3 replies to this topic

[dangermouse]

Lou has now given us the full release version. You can find it HERE

This is what he has to say for himself:

Bridgehampton is complete. After literally years in the making, and meticulous attention to racing experience detail, the Bridgehampton Road Racing circuit is done.

The full version final release contains all original 16-bit texture mapping. Eric Bourgouin, Paul Jackson, and Peter Forster are all working on post-release graphics packages.

Edited by dangermouse, Jun 11 2004 - 09:55 AM.

[pirenzo]

Bridgehampton - An Appreciation -  by Steve Smith:
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Bridgehampton was probably the greatest of all the post-war U.S. tracks.  Its only competition: Riverside (the Esses and Turn Six were fabulous; the rest of the track was a bore), Elkhart Lake (beautiful...but little more than drag races between bog-simple corners), Road Atlanta (a great circuit...until the Can-Am cars started doing back flips--"blowovers"--and they had to emasculate it), Lime Rock (another beautiful setting, but a one- or two-gear track), and the pre-Boot Watkins Glen (gorgeous, but with only a handful of turns).

"The Bridge," built in 1957 after road racing was kicked off NY's public highways, was a lot like Zandvoort--a very fast, challenging circuit draped over sand dunes with a lovely view of the sea.  Not that drivers spent much time admiring the view.  There were 13 turns in six groups (the two downhills, the run down into Echo Valley, climbing the hill behind the pits, the long series of downhill asymmetrical lefts, the climbing hairpin, the the last two turns before the uphill straight), and you were busy every minute of every lap.

Bridgehampton separated the real racers from the wannabes.  I stood in awe as Walt Hansgen, in John Mecom's rear-engined Scarab, swept over the hill at the end of the straight without lifting and with a faint flick of the wrist, arrowed through the first two downhill turns in an impeccable arc that brought him to the very edge of the pavement...and within millimeters of the line he'd carved there the lap before.

I also watched Ken Miles, Bob Holbert and Bob Bondurant in 427 Cobras powerslide up the hill behind the pits and bellow down the other side in a formation as tight as the Blue Angels.  (And watched Cale Yarborough, Lee Roy Yarbrough and Richard Petty repeat the stunt in thundering stock cars.)  And watched an unflappable Jim Hall gun the first of the winged Chapparals up the climbing hairpin without a trace of wheelspin.  And watched John Fitch and Bob Grossman put 25 hours on one of Briggs Cunningham's 1960 Corvettes destined for Le Mans.

I tried to master the course myself (I did hundreds of laps there in street cars testing for Car and Driver, a lot more laps in an EP Porsche Speedster in SCCA races, and a few laps in a Formula Atlantic), but neither I nor any of the other legions of amateur racers ever came close to the mastery and grace of the really great drivers who prevailed there.  It's like riding a horse: anybody can do it, but few can do it well.

After literally years in the making, Lou Magyar (whose Norisring is a classic) has finally released his recreation of "The Bridge," and it's as close to the real deal as any track in GPL.  As my friend John said in another context, "It is as it was."

--Steve Smith

  

[Fast Tommi]

Great Track. Thank You Lou    

  tommi

[Andy77]

yeah thank you very much Lou    

sorry for not getting ready it yet , but it´s in fine tuning stage now.  
for the other things , i´m in holidays now so if you need my help somewhere i´ll be there