Vanderbilt Cup Races

The orientation of the photographer is north east.
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.[1] 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. The track closed permanently in 1999.[2][3]

Bridgehampton was renowned as a fearsome course, requiring the utmost of driver skill.

Bridgehampton’s included a small media and scoring building and a small grandstand. 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.[9] 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.[2] A portion of the course, including the Chevron Bridge, are preserved on the grounds of the golf course.[11]
ust as things were looking grim, a summer resident, racing enthusiast and car collector, Bob Rubin, along with The Friends of Bridgehampton took the race circuit under his wing in 1981, investing considerable sums to take care of long overdue maintenance and keep the track in useable conditions.
In 1992, Rubin acquired the entirety of the Bridgehampton Road Races Corporation and eventually transformed the circuit into the golf course that is seen today. While the glory days of racing in Bridgehampton are over, the spirit of the circuit lives on there. The most important section of the original circuit remains intact including the legendary Millstone Turn; the Chevron Bridge retains its authentic red and blue logo; the clubhouse’s interior décor is a virtual museum of motorsports and The Bridge; and in recognition of what used to be, checkered flags mark each of the 18 holes on the golf course.
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=BRIDGEHAMPTON+RACEWAY+TODAY&mid=DC44BEB7C71DF4F7E88EDC44BEB7C71DF4F7E88E&FORM=VIRE
The Raceway is now a Golf Course, called the Bridge Golf Club.
The date of the photo is 1956 when the track was being constructed.

I think we’re over Noyak looking northeast toward Sag Harbor. That’s the former Bridgehampton Race Circuit track. The track appears to be soon after it first opened so I’ll guess the date to be about 1957. Today this is the site of “The Bridge” golf club.

Bridgehampton, looking north across Sag Harbor and Noyak Bay towards the North Fork of LI.
Construction photo of the Bridgehampton Race Track.
1957 prior to opening. 
The Bridge Golf Course

My Grandma’s old home in Sag Habor. Oh, you mean Bridgehampton race track. Could hear the cars running at her house

Bridgehampton Raceway, my favorite road racing circuit of all time. Probably an aerial shot, looking roughly east. what little remains of the track is now a golf course.

The Bridge!  Bridgehampton Race Circuit before the golf course and likely before the first races in 1957.

The Bridge at birth! 😊

I believe that is Bridgehampton Racetrack. Don’t know the year but it is currently a golf course. The photographer is in the air facing northeast.

A)  Bridgehampton overlooking Sag harbor
B)  Bridgehampton Race Circuit
C)  1960?
D)  Rubin’s folly!  A golf course that no one should go to for his car show!

Location is Bridgehampton, specifically Noyack Hills facing East towards Sag Harbor, which is visible in the distance. The shot is of Bridgehampton Race Track while under construction. Approximate date would be 1957.
The location, sadly, is now a golf course although the end of the main straight—which is in the right foreground—still exists.

Bridgehampton Race track, looking East
now the Bridge,Golf course and condos

This is the Bridgehampton Race Course with the photographer located at the south-west corner of the track looking towards the north-east.  I’d have to guess that the photo is from the 1960’s.  The track was replaced by a golf course I spent a lot of time there in the mid-60’s as a photographer and sorely miss its absence (I don’t golf).

Early 1950’s construction photo of the Bridgehampton Race Circuit, Bridgehampton, LI, NY. Sadly, it’s currently a private golf club.

The race course pictured is BridgeHampton in 1957. Located in BridgeHampton, NY
Now a golf course with some of the original track surface still existing including the pedestrian bridge to this day.
  A great circuit in its time.

Bridgehampton Raceway.
Looking northeast towards Noyack Bay, Short Bay, Noyack, Bay Point and Sag Harbor.
Property is now a golf course, The Bridge Golf Club.

mystery photo #33 looks like bridgehampton race track in noyac

The Bridge Golf Club, former site of Bridgehampton Race Circuit (bottom center in attached photo)

Bridgehampton race circuit on the south side looking north year 1948 ot 1949. The bridge golf course in there now.

*Bridgehampton Long Island, looking east.
*Bridgehampton Race Circuit, Millstone corner.
*1957
*A GOLF COURSE!!

Greg, We are looking at the soon to be opened Bridgehampton Race Track mid 1957. The view is to the northeast toward North Haven. Became a residential building development after the Track closed.

In the air over Noyac looking at the Bridgehampton Race Course (Currently The Bridge Golf Club) probably 1958.

Bridgehampton Race Circuit, Suffolk County looking NE. Today it’s The Bridge Golf Club. Photo taken sometime between 1981 and 2002 when the golf club opened

Photo is dated between 1999-2002, closer to 1999

Delivered mail to Janet Guthrie in Great Neck in the 60’s, always had a little sports car out front, nice lady. Also met Dan Gurney , he came down to a slot car meet at a local hobby shop in Great Neck, spent a few hours racing borrowed slot cars, nice easy going guy. No air about them , two regular people.

Might be Doctor Thompson’s Corvette

Didn’t have time to become involved with this Mystery, but I’ll leave a screenshot of a map like seen above. The only difference with this map is that a Potter’s Field is shown where Parking Lot 3 is noted on the other maps. There must be a very old burial area there, encountered when developing the raceway.

Nice job with your maps just above, Frank.

Nice catch Brian, that’s another encounter of a “Potters Field” in the NY(C) area. I suspect there were more throughout the city and the suburbs, all ultimately resting at Hart’s Island in the East River.

Link to the 1957 Bridgehampton Race Circuit Inauguration video, courtesy of The Bridge      

https://youtu.be/UnT4d_Mt6kg

Some additional Bridgehampton info: my Dad, Walt Luftman raced there at the beginning. In 1964 He was racing nose to tail in a Ferrari GTO prototype with Frank Dominiani’s Corvette when Frank put a wheel off and a rock shattered the Ferrari’s windshield. Dad came in and Walt Hansgen handed him some goggles and he set off again, well back. Some days later this hand painted rock arrived from Frank. I still have it!
Dad’s last race at the Bridge was the next year in a Series II GTO in the Vanderbilt Cup race but a broken wheel put him out. The car, now restored and repaired is back in the Hamptons owned by Aaron Hsu. I first raced at the Bridge in an Alfa in 1968 and last ran there in 1996 finishing 3rd in A Sedan in a Camaro.

One more…Just before the wheel broke…

If memory serves me well, the strait was about a mile long, leading to a diving down hill turn with a descending radius. Can Am cars achieved top speed of over 160 mph. Walt Hangen termed this the turn that separated the men from the boys.

Howard, a lot of great stories about Bridgehampton, most of them true, and good memories. In 1970, a group of three, Bob Bochroch, Dick Gary and me, -took over management. We were called Bridgehampton Racing Group, our first big race in 1971 was an IMSA event, one of the first, which was won by Hurley Haywood and Peter Gregg. We ran the track until 1984, with Bill Conlon replacing Dick, who left for California. We replaced the CanAm and TransAm with IMSA, Formula Atlantic, SCCA and EMRA and other clubs, motorcycles and whatever we could get to fill out the calendar. It’s nice Rubin is commemorating the track, but a golf course was never in our plans; it was better as a race course. (I didn’t enter the contest; it would have been cheating.)
Thanks for raising the memories!

One additional comment on Janet Guthrie: - -I gave her a ride from the city to Bridgehampton one year for an International Motor Press Guild test day at the track. She was personable, intelligent, a great passenger and an honor for me to meet her.

By the way, Rubin took over the track in about 1985 or 6. Bill Conlon and I ran it through 1984, then turned it over to Hank Chapman. (I had gone overseas in 1983, Bill couldn’t handle it past 1984; he was Dean of Fine Arts at Fordham, a little busy.