Bridgehampton Racetrack is gone forever!

[gjh2007]

I cam across some disturbing photos of what is left of that great old track. Found on the east end of Long Island NY in the Hamptons.

Many fine races took place here between Can Am Cars, Carrol Shelby, Group 44 & the like up until it closed in the mid 80's.

Had many fine weekends racing here (as a pit crew for a F production full race Spitfire.

Click the attachment to see aerial photos from 2001 taken by NYS. I haven't been out the Hamptons in 10 yrs, but have heard about the desire to build a golf course. With the beautiful vista & prices of land it's amazing it took so long to develop.

Being in Civil Engineering; I'm a Land Surveyor I understand the pressures of development, but hate to see this happen to a great old site.

some info: https://www.savethebridge.org/modules.php?name=History, alas it's too late....

 

[William]

I've "driven" the Bridge in Grand Prix Legends, and it was a really enjoyable, challenging track.

Aren't there, like five country club golf courses in that area? Did they really need another? As someone whose neighborhood boasts a ton of clubs and about two public courses, I think not. I actually refuse to play golf again.

Actually, I always wondered why the noise pollution of the track was such an issue with locals. The track was there before their homes. Did they not know that an automobile racing track would be noisy once in a while? It's like people who move into a neighborhood at the end of a runway and complain about the jets rumbling overhead.

Sorry, the death of The Bridge for a bloody golf course bothers me as much as the loss of Riverside for a shopping mall. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cryin.gif What's her name had it wrong-sometimes Paradise is Paved.

-Wm.

 

[aeronca65t]

...Joni Mitchell...

Bridgehampton was a great track to drive....I first drove it in the early '70s.
Anyway, I happen to know Guy Frost, the fellow who is still working to save Bridgehampton. One of the main reasons he sites for opposing the golf course is environmental. The amount of chemical fertilizers and weed-killers needed to make a modern green-green golf course will create havoc with local wells....especially the shallow wells in the Hamptons. The other local golf courses have already required many wells to be redrilled deeper.
A popular bumper-sticker (for northeast racers) is;
"Noise is Transient-Water Pollution Isn't-Save the Bridge!"

I have well-water, and from a health point of view, I would much rather live near a race track than a golf course. And please don't take this personally if you are a golfer....I think golf played on true, natural courses is fine (but these are pretty rare).

 

[William]

Joni Mitchell. I drew an enormous blank on that.....goodness knows why, I like that song. Reminds me of the time my college roommate and I couldn't remember who the drummer for Led Zeppelin was. Took us a couple of hours to remember....any wonder why I did so poorly freshman year?

-Wm.

 

[gjh2007]

You mean John Bottom? Also the Pretenders have a similar song, "I went back to Ohio... paved over by a parking lot & mall.." Having lived on the Island for most of my childhood, I know about the water issue. Most of LI is sandy soils with a hugh aquifer not very deep. Sand lets any contaminents run through quickly to any subsurface water. Not being a Tree hugger, I still don't mind if he is using the environmental issue to save the track, but they can make starnge bedfellows as they would probably oppose that also. Don't want to scare the birds with those noisy pollutting cars!

Oh well... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Xracer]

Really a shame. The Brigde was a pain in the butt to get to, but a fun course to drive (and spectate).

We used to have a nice selection of corses in the NorthEast....not so anymore.

Thompson's gone.

Bryar's gone.

....and now The Bridge.

 

[jimd]

Wellwater is an issue...but let me tell you about the brown tide caused by runoff...I lived in Sag Harbor for about 10 year +/-, my parents about 30 years +/-...well within earshot of the racetrack...probably heard you racing Nial...really wasn't much of an issue (the noise). Anyway, we got there in the 60s and lived in a waterfront home on the cove in Sag Harbor...had a little boat and of course fished alot. The fishing was incredible...most notably for the weakfish. But, flounder, snappers, occational striped bass, bluefish and blowfish were caught. We used to scoop up scallops from the cove after nor'easters blew them in. This all ended by the mid to late 70s. The cove turned brown along with the outer bays...I think the only place where you could still catch fish was out at block island which was out of reach for us (only had a 16' runabout). I don't think that the reason(s) for the brown tide was evident to most people for a number of years but by then it was too late. The cove that we lived on became nearly dead by the mid 80s...all for what appears to be the need for green grass (I guess the need to boost farm production as well).

Sorry to turn this into a rant but it really was a shame to have witnessed (maybe even participated in) what happened there...or rather, continues to happen...golf anyone?