Bahamas Speed Week


The Bahamas Speed Week was an annual motor racing meeting held at Nassau in The Bahamas from 1954 to 1966.

History

First held in 1954 on the Windsor Field Road Course in Nassau, the inaugural event was titled as the Nassau Trophy Road Races. Masten Gregory won the main race, the Nassau Trophy, in a Ferrari 375 MM. The 1956 meeting was promoted as the Third Annual International Bahamas Speed Week. For 1957, the meeting was moved to another airfield location, the Oakes Course, which was closer to the main population areas on the island.
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.

Nassau Trophy

The following table lists the winners of the Nassau Trophy, the feature race at each of the 13 Speed Week meetings.
YearWinning driverCar
1954Masten GregoryFerrari 375 MM
1955Phil HillFerrari 857 S
1956Stirling MossMaserati 300S
1957Stirling MossFerrari 290 MM
1958Lance Reventlow,
Chuck Daigh
Scarab Mk I Chevrolet
1959George ConstantineAston Martin DBR2/420
1960Dan GurneyLotus 19 Coventry Climax
1961Dan GurneyLotus 19 Coventry Climax
1962Innes IrelandLotus 19 Coventry Climax
1963A. J. FoytScarab Mk IV Chevrolet
1964Hap Sharp,
Roger Penske
Chaparral 2A Chevrolet
1965Hap SharpChaparral 2A Chevrolet
1966Mark DonohueLola T70 Mk.2 Chevrolet

Bahamas Speed Week Revival

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 a time trials format.