin it through the last turn. It kind of worked.

Somehow growing up mid-Island (Bay Shore) I never made it to the track. And, I new the name but never realized it was on LI until I joined COM back in the 90s. They kept having "this is the last year events" and I missed out on one hell of a track.

dean1484 wrote: The THIRD annual race at the bridge. This is so cool. Allard and even a Stanley steamer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPxQVYLIH-Y

Man thats BUMPY! Looks like it was a fun teack though.

dean1484 wrote: Another better quality one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p3DAQ2osuY

Okay, just watched this and boy am I mad. How could NOBODY in my family have told me about the Bridge growing up? So near and yet so far. That looked like fun.