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American Road Racing: The 1930s |
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American Road Racing: 1948 -
1950, The Sport Revived |
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Bridgehampton Racing: From The
Streets To The Bridge |
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Sunshine, Speed and a Surprise:
The 1959 Grand Prix of the United States |
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Caribbean Capers: The Cuban
Grand Prix Races of 1957, 1958 & 1960 |
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The inspiration behind this
book emerged in the early 1970s with a visit to the
shop of the freshly retired Alfred Momo (a racing mechanic
with few equals). Finn relates that Momo pointed to
a pile of boxes stacked in his garage and said, "These
are all of our Cunningham-Momo team American racing
records from the time we started in 1948 until we quit
at the end of 1963. Briggs (Cunningham) doesn't want
them shipped out to Costa Mesa, California. If you want
them, they are yours. Otherwise, they go to the dump".
It took two stationwagon loads for Finn to get it all
home. That's how this book began and now after thirty
years of gathering up information and photos, you have
the opportunity to enjoy the results.
'Dusty potatoes' ended the initial road racing at Bridgehampton,
New York. The idea of an additional race track to Long
Island's Vanderbilt Cup Races in New York's countryside
seemed like a good idea. And initially in 1915 it was,
and the racing supplemented the small community carnivals
and served the farming community with fund-raising.
Pope-Hartfords, Model T Fords and home-built contraptions
dominated the field. After 1919, the farmers put an
end to the billowing dust clouds with complaints that
the dust was not conducive to growing potatoes and showed
up with withered potatoes to make their point.
With the creation of the Sports Car Club of American
in 1944 and the success of New York's Watkins Glen race
in 1948, another New York race was a logical progression
as the drivers and cars were available and enthusiasm
for racing was on the upswing. Bruce Stevenson, a former
Royal Canadian Air Force and US Army Air Force P47 Thunderbolt
pilot during WWII and a real hero, discovered MGs in
1939. He was ready to race and possessed a vision for
creating a track at Bridgehampton. The proposed race
plan would permit everyone in the community, if so inclined
(potato farmer included), to have a role in the undertaking.
Bruce turned his vision into reality in 1949 with the
first races at Bridgehampton. A four-mile race circuit
was created using the available public roads. Three
races were held on June 11, 1949 ranging from 48 miles
to 100 miles in distance. Thirteen MGs were mixed with
makes like Cisitalia, H.R.G, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Bugatti,
Ferrari and Lagonda to provide the first successful
day of racing.
The 1949-1953 era of racing at Bridgehampton evolved
much like racing at other tracks throughout America.
It was a carefree and amateurish approach to racing
with family and friends very much involved. Loads of
fun and a carnival atmosphere mixing the racing with
antique cars in a Vintage Exhibition Run. Popular television
celebrities got involved — Dave Garroway raced
his SS 100 Jaguar. Briggs Cunningham raced his BUMERC,
a 1939 Buick Century with a Mercedes SSK body and George
Huntoon drove his Ford-Duesenberg. The big change came
with racing being banned on public roads after 1953.
A new race circuit was proposed which opened in 1957.
On the opening day, George Arents brought a new Ferrari
290MM from the Chinetti's North American Racing Team
to the new track for a couple of solo ribbon braking
laps. Warned to take it easy and not duplicate his grandfather's
disastrous 1904 Vanderbilt Cup race results, George
proceeded to roll the Ferrari over several times down
a hill and into a wooded ravine. The Ferrari was badly
mangled, but like his grandfather, he emerged with only
minor cuts and bruises.
Bridgehampton hosted all of the most important American
road racing series and attracted the nation's leading
race teams and drivers through the 1960s — from
SCCA, USRRC, Can Am, NASCAR and Trans-Am race car drivers
like Briggs Cunningham, Walt Hansgen, Mario Andretti,
Phil Hill, Parnelli Jones, Dan Gurney, Roger Penske,
Pedro Rodriquez, Mark Donohue, Jim Hall, Bruce McLaren,
Denis Hulme and Richard Petty to name a few. The golden
era of racing at Bridgehampton ended after 1970 but
continued with BRRC races in 1971 and 1972. The track
was fully operational throughout the 1970s with some
sort of minor racing events. Unfortunately, the track
continued to deteriorate and was closed in 1982.
With 540 photos, that you most likely have never seen,
you will be overwhelmed. And Joel Finn's narration and
descriptions are even more enjoyable. Let's hope he
is still writing when he is a 100 years old.
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