The PVGP is gearing up for the newly announced “Evening of Speed” event. This unique experience allows fans to meet the racers and their crews in a social atmosphere on Schenley Drive from Phipps down to Schenley Plaza.
The PVGP Driver Reception is shifting from Orr’s Jewelry Store in Squirrel Hill to the Frick Fine Arts Library in Oakland. A limited number of tickets are available to the public to attend this exclusive reception for $85 per person.
The event features a parade and display of the vintage race cars that will compete over the weekend. There will also be displays, meet and greets, and insightful presentations, all set against the backdrop of the historic Frick Fine Arts Building beside Schenley Plaza.
The festivities kick off at 4:00 PM with the positioning of the GT40 race car display at the Frick Fine Arts Library beside the Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain. The front lawn of the Frick holds a special place in the history of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix as it was the site of the Grand Prix’s first car show 40 years ago in 1984.
Our First Car Show
The Frick Fine Arts Library and the Mary Schenley Fountain have a special meaning to the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. It was the site of our very first car show back in 1984. Two dozen brass-era cars were displayed on the front lawn around the fountain. There was no car show during the inaugural one-day race in 1983. This was a one-day show that led to bigger and better things. It was not until 1985 that we began to host car shows on the golf course. Today there are 3,000 cars displayed on the Bob O’Connor Golf Course at Schenley Park. The Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain, also known as ‘A Song to Nature’ is a 1918 landmark public sculpture in bronze and granite by Victor David Brenner.
From 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, the street in front of Phipps Conservatory becomes a hub for interaction, with a meet and greet featuring the Ragtime Racers and Vintage Indy. Concurrently, the Frick will open its doors to drivers and ticketed guests. At 5:15 PM, ticketed attendees can enjoy Helltown Beer, wine and soft drinks.
The parade of 100 vintage race cars departs the paddock on Prospect Drive at 5:30, makes its way around the track, over the Panther Hollow Bridge and exits the track on Schenley Drive at Phipps Conservatory. The parade continues past Phipps, over the Schenley Bridge and parks outside the Frick Fine Arts Building. All outdoor activities and displays will be open to the public.
Exhibitions of Speed Paddock
The street between Flagstaff Hill and Phipps Conservatory will be packed with race cars. Ragtime Racers will feature race cars from 1920 and earlier. Vintage Indy will feature actual cars that have raced in the Indianapolis 500. Both groups will paddock on the street and hit the track for sessions four times on the weekend.
The Frick Fine Arts Library
The Frick Fine Arts Building is home to the Department of History of Art and Architecture at the University of Pittsburgh. Opened in 1965, the building is a gift of Helen Clay Frick in memory of her father, Pittsburgh industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick.
Modeled after a Roman villa owned by Pope Julius III, Frick Fine Arts houses classrooms, art galleries, an open cloister, and one of the nation’s top fine arts libraries. The building’s treasures include reproductions of 15th-century Florentine Renaissance artworks by Russian artist Nicholas Lochoff. In 1911, Lochoff was commissioned by the Moscow Museum of Fine Arts to travel to Italy and make a series of copies of the finest examples of Renaissance art.
Frick Fine Arts Library
650 Schenley Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Schenley Plaza
The Schenley Plaza Tent will host interviews starting at 5:30 PM, featuring students from three University Formula SAE teams, including the University of Pittsburgh’s Panther Racing, Carnegie Mellon Racing and Penn State’s Nittany Racing, discussing their development of EV-powered race cars with some racing engineers and designers from automotive manufacturers.
Heading back inside at 6:00 PM for the Legends of Schenley Awards Presentation, followed by this year’s Grand Marshal, Bill Warner’s opening remarks to drivers and ticketed guests from 6:05 PM to 6:15 PM. A strolling dinner will be served at 6:15 PM at the Frick Fine Arts Building, providing a moment for attendees to relax and mingle for the private event.
The evening continues outside with a talk by Bill Warner titled “Motorsports Photography Then and Now” at 7:00 PM in the Emerald Lawn Tent, aimed at attracting Instagram enthusiasts and students. The race cars will roar to life around 8:15 – 8:30pm to head back to the paddock before sunset. Finally, the event concludes at 9:00 PM, wrapping up a day filled with vintage charm, innovative discussions, and community engagement within the picturesque setting of Pittsburgh’s historic landmarks.
Evening of Speed Itinerary
- 4:00 pm – Frick Fine Arts: GT40 display moves onto Lawn
- 5:00 pm – 6:00pm – Meet & Greet of Vintage Indy and Ragtime Racers
- 5:00 pm – Frick Fine Arts: Opens to Ticketed Guests
- 5:15 pm – Frick Fine Arts: Helltown Beer, Wine and soft drinks
- 5:30 pm – Paddock: Race cars parade to the Frick Fine Arts Building
- 5:30 pm – Emerald Lawn Tent: Interviews of Pitt and CMU FSAE students
- 6:00 pm – 6:15 pm Frick Fine Arts: Bill Warner Opening Remarks
- 6:15 pm – Frick Fine Arts: Food is available
- 7:00 pm – Emerald Lawn Tent: Bill Warner “Photography Then and Now”
- 8:30 pm – Race Cars head back to the paddock before nightfall.
- 9:00 pm event concludes
Spectator Parking
Schenley Drive will be closed on Friday for the parade and PVGP set-up for the weekend. The PVGP recommends using surface lots and parking garages in Oakland.
Tickets & Details
Ticketed guests can enjoy the art and cloister in the Frick or catch the engaging discussion happening on the Lawn outside. A limited number of tickets are available for $85 each. Each registered PVGP racer and one crew member are automatically entered, but additional guests must purchase tickets here. This event is a fundraiser that provides residential care, treatment and support for individuals with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities. With your help, we have donated $6.7 million to charity since 1983.
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