Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1982 and first run on September 3, 1983, the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is a vintage motor sports car
race and multi-day motorsport festival that takes place annually in mid-July in Schenley Park
located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, United States
. With an estimated 200,000 spectators the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is the largest vintage sports car race in the United States. The race originated in 1983 and is now the longest-continually-running vintage road race in the nation, with an ever-widening national and international recognition as one of the premier vintage motorsports events. The race is the highlight of a 10-day Race Week that includes the Historic Races at BeaveRun for faster vintage cars on the opening weekend, various car shows, cruises, galas, and the Kickoff Rallye. The Presenting Sponsor since 2001 has been Shop 'n Save
, and funds raised by the event benefit the Autism
Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School, which care for individuals with mental
and physical disabilities
.
The event at Schenley Park hosts 150 vintage racers, over 2,000 show cars and 200,000 weekend spectators. The course, considered to be one of the most challenging in the world, traverses Schenley Park's Serpentine Drive and consists of a 2.33 mile circuit that has 23 turns, haybales, manhole cover
s, phone poles, and stone walls. Qualifying races are on Saturday, July 23, 2011 and the Crown Royal Featured Races take place on Sunday July 24, 2011 with 8 races each day. Since 1983 the event has donated over $2.75 million to autistic and developmentally disabled individuals through the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School.
Historic motorsport
Historic motorsport relies on cars of a particular era. Events are purely regulated to only allow cars of a certain era to participate. Only safety precautions are modernized in these hobbyist races. A historical event can be of various types of motorsport disciplines...
race and multi-day motorsport festival that takes place annually in mid-July in Schenley Park
Schenley Park
Schenley Park is a large municipal park located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, between the neighborhoods of Oakland, Greenfield, and Squirrel Hill. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district...
located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. With an estimated 200,000 spectators the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is the largest vintage sports car race in the United States. The race originated in 1983 and is now the longest-continually-running vintage road race in the nation, with an ever-widening national and international recognition as one of the premier vintage motorsports events. The race is the highlight of a 10-day Race Week that includes the Historic Races at BeaveRun for faster vintage cars on the opening weekend, various car shows, cruises, galas, and the Kickoff Rallye. The Presenting Sponsor since 2001 has been Shop 'n Save
Shop 'n Save
Shop ’n Save is a grocery store chain with forty stores in the St. Louis, Missouri, market. The company, headquartered in Kirkwood, Missouri, is a wholly owned subsidiary of SuperValu, based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.-History:...
, and funds raised by the event benefit the Autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School, which care for individuals with mental
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
and physical disabilities
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
.
The event at Schenley Park hosts 150 vintage racers, over 2,000 show cars and 200,000 weekend spectators. The course, considered to be one of the most challenging in the world, traverses Schenley Park's Serpentine Drive and consists of a 2.33 mile circuit that has 23 turns, haybales, manhole cover
Manhole cover
A manhole cover is a removable plate forming the lid over the opening of a manhole, to prevent anyone from falling in and to keep unauthorized persons out....
s, phone poles, and stone walls. Qualifying races are on Saturday, July 23, 2011 and the Crown Royal Featured Races take place on Sunday July 24, 2011 with 8 races each day. Since 1983 the event has donated over $2.75 million to autistic and developmentally disabled individuals through the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School.