Two New Thrilling Race Tracks for the Grand Prix in Schenley Park!

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix returns to race the city streets the weekend of July 19-20 with two exciting new twists. The Panther Hollow Bridge, part of our traditional race track in Schenley Park, is currently closed for repairs. Therefore, a new circuit, the Schenley Oval, will debut with racing action on a thrilling new course!

“We are rerouting the vintage street race onto Overlook Drive and forming a new Hillclimb event to continue the racing action to the golf course,” exclaimed PVGP Competition Director Joe Teplitz. He is enthusiastic about the changes, saying, “This represents a major enhancement to our Schenley Park offering…for both spectators and drivers. We’ve always considered how to incorporate the Schenley Oval into our course, and this does it. The uphill sweeping esses with Oakland and the City of Pittsburgh in the background will be spectacular!”

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix was a finalist in last year’s International Historic Motoring Awards. Now, we are poised to introduce a new excitement factor that features two races simultaneously. This year promises to be the best yet!

This promises to be an incredible year with great racing on a smoother, fun new circuit with exciting new turns you won’t want to miss!

SCHENLEY OVAL

This exciting new 2.1-mile racecourse follows our legendary route along the Boulevard of the Allies, tackling the iconic hay bale chicane, veering left just before the Panther Hollow Bridge. From there, racers snake up Overlook Drive, glide past the ice rink and Schenley Oval, and descend onto Greenfield Road. Two quick lefts send them back onto the Boulevard for another high-speed lap.

Packed with technical turns and racing challenges, this dynamic circuit stays true to our tradition of vintage road racing through the heart of a city park.

Racers will paddock up on Prospect Drive, and the grid will form on Hobart, as always. The start/finish line will shift to the highest section of the hill on Overlook Drive. We anticipate the same number of turns and 20 corner stations. The PVGP will have spectator area inside the oval with details released soon.

Our incredible PVGP Volunteers and our Competition Committee are working on details for all aspects of the race, including spectator areas, safety features and track access. Stay tuned as more details are released.

The traditional track in Schenley Park was always one of the most demanding circuits in vintage racing. This new Schenley Oval offers a new challenge and includes a smoother racing surface!

There will be viewing areas within the Schenley Oval for spectators. Our volunteer team is working on plans and logistics and we will have more details in the coming weeks.

PANTHER HOLLOW HILLCLIMB

For the first time ever the PVGP is introducing a Hillclimb to Schenley Park. Starting near Phipps Conservatory and the Schenley Park Visitors Center, this intense 1-mile hillclimb charges up the historic, stone-walled Circuit Drive, winding through the park to the Bob O’Connor Golf Course and thousands of fans will cheer them on to the finish line at the Neill Log House.

If you are unfamiliar with Hillclimbs, you will be pleased to hear that it is still vintage racing, and the cars will accelerate through the park at the same speeds as our past races. The Goodwood Hillclimb is regarded as one of the best vintage automotive events in the world and we plan to host a similar event.

The assortment of exciting cars that will run include Hillclimb cars, historic one-offs, and vintage racers. We also plan exhibition runs for vehicles that have never participated in the park. We are eager to bring some ground-pounding muscle cars, Historic Stock Cars and others into the park to amaze our audience.

The Hillclimb offers an opportunity for drivers to compete with cars considered too valuable or inappropriate for wheel-to-wheel competition. In a Hillclimb, cars run one at a time against the clock.

The cars will be paddocked by Phipps Conservatory and the Visitors Center along Schenley Drive for a unique fan experience.

About the PVGP