Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Enhances Schenley Park Vintage Races

Pittsburgh, PA May 10, 2011 - Look for a bigger, better, and more colorful 2011 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, the 29th consecutive races through Pittsburgh's beautiful Schenley Park on July 23/24.

Beginning this year, Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix will reassume the sanctioning responsibilities for its own races, and that means a long list of positive changes that will make the events more enjoyable and safer than ever.

The changes will also will bring a wider group of drivers to compete in the events, and they will be driving an ever more colorful group of cars, ranging from vintage iron from before the 20s all the way up through cars produced in the early 1970s.

That should bring smiles and fond remembrances among many of our "baby boomer" friends who have fond memories of the Sixties and early Seventies eras and the legends on wheels that these cars are.

The PVGPA's Competition Committee Director D*** Barnes was excited to announce that

"The registrations have been rolling in. As of May 10 we received well over 100 registrations. We expect to fill the grids this year so I encourage racers to register quickly."

He added that

"The field is limited to 200 entrants because of limited paddock space." The racers are paddocked under the trees and on the grass along Prospect Street in Schenley Park.

So what changes are we making?

We're increasing the number of race entries: We are expanding eligibility requirements, to increase the number of possible race entries to draw more vintage racers.

You'll see more exciting race cars in the races this year!

And speaking of cars, while vintage racing has been traditionally defined by cars from the 1960's and earlier, the scale slides slowly upward over time.

As older vintage race cars are retired or placed in museums, more recent cars take their place - many are the same models that have raced in Pittsburgh. A few of the race groups have been expanded to include cars from the mid 70's that have not previously been eligible. For instance: TVR, Triumph TR4, Datsun 240Z and Porsches will now be part of the races - an exciting addition for our 200,000 fans.

Safety concerns and preparedness are key

 The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix has been one of the leading vintage race organizations in the country when it comes to safe vintage racing on road courses. With the assistance of the Steel Cities Region of the SCCA the PVGPA has built, staffed and disassembled the Schenley Park race circuit since the beginning in 1983. In the process we have set the standard, nationwide, for safety, set-up and procedures. As a valuable member of the Vintage Motorsports Council the PVGP has consulted with numerous vintage race venues to help them establish safety regulations and procedures based on our 28 years of experience and expertise. The PVGPA will continue to uphold these standards for the safety of our racers, volunteers and fans.

Barnes continued

"Schenley Park is our country's only vintage race run on city streets and has the largest crowds in the sport. We take every precaution to ensure the cars and drivers are properly vetted and that they understand our philosophy. Drivers from across the country would love to come to Pittsburgh and race through Schenley Park. These changes will allow us to welcome racers from many other vintage race organizations. In an effort to continuously improve and grow the event the PVGP is encouraging racers to participate in both the Schenley Park and BeaveRun race weekends. This will help increase the charitable donation while providing a wider range of racing excitement for our fans."

To see a complete list of eligible cars visit www.pvgp.org/details.

PVGP Mission
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix's mission remains the same as when it was established back in 1983 “To host a world-class vintage automotive event that celebrates our automotive heritage and raises money for charity.” In the original spirit of vintage racing that took place on public roads in the 1940's and 1950, our vintage races through the streets of Schenley Park will continue to present a safe and friendly environment for our drivers and fans.

Charity
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix benefits the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School. This past October the PVGP donated $150,000 to these two fine charities, bringing the 28 year total to $2.75 million. These funds directly help individuals in western Pennsylvania affected by autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities. The PVGP is truly a race where everybody wins! Read more on our Charities.

For more information or photos please contact:
Daniel DelBianco/Executive Director
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association
1000 Gamma Drive, Suite 106 Pittsburgh, PA 15238
email: delbianco@pvgp.org
Phone: 412 559-3500 Fax: 412 781-0887