Aug 08 2009

Video “The 1965 Vanderbilt Cup Race at the Bridgehampton Race Circuit”


In 1965, the USRRC (United States Road Racing Championship) brought their version of the "Vanderbilt Cup Race" to the Bridgehampton Race Circuit. As described in the offical program, the format for the race was 75 laps (213 miles) for "Appendix C and SCCA modified category cars and F.I.A. Appendix J Grand Touring Cars". The big attractions for the race were the two Chaparral entries, considered the fastest and most innovative racers of their era.


The Chaparrals, driving by Jim Hall and Hap Sharp, did not disappoint finishing first and second.



Comments

Aug 10 2009 Tom 2:19 PM

Great vid clips. Would love to see more video clips from The Bridge. I can hear the sound on most of the clips would enjoy it more if the music was not overlayed into these clips. Its great to hear the sounds of the cars.

Aug 11 2009 Terrence McKeever 10:08 AM

Great clips Howard. It’s a shame that,the place is gone.I was ten when that race was run.I loved those Chaparalls.Had H.O.& match box versions of them.The now Eighteenth hole is the hole in the heart of many race fans.The sixties and early seventies were the greatest years of racing here.All lost to greed and overdevelopment.Where do we go from here?

Aug 15 2009 Howard Kroplick 9:16 PM

Tom & Terrence:

Thanks for the comments. Hopefully one day we will have a place to safety run our cars on Long Island.

Enjoy,

Howard

Oct 04 2009 jan Hyde 9:40 AM

Cannot open videos on my PC which is very frustrating.  Can you try to send me directly.
I owned Frank Dominianni’s ‘62 Corvette #69, SCCA BP Natnl Champ in 1964.  Frank ran this race in 1963 & 1964, not 1965 I believe.  I have Dave Friedman photos.  Retired car after 1966 (won warmup race at Bridge before CanAm).  I bought it in 1970, owned for 32 yrs, vintage raced.

Jan Hyde

Dec 30 2009 Bob Thomas 9:31 AM

The clips bring back memories of flagging these races and driving in SCCA races during the era of the Bridge track. It was a daunting track for the first time driver, a great experiance for anyone who learned to drive it.

Jan 24 2011 Arthur M 2:32 PM

I watched the ‘65 Bridge race and it brought it all back to me. I was there as a spectator for the last time and spoke with Jim Hall that day. He totally psyched me such that I went out and bought a race car, went to driver’s school at the Bridge and a year and a half later I was out on the track with him and all the big boys in the Daytona 24 hour. I ended up racing for 15 or 20 years and loved every minute of it. The Bridge was a gas. For a couple of years I was a director of NY Reg SCCA and am still a member. This is my 45th consecutive year. I never was a great driver, but I was pretty good. I won a lot of regionals, a few nationals and got some trophies and checks in Trans Ams and Continentals, but I always had a good time. I was lucky to have done it when it was almost affordable, though my ex-wife sure didn’t think so.

I love your films.

Thanks for the memories.

Jun 07 2014 Richard Ridgely 2:06 PM

My dad, Dick Ridgely of Ridgely’s Steak restaurant, held race registration at the restaurant and proudly displayed the Vanderbilt cup… I met Jim Hall and Hap Sharp… I was only 13 and many another well known racers of the era… I remember the days of the the Bridgehampton race track… my last race I attended was in 1969…

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