Vintage Automobile Exposition and Rally in Bridgehampton, Dining at Southampton Publick House

Vintage Automobile Exposition and Rally in Bridgehampton, Dining at the Southampton Publick House and an interview with Michael Wudyka at the East Hampton Studio

(Long Island, N.Y.) On Saturday, October 2, the Bridgehampton Racing Heritage Group hosted an exhibit and celebration of motorsports dedicated to the world famous Bridgehampton Race Circuit a venue for countless classic competitions between 1957 and 1997.

This year’s event included many special vintage motor cars such as Trans-A cars from the Detroit manufacturers, sports-racers and open wheel racecars that were among the fastest vehicles on Earth plus cars from the dawn of motoring that converged on the grounds of the Bridgehampton Historical Society.

The celebration featured the annual Vintage Automobile Exposition and Rally held over local roads and at the Historical Society in the heart of Bridgehampton on Main Street.

Professional race car drivers, organizers, flaggers, fans and race car enthusiast that made Bridgehampton a special place for sports car racing since the dawn of the 20th Century came to give their support.

Race car enthusiasts re-lived the thrill of racing at Bridgehampton as high tuned engines again echoed through the village.

I had the chance to interview Historian Howard Kroplick from East Hills, New York who is the proud owner of a 1909 Alco-6 Racer. Mr. Kroplick purchased the car from a Brussels, Belgium vintage car dealer. Stu Laidlaw of Redding, Connecticut reconditioned the car and engine to make it safer, drivable and representative of its 1909-1911 racing form.

Mr. Howard Kroplick has lived on Long Island for his entire life. He has lectured extensively on the Vanderbilt Cup Races and is a research volunteer at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. Howard is a member of the Vanderbilt Cup Race Centennial Committee and the Long Island Motor Parkway Panel. His exhibits on the Vanderbilt Cup Races have been shown at various Long Island Museums including the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, the Cradle of Aviation, and the Nassau County Museum of Art.

Over the last six years Howard has collected 20,000 images of the Vanderbilt Cup Races and has accumulated an extensive collection of racing memorabilia. His first book, Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island, was published in February 2008 and dedicated to his wife Roz and their daughters Deborah and Dana. His second book, The Long Island Motor Parkway, was published in September 2008 and co-authored with Al Velocci. In December 2008 Howard purchased the restored 1909 Alco-6 Black Beast Racer that won the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races and participated in the first Indy 500 Race in 1911.

When not pursuing racing history in his spare time, Howard is the Chairman Emeritus of The Impact Group, a Manhattan-based medical communications company. He obtained an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of engineering degree from Stony Brook University. Howard and Roz have been honored by CAPS (Child Abuse Prevention Services) with the 2007 John Davis Memorial Award in recognition of their commitment to child abuse prevention. He is also on the Executive Board of Directors of the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center in East Hills, New York.

In addition to the 1909 Alco-6 Racer, Howard is the proud owner of a 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350H, which has participated in six Vanderbilt Centennial Celebrations (2004-2009), a 2006 Shelby GTH, a 2007 Shelby Mustang GT500 and a Segway.

For more information please visit bridgehamptonhistoricalsociety.org and for more info on the Vanderbilt Cup Races please visit www.vanderbiltcupraces.com.

October is a fabulous time in the Hamptons with the Hamptons Film Festival approaching. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton. During this time many hotels, inns and restaurants are busy entertaining actors, directors, and filmmakers. One such fabulous restaurant to experience during this time is the Southampton Publick House in Southampton, New York.

The Southampton Publick House is a famous landmark for beer. Since the 1800’s beer has been created and served in the Publick House’s previous incarnations as a speakeasy, watering hole and restaurant.

During Prohibition, on the site where Southampton Publick House now stands, the original proprietors operated a proper restaurant while hiding a speakeasy in the exterior. The restaurant served smuggled spirits and beer. Thirsty restaurant patrons would disappear for a short time while returning with a much rosier disposition.

Over the years, legendary figures of the 1920s like Babe Ruth, Clark Gable and Gary Cooper mingled right in with the regulars.

Mr. Don Sullivan bought the historic building with the goal of adding a brewery to honor the rich beer tradition of the owners and patrons who came before him. The Southampton Publick House was reborn in 1996 and began serving great food and superior quality craft brews in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Sullivan while dining on a feast of delicious appetizers and signature dishes including Pulled Pork Sandwich served with house slaw and Irish Nachos consisting of Sweet potato and cottage fries topped with pico de gallo, scallions and sour cream. I also enjoyed the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna served with wakime seaweed salad and soy glaze and BBQ Baby Back Ribs. These tender barbecued ribs are served with golden brown french fries.

The Southampton Publick House is The East End’s first microbrewery restaurant offering Long Island’s finest casual dining and handcrafted micro brewed ales and lagers. I enjoyed a glass of their Oktoberfest Beer and at the moment the Southampton Pumpkin Ale is available. This unique brew has particular appeal during the autumn months and the holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pumpkin ales have their origins in the colonial days of America when malted barley was not always available in sufficient quantities to brewers. In those days, resourceful brewers would seek out a secondary source of starch mainly pumpkins as a substitute for barley malt. The pumpkin would contribute some fermentable sugars as well as a distinct flavor. The Southampton Publick House Brewery uses a generous amount of pumpkin as well as traditional “pumpkin pie” spices to give this unusual brew a definite seasonal character.

I recommend the Southampton Publick House as the perfect choice for dining during the Hamptons Film Festival. The 18th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival will take place October 7-11, 2010. For more information please visit www.publick.com.

Another choice would be to stay at the Enclave Inn. Owned by Michael Wudyka, the Enclave Inn is located in the heart of the Hamptons. The Enclave Inn captures a feeling of retreat and comfort that typifies what travelers to the Hamptons have sought for decades.

The Enclave Inn offers guests an extremely pristine and private base from which to enjoy all the pleasures found on the East End of Long Island. Considered by many, the Malibu of the East, the Hamptons have some of the world’s finest white sand beaches, extraordinary antiquing, golf courses, tennis, biking, dining, fishing and water activities. The Enclave Inn is only minutes away from the Atlantic Ocean with five prime locations in Bridgehampton, Southampton and Wainscott, Shinnecock and Southhampton College. Presently Mr. Wudyka owns the East Hampton Studio. The East Hampton Studio is Located in the heart of the Hamptons next to East Hampton Airport. The studio is a New York State approved film, TV and commercial incentive location. It features a 31,000 sq foot soundstage, 46 foot ceilings, large overhead doors and state of the art a/c, heat and soundproofing. The perfect location to film your next movie, commercial or TV show.

Every year over 250 feature films are shot in New York State. New York is the location of choice for the world’s greatest creative talent to live, work and play. Whether they work in front of or behind the camera, industry stars love to leave home or stay home to shoot in New York.

In addition to owning East Hampton Studio and the Enclave Inn, Michael Wudyka now hosts “Michael Wudyka’s Real Life In the Hamptons” TV show on WVVH TV in New York. Michael has been featured in countless media and is a regular guest on Fox and Fox Business. He is also a devoted father and is committed to his two sons, family and friends.

For more information please visit www.easthamptonstudio.com and www.enclaveinn.com