Nassau Speed Week was an annual festival of motorsport, held in Nassau in the Bahamas, between 1954 and 1966. It was traditionally held during the off-season. It was organised by Red Crise and Sydney Oakes, the millionaire president of the Bahamas motorsport association, and a sometime racer. Although it was never part of any official championship, it attracted large entry lists, which included the big names of the era. Stirling Moss, Masten Gregory, Alfonso de Portago, and other stars of the international racing scene, were regular entrants. This was due to its generous prize fund and starting money, provided by a Bahamian government subsidy. The rest of the field tended to comprise of American drivers in the higher echelons of national racing, plus a few local racers.
Most of the races were for sports and production vehicles, but there were also some single-seater events. The results for these are harder to track down than the sportscar results. There was no actual Speed Week overall championship, but the Nassau Trophy was its blue-riband event.
Women drivers were initially welcome, and some years, dedicated ladies’ races were held. As with their male counterparts, the Nassau lady competitors tended to be a mix of international professionals, such as Denise McCluggage, and mainly US-based club racers, often competing alongside their husbands. After 1960, female participation reduces drastically.
Early on, one of these ladies was Greta Oakes. She was the wife of Sydney Oakes, and the two had previously competed in international sportscar events together. She drove at Speed Week even after the couple divorced in 1956.
After 1957, Speed Week itself was held on the Oakes family’s own track, the Oakes Course. Its previous home was Windsor Airfield.
Nassau Speed Week ended in 1966, in large part due to the death of Sydney Oakes in a road traffic accident earlier in the year.
Below is a preliminary list of women competitors at Nassau Speed Week, by year. Results of the Ladies’ Races will be published later.
1954
Nassau Speed Trials
Mrs J. Bird (Jaguar XK120) - 4th
Greta Oakes (Austin-Healey 100M) - 10th
Production Car race
Greta Oakes (Austin-Healey 100M) - 4th
1955
Governor’s Trophy
Isabelle Haskell (Maserati 150S) - 16th
Marion Lowe (Frazer Nash Targa Florio) - 31st
Local Residents’ Race
Ruth Ballard (Jaguar XK120) - 4th
Greta Oakes (Austin-Healey 100) - DNF
Nassau Trophy
Isabelle Haskell (Maserati 150S) - 21st
1956
Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc)
Marion Lowe (Frazer Nash Targa Florio) - 31st
Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 35th
Local Residents - Race 1
Greta Oakes (Porsche 356A Speedster) - 8th
Local Residents - Race 2
Greta Oakes (Porsche 356A Speedster) - 4th
Preliminary Nassau Trophy (under 2000cc)
Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 18th
Marion Lowe (Frazer Nash Targa Florio) - final position not known
Nassau Trophy Consolation Race
Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - DNF
Nassau Trophy
Marion Lowe (Frazer Nash Targa Florio) - 29th
1957
Nassau Memorial GT Race
Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 7th
Nassau Memorial Trophy
Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550) - 9th
Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 20th
Ruth Luedeke (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) - 26th
Nassau TT
Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550) - 9th
Jean Speidel (Porsche 550A RS Spyder) - 13th
Preliminary Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc)
Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550) - 6th
Isabelle Haskell (Osca S1500) - 13th
Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 15th
Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc)
Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550) - 4th
Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 18th
Ruth Luedeke (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) - 28th
AC Bristol & Austin-Healey Race
Evelyn Mull (AC Ace) - 2nd
Porsche Race
Denise McCluggage (Porsche 550A RS Spyder) - 4th
1958
Nassau Berkeley Race
Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE328) - 3rd
Greta Oakes (Berkeley SE328) - 6th
Marie Kelly (Berkeley SE328) - 7th
A. Goodfellow (Berkeley SE328) - 8th
Governor’s Trophy
Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven) - result not known
Bahamas Cup
Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE328) - DNF
Nassau Locals Race
Gladys Cam (Berkeley SE328) - DNF
Greta Oakes (Austin-Healey 100) - DNF
Nassau Trophy
Marion Lowe/Denise McCluggage (Lotus Eleven) - 9th (class win)
1959
Preliminary Governor’s Trophy (over 2000cc heat)
Josie von Neumann (Ferrari 250 TR 58) - 16th
Preliminary Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc heat)
Denise McCluggage (Osca S750) - 13th
Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven) - 17th
Governor’s Trophy (over 2000cc)
Josie von Neumann (Ferrari 250 TR 58) - 16th
Governor’s Trophy (under 2000cc)
Denise McCluggage (Osca S750) - 17th
Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven) - 34th
Locals’ Race
Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite) - 10th
Austin-Healey & Locals’ Race
Heather Bethell (Austin Healey Sprite) - not classified
Ferrari Classics
Josie von Neumann (Ferrari 250 TR 58) - 5th
Nassau Trophy
Josie von Neumann (Ferrari 250 TR 58) - 18th
Denise McCluggage (Osca S750) - 27th
Marion Lowe (Lotus Eleven) - 38th
1960
Nassau Locals Race 2
Heather Bethell (Austin-Healey 100-6) - 3rd
Bahamas Cup
Heather Bethell (Austin-Healey 100-6) - 4th
1961
Preliminary Governor's Trophy (under 2000cc)
Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven) - 6th
Bahamas Cup
Lou Moseley (Porsche 356 Carrera) - 6th
Locals Race
Lou Moseley (Porsche 356 Carrera) - 13th
Provisonal Governor’s Trophy (+2000cc)
Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven) - result not known
Provisional Governor’s Trophy (2000cc)
Prudence Baxter (Lotus Eleven) - result not known (class win)
Governor’s Trophy
Susan Baron (Lotus Seven) - 23rd
1962
Bahamas Cup
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 6th
Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000) - 18th
Nassau Porsche & Alfa Romeo Race
Joanne Gambal (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) - 8th
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - result not known
Nassau Locals Race 1
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 5th
Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000) - 6th
Nassau Locals Race 2
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 6th
Heather Meyers (Austin-Healey 3000) - 21st
Nassau TT
Joanne Gambal (Alfa Romeo Giulietta) - 36th
1963
No women drivers entered.
1964
No women drivers entered.
1965
Locals - Heat 1
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 3rd
Locals - Heat 2
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 3rd
Porsche Challenge Race
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 6th
Bahamas Cup
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B Carrera) - 4th
1966
Governor’s Trophy & Nassau TT
Anita Taylor (Shelby Mustang 350GT) - 24th
Bahamas Cup
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B) - 2nd
Nassau Trophy
Anita Taylor (Shelby Mustang 350GT) - 15th
Locals Race 1
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B) - 2nd
Locals Race 2
Patsy Kennedy (Porsche 356B) - 3rd
(Image copyright Getty Images)
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