Driver Policy

Vintage race car drivers are expected to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for all participants and spectators. This requires recognizing that vintage grids include cars of many ages with significant disparities in speed, cornering, and braking capabilities. Drivers, as well, tend to possess widely varied experience and ability. Accordingly, drivers are expected to exercise great care) prudence, and courtesy in passing and in traffic. The slowest car and driver have as much right to be on track as the fastest, and all drivers must conduct themselves accordingly and make room for each other. Drivers of slower cars are reminded to watch their mirrors and allow faster cars to pass, both on the straights and in the corners.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (PVGP) is a non-profit organization that was formed to organize and operate vintage motor-sports racing events for its participants, spectators, crews, and other enthusiasts. Our mission is to encourage and promote the active use of vintage sports cars in an environment emphasizing safety, sportsmanship, and friendly competition among the participants.  Our aim is to create an environment fostering friendship and mutual respect among our members and participants.

To that end, we expect that all participants in our events will observe the organization’s rules and procedures. We strongly discourage and will not tolerate any conduct as set forth below.

• Abusive language, discourtesy, rudeness, and physical harassment directed at PVGP workers, volunteers, track employees, spectators and other participants and their crews.
• Actual or threatened violence toward any individual or group at a PVGP event.
• Conduct endangering the life, safety, health, or well-being of others at a PVGP event.
• Failure to follow PVGP safety policies or procedures as required.
• Failing to cooperate with instructions or decisions from race officials.
• Harassment, abuse, or slander of PVGP volunteers, members of its partner organizations, entrants and/or guests in any public forum, including electronic and social media forums.

Any PVGP participant, crewmember, attendee or vendor, at any PVGP -sponsored event who violates this Code of Conduct is subject to discipline, up to and including expulsion from future events and the organization.

DRIVER CONDUCT

Vintage race car drivers are expected to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for all participants and spectators. This requires recognizing that vintage grids include cars of many ages with significant disparities in speed, cornering, and braking capabilities. Drivers, as well, tend to possess widely varied experience and ability. Accordingly, drivers are expected to exercise great care, prudence, and courtesy in passing and in traffic. The slowest car and driver have as much right to be on track as the fastest, and all drivers must conduct themselves accordingly and make room for each other. Drivers of slower cars are reminded to watch their mirrors and allow faster cars to pass, both on the straights and in the corners.

Car-to-car contact is contrary to the spirit of vintage racing as is reckless or aggressive driving that causes damage to the driver’s own car.

Drivers judged at fault may be penalized by exclusion from the meet and with the possibility of probation or suspension of driving privileges in which case the discipline will be reported to the Vintage Motorsport Council.

DRIVER DISCIPLINE

Any driver involved in any on-track incident (car to car contact or contact with an immovable object on course – tree, curb, wall, etc.) must report immediately to pit-in and to the Black Flag Steward (who will be identified to all participants). If a car must be towed in, the driver must return to pit in and see the Black Flag Steward once the car has been returned to the paddock area. Driver actions on track will be reviewed and governed by the provisions of “Action on Driver Discipline”, outlined below.

Action On Driver Discipline

1. Corner workers need to report all infractions (i.e. flag violations, aggressive driving resulting in contact, loss of control, car contact of any kind) to the Black Flag Steward immediately, preferably during the session or before the start of the next session.

2. In the case of an infraction, the Black Flag Steward shall notify the Driver Committee (comprised of three individuals appointed by the Competition Chair of the meet, all of whom must be active vintage racers) to identify the infraction. The Driver Committee shall meet with the drivers involved and shall review all related evidence (driver’s statement, witness statements, corner worker observations, video evidence) before determining as to the consequence of the infraction. Meetings and evidentiary reviews are to occur before the next session available to the driver whose actions have been called into question if at all possible as a severe infraction may lead to the driver’s dismissal from the meet.

3. The failure by any driver to report to the Black Flag Steward or to meet with the Driver Committee after an incident shall be viewed in a negative light and any attempt by a driver to alter the condition of the race car (remove tire marks, dents, etc.) prior to an investigation shall result in exclusion from the meet.

4. Penalties assessed by the Driver Committee may involve exclusion from the remainder of the meet and probation/suspension as may be merited by the nature of the infraction. Driver discipline shall depend upon various factors, including- Mechanical failure or unforeseen track conditions – which may warrant no discipline.- Poor driving/judgment may run the gamut from posing a hazard to other drivers to causing damage as a result of contact with an immovable object or another car. Aggressive driving results in damage, severe or otherwise, to any car.

5. Penalties are meant to encourage changes in driver behavior. Penalties will range from a warning to probation/suspension for up to 13 months depending upon the nature of the infraction. Exclusion from the remainder of the meet shall also be considered. All penalties shall be reported to the Vintage Motorsport Council as required by PVGP membership in that organization.

6. The Driver Committee shall complete a PVGP Incident Report on each infraction and penalty imposed at the meet. All evidence considered shall be noted on the report and the outcome. All incident reports shall be provided to the Chair of the Competition Committee no later than one week after the meet is held.

7. Drivers wishing to appeal any penalty reported to the VMC must present their case with new evidence to the PVGP Competition Committee within 30 days of the meet. New evidence may include videos, pictures, or witness statements. The Competition Committee will appoint an appeals panel to consider the appeal and make a final judgment about its merit or lack thereof.

PVGP Driver Conduct Form – PDF

RULES OF THE ROAD

Our goal to make PVGP events enjoyable and safe.  All drivers are expected to race wheel-to-wheel without PVGP Rules of the Road contacting other race cars, going 4-off and/or contacting anything.  These Rules of the Road have been established to help everyone know how our drivers are expected to make decisions on track and guide our Driver Committee when investigating incidents.

Rules of the Road – PDF