Bridgehampton Race Circuit
| Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sag Harbor, New York, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°58′48″N 72°20′28″W / 40.98000°N 72.34111°WCoordinates: 40°58′48″N 72°20′28″W / 40.98000°N 72.34111°W |
| Opened | 1957 |
| Closed | 1998 |
| Length | 2.85 mi (4.95 km) |
| Turns | 12 |
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. 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. From its opening day to the mid 90's the AMA (Championship Cup Series in the 90's) hosted events twice a month and was a favorite to many motorcycle road racers. The track closed permanently in 1998.
Bridgehampton was renowned as a fearsome course, requiring the utmost of driver skill.
The first road races in Bridgehampton were held on public roads around the hamlet of Bridgehampton from 1915 until 1921. The course ran counterclockwise on an approximately 3-mile (4.8-km) rectangle, beginning on Montauk Highway, then turning left onto Halsey Lane, left onto Pauls Lane, left onto Ocean Boulevard, and left back onto Montauk Highway.
The races were revived in 1949, utilizing a 4-mile (6.4-km) circuit adjacent to the pre-war circuit in Bridgehampton and Sagaponack. It ran clockwise beginning on Ocean Road, turning right onto Sagaponack Road, right onto Sagaponack Main Street, right onto Bridge Lane, and right back onto Ocean Road. The races proved successful, and joined the SCCA National Sports Car Championship when it was created in 1951. The road races came to an end in 1953, after a driver was killed in practice and three spectators injured during the race. These events, combined with a spectator death in a crash at Watkins Glen in 1952, led the State of New York to ban racing on public roads.
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