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Bob Wilder
 
Complete name: Robert John Wilder, Jr.
Birth date: 06.Jan.1921
Birth Place: Palmer, Hampden County, MA, United States
Death date: 22.May.1953
Death Place: Bridgehampton, Suffolk County, Long Island, NY, United States
Nationality: United States
Gender: male
Age at death: 32
 
Event date: 22.May.1953
Series: Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) regional race
Race: Fifth Annual Bridgehampton Cup Sports Car Races
Event type: practice
Country: United States (New York)
Venue: Bridgehampton
Variant: 4.0-mile (6.44-kilometer) road course on public roads (1949-1953)
 
Role: driver
Vehicle type: car
Vehicle sub-type: sportscar
Vehicle brand/model: Allard J2X - Oldsmobile
Vehicle number: 3
 

Notes:
During Friday practice for the Fifth Annual Bridgehampton Cup Sports Car Races, while negotiating a hump-backed bridge at Bridgehampton circuit, Long Island, New York, Bob Wilder was fatally injured when he lost control of his car and crashed. He was at the wheel of the Edgar DeMeyer's Allard J2X - Oldsmobile Le Mans which was entered in the sportscar over 1500 cm3 class race. Wilder was strapped in, wearing a seat belt, but suffered head injuries.

Bob Wilder was a resident of Palmer, Massachusetts, United States. His citizenship was erroneously reported by different accounts as Canadian.

Officials of the Sports Car Club of America immediately stopped the practice session after the accident. The following day more than 35,000 spectators lined the track. The crowd became more restless and the track was cleared several times for the final race to start. A number of accidents marred the meeting. On the seventh lap of the featured 100-mile event, the Jaguar C-Type driven by Harry Gray went out of control rounding a turn, running into a crowd of people. Several spectators were injured, three of them were in critical condition. The event was abandoned and no results were declared. Bill Spear in a Ferrari was leading at the moment of the stop.

These accidents determined the end of the 4.0-mile Bridgehampton road course near New York City. A new track, named "Bridgehampton Race Circuit" and located near Sag Harbor was built in 1957.
 
Sources:
  • 1920 United States Federal Census.
  • 1930 United States Federal Census.
  • 1940 United States Federal Census.
  • U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946.
  • U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1935-1963,
  • Massachusetts, Birth Index, 1901-1960 and 1967-1970.
  • Book "Walt Hansgen - His Life and the History of Post-War American Road Racing", by Michael Argetsinger, © 2006 by Michael Argetsinger and David Bull Publishing, 4250 East Camelback Road, Suite K150, Phoenix, AZ 85018, ISBN: 1 893618 54 4, pages 44 and 48.
  • Book "Lost Race Tracks - Treasures of Automobile Racing", by Gordon Eliot White, Iconografix, Hudson, WI, United States, ISBN 1-58388-084-4, 2002.
  • Book "The History of America's Speedways - Past & Present", by Allan E. Brown, third edition, first printing, November 2003, ISBN 0-931105-61-7; America's Speedways, C/o National Speedway Directory, 909 Seneca Road, Wilmette, IL, United States, 60091; 847-853-0294, page 478.
  • Book "The Tribute Project", edited by Ed Watson, 1997, page 41, contributions by Norman F. Wagner and Ed Watson.
  • Magazine Speed Age, issue of June 1954, pages 52/54.
  • Newspaper The New York Times (New York City, NY, United States), issue of Saturday, 23 May 1953, page ?, Special to The New York Times, article "Long Island Spill Kills Race Driver", by Frank M. Blunk.
  • Newspaper "The Lowell Sun" (Lowell, MA, United States), issue of Saturday, 23 May 1953, page 7, International News Service, article "Sport Car Racer Killed".
  • Newspaper The Era (Bradford, PA, United States), issue of Saturday, 23 May 1953, page 11, Associated Press wire service, article "Bob Wiler(sic), Race Driver, Is Killed".
  • Newspaper "The Long Beach Independent" (Long Beach, CA, United States), issue of Saturday, 23 May 1953, page 13, Associated Press wire service, article "Driver Killed in Tuneup Run".
  • Newspaper "Oakland Tribune" (Oakland, CA, United States), issue of Saturday, 23 May 1953, page 11D, Associated Press wire service, article Driver Killed as Racer Crashes".
  • Newspaper "Eugene Register-Guard" (Eugene, OR, United States), issue of Saturday, 23 May 1953, page 4, article "Race Driver Killed During Practice Run", retrieved by website http://www.google.com/archivesearch .
  • Newspaper "The Lowell Sun" (Lowell, MA, United States), issue of Sunday, 24 May 1953, page 16, Associated Press wire service, article "Road Race Halted After Two Crashes".
  • Website The GEL Motorsport Information Page by Darren Galpin, page http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/bridgeha.jpg .
  • Website Atlas F1, bulletin boards, "The Nostalgia Forum", thread "Speed's Ultimate Price: The Toll", page 24, posting by "milan fistonic", message http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=9705&view=findpost&p=1411078 citing magazine The Autocar, issue of 12 June 1953.
  • Website World Sports Racing Prototypes, by Martin Krejčí, page http://wsrp.ic.cz/nationals1953.html#4/1 .
  • Website Motor Racing Circuits, by Daniel King, page http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk/racingcircuits/UnitedStates/ny/Bridgehampton1915.html .
  • Website Find-A-Grave: Robert John “Bob” Wilder Jr..