Ragtime Racers join the Pittsburgh VintagerGrand Prix for the first time at Schenley Park on the August 3-4, 2024, Race Weekend. This unique group performs at major races each year, and we are fortunate to have them here. This race exhibition group for 1920 and earlier race cars provides a traveling show at various events across the U.S., showcasing these fantastic machines in a historical setting. There are dozens of significant race cars from this era sitting in museums and collections all across North America that deserve to be seen at speed, as they were meant to be. Until now, a suitable venue to bring these cars out as a group hasn’t existed. This group allows spectators to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of these cars at race tracks, tours and shows, giving them a taste of what it was like during the “Heroic Age” of auto racing.
Ragtime Racers’ Brian Blain exclaimed, “We are excited about participating in the PVGP. We have been following the success of your event for years but have never been able to fit it into our schedule. The beautiful circuit around Schenley Park will be the perfect place to run our 100-year-old race cars. It seems only fitting that the oldest group of race cars in the US will have t
The Ragtime Racers will be paddocked on Schenley Drive in front of Phipps Conservatory. They will be on track for four exhibition races over the weekend. These cars reach speeds of 60 MPH. Each session will be approximately 20 minutes for 3-4 laps of the entire circuit in front of 50,000 race fans daily. Many cars require a riding mechanic or copilot to prime the oil pump or gas – it is a simple task but needed for these 100-year-old cars. You could be in that seat for a full 20-minute race session for a $1,000 charitable donation. They only go on track 4 times. .Register here.
- Saturday, August 3 at 10:30 AM
- Sunday, August 3 at 2:30 PM
- Saturday, August 4 at 9:30 AM
- Sunday, August 4 at 1:45 PM
There are limited opportunities available. Participants should be at least 18 years old and physically able to handle simple tasks. Participants must be in the paddock one hour before the race session. These riders will wear and get to keep the white overalls, goggles, leatherette helmet and gauntlet gloves! Visit RagtimeRacers.com for a glimpse into these cars, drivers and this incredible experience.
Don’t be fooled by the appearance of these cars – they are fast – reaching speeds over 80 MPH on long straightaways! These are actual race cars that are meticulously maintained and ready to race!
One of Ragtime Racers’ most unique and entertaining activities is when they take apart and reassemble an actual race car in 10 minutes! You have to see it to believe it!
Contact
Dan DelBianco PVGP
Brian Blain Ragtime Racers
Exhibitions of Speed Paddock at Phipps
The street between Flagstaff Hill and Phipps Conservatory will be packed with race cars this year as Ragtime Racers and Vintage Indy set up their “Exhibitions of Speed Paddock.” Ragtime Racers features cars from the early days of racing with cars from 1920 and earlier. Vintage Indy will have actual cars that have raced in the Indianapolis 500. Both groups will paddock on the street and hit the track for sessions twice a day. By parking on Flagstaff Hill, you will see this exciting event up close.
