THE BRIDGES FAMILY OF AIRBORNE SPEEDWAY

 

 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine
Danny Bridges with what must be his first car - or at least a very early one.

           Around 1966, of my racing friends decided to take in a race at Plattsburgh's Airborne Park Speedway. It would turn out to be the only race I ever saw there until I began traveling regularly there with the Beaver Dragon race effort in 1972.For  some reason, the coupes did not leave a lasting impression on me from that day. Odd, in view of the fact that I was used to seeing good coupe racing at that time. Instead, what I remember most is the track's late models - and one of those was a big old '57 Ford #2.

            That turned out to be Danny Bridges, a man so closely interlocked with the life of the track that his residence was scant yards down the road from the track itself. What I didn't know then that Dan, a lifelong shoestring racer, was a second generation star at Airborne. In fact, his father - George - had raced there a decade before and - in view of his very long career - may have been driving something there the day we attended in the mid '60's.

            I have always felt people like Danny and his father deserve to have pages of their own because, like Red Meade at Catamount, Ted Brown at Claremont, and so many others like them - they were the heart and soul of their race tracks.

GEORGE BRIDGES


Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of Mike Watts
The classic photo most
people see of George,
from the late '50's.

Bob Mackey Photo
From Outside Groove

George is seen in this field
at Airborne's unique ice races.

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of Mike Watts
George, winning a
race at the 1958
ice race program.
 

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of John Rock
and Bobby Castine

George, receiving a
trophy from Vic
Wolfe.

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of CJ Richards
George, wi
th the McGee /
Bridges car, MB1.

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of John Rock
George avoids a spinning
car at Airborne in the
late 1950's.
   
Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of John Rock
George, winning one of the
Airborne "ice races".
 
Bridges Family Collection
A color shot  [somewhat blurry]
of George in later years.
   

DANNY BRIDGES


Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of Mike Watts
One of the first shots
of Danny, from
the early '50's.

Bob Mackey Photo
From Outside Groove

Danny looks over a
midget during a 1960's
Airborne show.

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy John Rock
& Bobby Castine

Danny receiving a
trophy at 1964
Airborne banquet -
from Mr. Broderick.
 

Courtesy of Steve Pecor
With his well - used, but fast
little Fairlane 500 at Catamount.
A contrast is Bob Giroux's
well - financed Bank Americard/
Howard Bank car in the
background. This is well after the
Keeseville Bank withdrew.

Courtesy of Andy Boright
Danny sits out what appears to be some carnage at Catamount in 1971. He hasn't painted and lettered the
Fairlane yet.
 
Courtesy of Dan Nolin
On the starting grid at
Catamount. The car is now
 painted, but he doesn't yet
have the Keeseville
Bank sponsorship.
 
Ladabouche Photo
Arriving at Catamount with new
bodywork and the Keeseville
National Bank sponsorship.
This was the high water mark
for Bridges, in terms of having
a budget to race with.
 
Ladabouche Photo
Another KNB arrival shot.
Notice the 2 is different - more like
the one above when he first
painted the car. I believe this is
before the one on the left,which
may have been after a wreck
had been repaired.
 
Ladabouche Collection
Another color shot of the
original KNB lettering. Below -
Same car - Devil's Bowl.

Ladabouche Collection

Ladabouche Collection
Another variation -  the second
car with that other style 2 -
but no KNB graphics. May have been awaiting the sign painter. Looks like he
has three feature wins here.

 
 
Ladabouche Photo
Massachusetts tire dealer ra n a
car eerily similar to that of
Bridges. One week, both cars were
repainted and unlettered.
There was chaos among the
scorers.
 
Courtesy of Bobby Castine
Another late model Dan
built after the Fairlane
500 could go on no longer.

From Justin St. Louis
An ACT car he once ran
around 1992.
 
Courtesy of Phil Butler
One of his earliest cars.
 
Burlington Free Press Photo
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Another shot of that first
little Fairlane - before the
KNB sponsorship.
 
Burlington Free Press Photo
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Maybe the Milk Bowl win
helped him attract the KNB
support.
 
Burlington Free Press Photo
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Victory Lane at the Milk Bowl.
 
Burlington Free Press Photo
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
A shot of the 1972 version
of the Fairlane, with KNB
graphics.


Courtesy of Ray Lasnier
A big win at Catamount - likely before the KNB era.

 
Bob Bruno Collection
1976 Champ

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