Bridgehamton

brucesallen · Post by **brucesallen** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:07 pm

Who among you were with me and COM the last year (1996) that the track was open? Got bumps?
http://youtube.com/watch_fullscreen?vid ... dgehampton 1995

cuda6666 · Post by **cuda6666** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:05 pm

That track always scared the sh*t out of me. I think I got a 1:49 one year, but the records are no longer available, I guess. The bumps were so bad that I had to learn left foot braking as a survival technique. If I tried to use the right foot, it would sometimes get launched up under the dash when I was trying to move it from the gas to the brake

Thanks for posting.

BTW, was that you driving?

Subaru Legacy GT #716
Plymouth Barracuda #67

"Track time is my enemy"

Mark Swinehart · Post by **Mark Swinehart** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:19 pm

Frank -

http://www.comscc.org/records2.htm

cuda6666 · Post by **cuda6666** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:34 pm

Thanks Mark,

What I meant was that the records don't go back before 1995.
Also, as I remember, that track allowed us to clock some pretty impressive speeds down the front straight.

rnoonan · Post by **rnoonan** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:48 pm

I was there! The last year was actually 1997, and our last event there was a joint venture with EMRA. I actually set the SSB lap record at that event, never to be broken

, though it was 0.2 second slower than John Parent's SSC lap time

. Man, that guy could drive! Despite the bumps and the dusty sand, I really miss Bridgehampton. Turn One separated the racers from the wannabes, and sometimes separated parts of race cars. (In particular, I remember one non-COMSCC Porsche Targa that ended up looking like a pretzel.) Frank, I also remember that at one of the last few events we set up the radar gun near start/finish so that we could see how fast people were going on the main straight. You and a guy in a Porsche Turbo were the fastest - I can't remember which one of you was doing 141 mph, and which was doing 142.

Lots of great memories of that track, and a few not so great (e.g. Pete Polli's and Kathy Demers' endos in the Valley of the Lefts - thank goodness neither of them were seriously injured). One of my treasured photos is of me with my MR2 and my baby daughter in the paddock at that 1997 event.

BrakeL8r · Post by **BrakeL8r** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:00 pm

Bummer -- the link doesn't seem to work for me. It comes up with a YouTube "Loading..." screen, and never does anything.

--Michael
ST4 Miata #176

boltonite · Post by **boltonite** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:25 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjRyFotFR9c

BrakeL8r · Post by **BrakeL8r** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:37 pm

Bumps? Heh heh. Looks like there's a BobbleHead sitting in the passenger seat.

therooster · Post by **therooster** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 2:56 am

I never got to drive the great track, but I worked many events. The mid July event was always a fav. I remember working thru a hurricane one year. I remember the tent cities, inflatable pools, cookouts(kegs) and the beach parties. I also tried to convince a friend to let me borrow his diesel rabbit (I was up to buying him a helmet, entry fee for him at the school and I think the fuel at the event) that was not sold out to no avail.

I also seem to remember the very fast Cuda. The number that sticks in my head is 150 but it maybe plus/minus a few.

Chris A

brucesallen · Post by **brucesallen** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 1:42 pm

cuda6666 wrote:
BTW, was that you driving?

No, Frank, that was not me- you should know better. Me was the 86 RX7 with the 11,000 rpm bridge ported (for the "Bridge") 90 engine.
I got the link from the Apexspeed formula car forum.

The Porshe Ruf Turbo was owned by Taku who had just gotten the engine back from Germany with a $50,000 upgrade so that he could beat Frank's $3,500 brand new price 'Cuda. unofficial contest was top speed under the bridge. Taku 146, Frank 149. And then came the corner!

95 was the hurricane. We drove right through the eye. The right side of the straight had 6 inches of water. Don't go there. I had a tent. Also 6 inches of water. I bunked in a motel with Frank instead.

Then there was the year that Frank blew his engine at the Bridge and Sharon Morgan lent her truck and trailer to Frank who drove all night to get the Cuda to Peterboro and get back for Sharon to tow home.

Then there was my first year at the Bridge (92?) and Sharon said she would show me the line. I jumped in her car and it did not matter that the track was closed and people were walking it. She went flat out around the course. Slolamed around the walkers. Those were the good days.

mhiggins · Post by **mhiggins** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:18 pm

I was there in 95/96 or 96/97 canâ€™t remember with my maroon Vett. One year was hurricane Beth and the other we had temps in the paddocks over 100 degrees. I remember Frank just switched to a manual steering rack in the Cuda, the Iron dragon roll over at the end of the valley of the lefts and Taku the Frisbee sleeping in his running truck with the AC on all night. What a great track that was. I have some photos that I can post after the weekend.

Mike

SPA Mustang #270

cuda6666 · Post by **cuda6666** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:46 pm

I guess this is now officially the "old fogey" thread

Fun to remember, though.

mhiggins · Post by **mhiggins** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:57 pm

I hope 36 is not on the â€œFogey listâ€

cuda6666 · Post by **cuda6666** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 12:19 am

No offence, Mike. I think what I meant was that this is the only string I've seen recently where one of the "Subie Guys" didn't have something to say

brucesallen · Post by **brucesallen** » Sat Dec 23, 2006 1:41 pm

cuda6666 wrote:No offence, Mike. I think what I meant was that this is the only string I've seen recently where one of the "Subie Guys" didn't have something to say

All hail rear wheel drive!

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link to bridgehampton youtube video

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