TheBahamas Speed Week was an annual motor racing meeting held atNassau inThe Bahamas from 1954 to 1966.[1]
First held in 1954 on the Windsor Field Road Course in Nassau, the inaugural event was titled as theNassau Trophy Road Races.[2][3]Masten Gregory won the main race, the Nassau Trophy, in aFerrari 375 MM.[2] The 1956 meeting was promoted as the Third Annual International Bahamas Speed Week.[4] For 1957, the meeting was moved to another airfield location, the 5-mile (8.0 km) anti-clockwise Oakes Field Course, which was closer to the main population areas on the island. For 1958 onwards, the circuit was shortened to 4.5-mile (7.2 km) and the circuit was run in clockwise direction.[5]
Due to needed track repairs and the lack of additional funding by the Bahamian government, as well as competition from more races running in December, the event was discontinued after the 1966 edition.[6]
The success of the Bahamas Speed Week led to the creation of other events in the Caribbean, like theCuban Grand Prix and thePuerto Rico Grand Prix.[citation needed]
The following table lists the winners of the Nassau Trophy, the feature race at each of the 13 Speed Week meetings.
Since 2011 the Bahamas Speed Week Revival has taken place along the beach at Nassau and down from the harbor. Cars range from vintage racers to new vehicles that now race in atime trials format.[6]
The First Speed Week Revival covered five days and included a Revival Island Tour, Street Course Demonstration, Drag Racing, Concours d’Elegance, Road Show, Fashion Show and Charity Ball.[8]
