Bahamas Speed Week

First held in 1954 on the Windsor Field Road Course in Nassau, the inaugural event was titled as the Nassau Trophy Road Races.[1] [2] Masten Gregory won the main race, the Nassau Trophy, in a Ferrari 375 MM.[1] The 1956 meeting was promoted as the Third Annual International Bahamas Speed Week.[3] 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.[4]

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.[5]

The success of the Bahamas Speed Week led to the creation of other events in the Caribbean, like the Cuban Grand Prix and the Puerto Rico Grand Prix.

A Ferrari 857 S, similar to the example driven to victory by Phil Hill in the 1955 Nassau Trophy

Hap Sharp and Roger Penske won the 1964 Nassau Trophy driving the Chaparral 2A. Sharp also won the 1965 race in the same car.

The following table lists the winners of the Nassau Trophy, the feature race at each of the 13 Speed Week meetings.

• 
  Windsor Field (1954-1956)
• 
  Oakes Field (1957)
• 
  Oakes Field (1958-1966)

Lineup of main contenders in the 2011 Bahamas Speed Week Revival. In the foreground Stirling Moss in his Morelli-bodied O.S.C.A. FS 372.

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.[5]

• Official website