The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix 2017 was held July 7-16 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. An estimated crowd of more than 300,000 spectators visited the 10-day festival that culminated with the 35th annual races staged on the scenic, yet technically challenging circuit at Schenley Park.
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (PVGP) is unique in America, as it’s the only vintage car race staged on public roads amidst the public 456-acre Schenley Park. The 2.33-mile circuit is comprised of 23 turns, complete with two lane roads, bridges with stone walls, curbs, manhole covers and telephone poles.
A field of nearly 150 vintage race cars participated in the 2017 Pittsburgh Vintage GP, grouped together by engine size and year of manufacture in six race classes and two featured races. There were practice warm-up sessions each morning, with qualifying races on Saturday and the featured races staged on Sunday. The top finishers pull into the Winner’s Circle immediately after each race and share their stories about the race in live interviews with the PVGP’s Ted Sohier over the PA system. Fans get a chance hear each racer being interviewed and are part of the celebration. All three top finishers along with the racer selected for the “Best Drive” are rewarded with medals and and 5 Litre mini-keg of Hofbräuhaus Bier.
The featured ‘Axis versus Allies’ race saw Joey Bojalad’s 1960 Elva Mk VI take the victory over the 1970 Porsche 914/6 of Chuck Kelly and the 1972 Porsche 914/6 of Gary Schultz. Other race winners at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix 2017 included Michael Barstow’s 1953 MG TD (Group 1 and 2 Pre-War, Select MG T, Preservation and Under 1-Litre); Charlie Dolan’s 1957 MG A (Group 3 Production Under 1.5 Litres); Dennis Wilson’s 1962 Lotus Super Seven (Group 4 Sports Cars Under 2 Litres); Perry Genova’s 1970 BMW 2002 (Group 5 Sports Cars Over 2.0 Litres); Joey Bojalad’s 1960 Elva Mk VI (Group 6 Vintage Sports Racers, Formula Vee and Formula Junior) and Christian Morici’s 1971 Lotus 69 FF (Group 7 Royale FF Challenge Series).
PVGP Chairman of the Board, Dan Taylor, was pleased with all 10 days of events and as the races concluded said, “I hope everyone will stop for a moment and savor the taste of victory. Thanks to all involved in this great race.”
Celebrating its 35th year, the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix raised “hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Valley School” in 2017, according to PVGP Executive Director Dan DelBianco.
Similar to 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, Sports Car Digest also documented the 2017 PVGP, with photographer Michael DiPleco offering the following pictures showing the field of historic race cars and the unique setting of the Schenley Park track.
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix 2017 – Photo Gallery (photos: Michael DiPleco)
1939 Mercury Sprint, John Guehl, and tiny in comparison the Cooper/Norton of Peter Rehl.
Group 1 MG T series cars, exit Westinghouse Couner.
1957 Coopper/Nortonm Manx MkII. Peter Rehl.
1933 Plymouth Speedster, Lester Neidell.
1929 Ford Model A Speedster
Bill Stelcher, 1929 Ford Model A Speedster.
Alan Patterson,1958 Elva Mk1 and Alan Patterson, 1959 Elva Mk4.
Group 1 Pre War and Select MG t Series cars.
Roger Morse, 1948 MG-TC, and Group 1.
Christopher Longo 1968 MGB GT.
Going away, 1969 Lotus Seven S3- Andrew Barron.
Amyot Bachand, 1963 MG Midget lifts a wheel.
Michael Moore, with a slight lock up, 1962 Triumph TR4.
1953 MG-TD Michael Barstow.
1960 Elav MkVI Joe Bojalad.
Tom Dick 1962 MGA.
Michael Moore, 1962 Triumph TR4.
Alan Patterson,III 1961 AH Sprite.
1971 Lotus Elan, Joe Mendel.
Triumph TR3b and a Triumph TR4.
1959 Elav Courier, Norman Berke.
1956 Austin Healey 100-4, Rich Maloumain.
Stephen Scholze, 1959 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite.
1969 Lotus Seven S3- Andrew Barron.
Randy Evans- 1969 Porsche 911S.
1962 Volvo PV544.
Datsun 510.
Daren Mann 1965 Lotus Elan.
1964 MGB Tom Hershberger.
1965 MGB Joe Lightfoot.
Lotus Europa
1973 Alfa Romeo GTV of Don Wannagat.
James Rogerson 1962 Volvo PV544.
John Styduhar, 1962 Triumph TR3B.
Cool Volvo P544 ran in ther under 2 litre Group 4. James Rogerson.
A pair of Lotus Elan\’s duke it out.
1959 Elva Courier with Steven Dana.
Dotti Bechtol in her 1972 Alfa Romeo Spider.
Triumph TR6,
1977 March 77B.
1956 Austin Healey 100/4- Michael Stien.
1962 Austin Healey Sprite- David Thomas.
1939 Ford Board Track Racer- JJ. Rodman.
Mark Sherman- 1953 MG-TD.
1951 MG-TD, George Shafer.
1953 MG-TD- Michael Barstow.
1953 MG-TD- Michael Barstow.
1959 MGA- Dave Good.
1956 Austin Healey 100/4- Rich Maloumian Jr.
1956 Austin Healey 100/4- Rich Maloumian Jr.
1959 Porsche 356A- William Swartz.
1956 Austin Healey 100/4- Rich Maloumian Jr.
1972 Porsche 914/6- Gary Schultz.
1960 Elva Courier- Kevin Michael.
1960 Elva Courier- Kevin Michael.
1970 Porsche 914/6- Chuck Kelly.
Heading toward the green.
1970 Merlyn Mk17- Jane Tapp.
1978 Crossle 32F- Chris Cogswell.
1972 Crossle 25- Dan Helman.
Formula Fords.
1970 Merlyn Mk11A/17 FF- Andrew Stein.
1971 Lotus 69 FF- Christian Morici.
1960 Lotus 18- David Allison.
1960 Elva Mk VI- Joey Bojalad.
1958 V.A.Y. Special- David Gibson.
1958 V.A.Y. Special- David Gibson.
1967 Zinc c-4 FV- Alan Harriman.
1959 Lotus Seven- George Vappa.
1959 Jabro MkII- Paul Wilson.
1959 Lotus Seven- George Vappa.
1972 Mallock 11B- Chris DeMinco.
1958 V.A.Y. Special- David Gibson.
1963 Formcar Mk1 FV- William Kovick.
1972 Porsche 911- James Southwood.
1972 Porsche 914/6- Gary Schultz.
1972 Datsun 240Z- Matthew Kuli.
1972 Datsun 240Z- John Jeffrey.
Spencer Patterson 1967 XKE leads his sister Kelsey in a 1964 XKE.
Austin Healey 100/4- Rich Maloumian Jr.
1976 Porsche 914-4- Stephen Scholze.
Michael Zappa, MGB.
1974 Renault Alpine A110- Najeeb Khan.
1976 Porsche 914-4- Stephen Scholze.
1967 Volvo 122 Amazon- Bob Criss Sr.
1954 Jaguar 120M- Ralph Steinberg.
1965 Alfa Romeo GTV-John Breslow and Najeeb Khan 1974 Renault Alpine 110.
1971 Alfa Romeo GT Jr- Lee Poseidon.
1962 MGB-Michael Zappa.
1962 Triumph TR4- Michael Moore.
Tight
1974 Renault Alpine A110- Najeeb Khan.
1962 Triumph TR4- Michael Moore.
1959 Elva Courier- Norman Berke.
Michael Zappa in the middle .
1969 Porsche 911ST- Randy Evans.
1961 Triumph TR3A- Jeff Snook.
1963 Austin Mini S- Bruce Whipple.
1957 MGA Charlie Dolan.
\’63 Corvette.
1953 MG-TD- Mark Sherman.
1939 MG-TB Special- Frank Mount.
1958 V.A.Y. Special Sports Racer- David Gibson.
1960 Lotus 18- David Allison.
1960 Lotus 18- David Allison.
1959 Jabro Mkl II- Paul Wilson.
Lotus 18-
1960 Elva Mk VI- Joey Bojalad.
1958 V.A.Y. Special Sports Racer- David Gibson.
1959 Jabro Mkl II- Paul Wilson.
1985 BMW 325i- Raymond Peterson.
Panther guards the bridge.
1972 Triumph GT6- Brian Dolan.
1968 Saab Sonett- Stefan Vapaa.
1962 Austin Mini Cooper- Manny Bansal.
1965 Mini Cooper- Holly Murphy.
1962 Austin Healey Sprite- Petre McCarthy.
Nial McCabe- 1967 MG Midget.
1957 MGA- Charlie Dolan.
1967 Mini Cooper S- Joseph Plunkett.
1961 Austin Healey Sprite- Alan Patterson III.
Nial McCabe- 1967 MG Midget.
1961 Austin Healey Sprite- Alan Patterson III.
1967 Ford GT40 MkIV- First American car to win LeMans with American Drivers. AJ Foyt/Dan Gurney.
1967 Ford GT40 MkIV- First American car to win LeMans with American Drivers. AJ Foyt/Dan Gurney.
1933 Plymouth Speedster- Lester Neidell.
1951 MG-TD- Kurt Byrnes . 1959 Fiat Abarth Zagato 750 GT- Joe Parlanti. 1953 MG-TD- Michael Barstow.
1933 Plymouth Speedster- Lester Neidell.
Allard J2x- Alan Patterson III.
1958 MGA- Monroe Snider.
Allard J2x- Alan Patterson III.
1959 Fiat Abarth Zagato 750 GT- Joe Parlanti.
1962 Austin Healey Sprite- David Thomas
1939 MG-TB Special- Frank Mount.
1959 Fiat Abarth Zagato 750 GT- Joe Parlanti.
1953 MG-TD- Michael Barstow.
1962 Lotus 7- Tom Chisholm.
1960 Elva MkVI- Joey Bojalad.
1953 Jabro MkII- Paul Wilson.
1967 Zinc C-4 FV- Alan Harriman.
1961 Jaguar E-Type- Alan Patterson III.
1964 Jaguar XKE- Kelsey Patterson.
1972 Datsun 240Z.
1971 Porsche 914/6- Scott Ryan.
1972 Datsun 240Z.
1961 Jaguar E-Type- Alan Patterson III.
1967 Jaguar XKE.
1974 BMW 2002- John Barhydt.
1974 BMW 2002- Adrienne Hughes.
Forbes Street Drivers Reception.
Nice Car
\’52 Culbert shows some wear.
The Cat.
Allard J2X.
Allard J2X.
Allard MPH
He\’ll be out of karts soon.
Mark Sherman heads downtown for the Drivers Reception at Orr\’s Jewelry.
Someone was not so lucky.
Joisey.
School kids with Rich Maloumian\’s A\’56 Austin Healey 100/4.
Triumphs GT6\’s
1972 Triumph GT6.
1971 Alfa Romeo GT Jr- Lee Poseidon.
1972 Crossle 25- Dan Helman.
1963 Cooper T67 FJ- Stephen Morici.
1958 V.A.Y. Special- David Gibson.
1972 Datson 240Z- John Jeffrey.
Door Brakes on the BMW 2002.
1972 Porsche 911- James Southwood.
1983 BMW 320i- Steve Liadis.
1972 Porsche 914/6.
1962 MGB- Michael Zappa.
1968 Datsun 510- Gary Reed.
1976 Porsche 914/4- Stephen Scholze.
1974 Renault Alpine A110- Najeeb Khan.
1959 Devin D- Cliff McCandless.
1954 Jaguar XK120M- Ralph Steinberg.
1974 Renault Alpine A110- Najeeb Khan.
1971 Lotus Elan- Joe Mendel.
1971 Alfa Romeo GT Jr.- Lee Poseidon.
1972 Alfa Romeo Spider- Dottie Bechtol.
1977 DKW 3/6.
1959 Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite.
1969 Abarth Scorpione SS.
The Iron Dinosaur, Bonneville Land Speed Racer.
Yenko Stinger.
50th Anniversary of the Camaro.
Alfa Romeo Guilia SS.
Midnight.
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michael, your photos of the race are unbelievable. you are a photographer. are you using filters on your lens for the soft dreamy look? angles and placement are uncanny. guess that is why i fix cars and not take photos. will you post the cars from show in the online magazine or other places? thanks for turning me onto SCD, cheers, jefft
Wow, it’s great to see a large website do a write up on the PVGP. I’ve gone for the last three years and enjoyed each time more and more. The races are great, they feel much more classic on the park circuit, where the cars really can shine! Keep on doing this and make it a national event, not just a Pittsburgh thing.
Ethan – I agree, this is a world class national event that should be on everyone’s bucket list. As vintage racer, it is a fascinating experience to come through the park”s tree covered shady roads and pop out into bright sun of the golf course with thousands of fans lining the fences. Each lap it impresses. The whole thing is an experience level that is unmatched anywhere else. 300,000 people, vintage racing, city streets, two weekends of racing. it is vintage racing at its best.
Beautiful cars and beautiful photography! This looks like an event that should be on everyone’s bucket list. In fact, I think this article may have provided the stimulus to finish my Sunbeam Tiger vintage racer, that has been apart for 20 years now. Hope to come play next year.
Bob – watch this video of a Sunbeam Tiger on the Schenley Park course.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_drR5TblhY&t=5s
Michael:
Thank you for the incredible coverage again.
Alan
I wish that you could have seen it about a decade ago. It was truly great then. Things have changed in the last six or seven years. VSCCA was removed and PVGP trying to take its place. Sadly, I have seen it become a mere shadow of its former self. Racing entrants shrinking alarmingly every year. This year groups had to be combined I am told. Sad. Hopefully, PVGP will get back on solid footing and be the great event that it once was.
We ran 8 race groups, which is normal for the PVGP at Schenley Park. True that the first Sunday race did combine pre-war and MG-T series groups, but it comprised 20 cars. Group 3 ran 23 cars; Group 4, 28 cars; and so on. I count 116 cars finishing the races at Schenley, nearly exactly the number of cars that ran the event ten years ago, in 2007. And, don’t forget the weekend before, at Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex, where we had 160 cars that completed races. And, my numbers don’t include DNS and DNF, frequently a notable number at vintage races. The PVGP is bigger than ever, and its 35th year proves the point.