Panther Hollow Hillclimb Overview

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is one of the country’s premier vintage racing and charity events.  I am honored to be the Competition Director.  I have participated in various roles in the Grand Prix since its inception: as a spectator, a car show participant, a photographer, a rallye driver, a racer, and a drivers committee member.

Schenley Park is ready for racing action this summer. With the Panther Hollow Bridge closed for repairs, we’re shifting gears and creating two thrilling new track events for the July 19-20 Vintage Weekend. We are converting a thrilling 1-mile stretch of our traditional track into a hillclimb. This route charges up the historic, stone-walled Circuit Drive, winding through the park to the Bob O’Connor Golf Course to the finish line at the Neill Log House. We are rerouting the vintage street race onto Overlook Drive and up past the Schenley Oval. This represents a major enhancement to our Schenley Park offering…for spectators and drivers. 

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix was a finalist in last year’s International Historic Motoring Awards. 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!

Joe Teplitz
PVGP Competition Director
(646) 258-4000

 

In case you missed the exciting announcement, the PVGP is adding a Hillclimb at Schenley Park! The challenging course will start near Phipps Conservatory, follow our traditional race course, and past 100,000 fans. Interest since the announcement has been amazing!

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 one-mile hillclimb charges up the historic, stone-walled Circuit Drive, winding through the park to the Bob O’Connor Golf Course. 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 we are 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 Hillclimb allows 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.

Hillclimb cars will depart up the hill, one at a time, 30 seconds apart.

First, a few words about grouping and operations. Three groups are for race-qualified cars of varying displacements piloted by race-qualified drivers.Race-qualified cars must have rollover protection and driver restraints at a minimum. They may be race-, track- or Hillclimb cars. There will be a tech inspection, and the final determination of eligibility will be made by the tech inspector.

As this is a spectator event, cars must conform to a high standard of appearance. Entries must be presented in a clean, neat, properly-finished condition. Amateur like paint jobs, dents, rippled panels, unrepaired accident damage, and visible rust are not permitted. Panels may not be finished in primer. Photos must be provided when registering, and final approval is contingent on appearance. So-called “Fifty-foot” appearance will not be accepted.

Race-qualified drivers should have a current competition license or provide evidence of competitive driving experience. Due to the nature of the course, driving rules will be discussed in the drivers meeting and strict driver behavior guidelines will be enforced.

There will be 4 categories of cars:

  • Unlimited: Race-qualified cars over 3.0 liters, driven by race-qualified drivers
  • Large Bore: Race-qualified cars from 2.0 liters to 3.0 liters, driven by race-qualified drivers
  • Small Bore: Race-qualified cars under 2.0 liters, driven by race-qualified drivers
  • Historic: Cars with historic significance (1940s and older).

We will attempt to coordinate schedules to allow drivers to participate in both the Panther Hollow Hillclimb and the Schenley Oval race. However, it won’t be possible in every case.”

Applications Now Being Accepted
Hillclimb applications are now being accepted on Motorsport Reg. The field is limited in size and the PVGP will reveal the accepted entries on April 28, 2025. See our Racer Entry Page for details.

Hillclimb Links

The Panther Hollow Hillclimb takes a 1-mile stretch from the traditional track we used for 42 years. It is made up from the previous turns 8 thru 18.