Volunteer
Our volunteers are special. They make our event possible and they make it grand. Over 1,250 people pull together to stage one of the largest vintage race events in the world. Join us!
There are many exciting volunteer opportunities. The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is always looking to grow its family of volunteers. There are many different areas to volunteer with varying degrees of responsibility. You can volunteer for a few hours on the weekend or you can take a leadership role on one of our committees. Please join us! Please click the button below.
General Volunteers
In addition to all of the specific volunteer areas we also need general volunteer help at Schenley Park and Pitt-Race Complex race weekends. Typical duties include staffing a donation station, helping with spectator parking, selling race programs, cleaning golf carts or registration. Sometimes we don’t even know what needs will come up and we need volunteers standing by. Please contact Sarah Edinger.
Schenley Park Race Weekend 7/19 – 7/20 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
PIRC Race Weekend 7/11- 7/13 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Car Shows
This is a great opportunity to work around a myriad of unique and interesting cars you may have only heard of before! Volunteers help to register cars, direct traffic, and assure that the needs of each participating car club are met during the days of the show at Schenley Park and other events. Please contact Chris Davis or Sarah Edinger to learn more. This is a fun group that loves cars!
Monday 7/14 – Walnut Street in Shadyside – Shifts : 3pm – 7pm & 4pm – 10pm
Tuesday 7/15 – Waterfront Car Cruise – Shifts : 3pm – 7pm & 4pm – 10pm
Wednesday 7/16 – Downtown Car Display- Shifts: 9 am – 2pm
Wednesday 7/16 – Tune-Up at SouthSide Works – Shifts 5pm-10pm
Race Weekend Car Shows at Schenley Park 7/18 thru 7/20 – Shifts: 8-noon & noon to 4pm
Post Event Clean-Up 7/21 between 10am – 3pm
Kick-Off Rallye
This is a one-day event that kicks off the Grand Prix with a 3-hour road tour and lunch afterward. the event starts and ends at Dual Devils Garage in Houston, PA. It is the one event where you can basically do what you want. Help direct the cars at the starting line, run a checkpoint, along the circuit, conduct booth sales, or learn about the fun of a timed race on city streets. No prior experience needed. Contact Paul MacIntyre for details
Sunday 7/6 Shifts Available: 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM
Event Security
This important group of volunteers who are responsible for security at all of our venues outside of the “hot” track area. Volunteers help with the direction of car shows and pedestrian traffic, provide information for visitors and make sure everyone gets to the right places. Please contact Cathy Dernorsek.
7/19 & 7/20 – Shifts Available: 8:00 am – 11:00 AM, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, & 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Patron Parking
This area is set up early in the morning by the volunteers. Parking spaces are numbered, sections are roped off, and signs are put up. As the patrons come mid-morning, the volunteers help register them and direct them to their spaces. Late morning and afternoon tasks turn to those of general security to ensure that the patrons and their cars are safe, especially at the entrance to the golf course. In late afternoon, volunteers help safely direct the patrons off the golf course and pick up all items set out that morning. Contact John Gloninger for details.
Sunday 7/20- Shifts Available: 8AM – Noon & Noon – 5PM
Black Tie & Tailpipes Gala
This is an elegant black-tie party held on Friday, July 11, at the Heinz History Center. We need volunteers to assist with the management of the auction and guest registration. Volunteers are needed to make sure silent auction bids are properly recorded on the auction roster and to help coordinate the end of auction activities. Volunteers are also needed to serve on the committee year-round. Please email Evelyn Kelly to inquire.
Friday 7/11- Shifts Available: 4:00pm – 11:00pm
Flaggers/Corner Marshals
These are the people stationed on every corner that display flags to alert drivers to changing conditions on the track. Different flags let drivers know when there is hazard/debris on the track or slow-moving traffic. Flaggers are vital to our event because in many situations a driver would not be able to react in time to avoid an accident if they did not know about a situation before they get to it. Flaggers also communicate with race control via radio on incidents and report them. This is a great opportunity to be part of the racing action all weekend! The Steel Cities Region of the SCCA will formally train you before the event. Please contact Ray Dembowski.
Schenley Park Race Weekend 7/19 & 7/20 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
PIRC Race Weekend 7/11 – 7/13 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Pit/Paddock
This is “home” for 125 race cars each weekend. Volunteers are needed as security marshals as they walk the paddock making sure the area is safe and open/close gates to regulate the pedestrians crossing at intersections. Volunteers direct race cars from the paddock to the grid. On Thursday and Friday before the race volunteers are needed to organize the racecars and set up the paddock area. This is a great opportunity to be close to the race cars all weekend! The paddock at Schenley Park is located on Prospect Drive, off Hobart Ave. near the entrance to Schenley Park. The same set-up is used at Pitt Race the previous weekend. Contact Ken Murin to learn more.
Schenley Park Race Weekend 7/19 & 7/20 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
PIRC Race Weekend 7/10 – 7/13 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Race Grid
This group helps get the race cars organized to go out on the race track. On Saturday, they line up the cars for practice and qualifying, and if there are races, they put the cars in the order in which they qualified for the races. They do the same things on Sunday. Contact Ken Murin to learn more.
Schenley Park Race Weekend 7/19 & 7/20 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
PIRC Race Weekend 7/11 – 7/13 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Timing & Scoring
A highly important component to the race activities, T&S volunteers help keep track of which car places where and what their race lap times are. Times during Saturday’s practice and qualifying runs are used to determine race placing for Sunday’s start. On Sunday, Timing & Scoring keeps track of both times and places so that scores may be given to each driver in both his car class and in the overall race finish. At Schenley Park, this group is sheltered from excessive sun and wind by the trailer they occupy near the start/finish line. At PIRC you would be housed in the race control tower at the Start/Finish Line. Please contact Jeff Hutzelman.
Schenley Park 7/19 & 7/20 – Shifts Available: 7:30 AM – Noon & Noon-5 PM
PIRC Race Weekend 7/11 – 7/13 – Shifts Available: 7:30 AM – Noon & Noon-5 PM
Race Communications / Ham Radio Operators
Ham Radio operators are needed to send communications from track to Race Control. It is imperative that each of our 23 corner stations be able to communicate back to race control to alert them of any track conditions. Communications are also used to monitor racer behavior to keep our event safe. Please Contact Corky Bennett at (724) 217-5458 or (412) 851-9374 to learn more about volunteer opportunities.
Schenley Park Race Weekend 7/19 & 7/20 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
PIRC Race Weekend 7/11 – 7/13 – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Course Crew/Emergency Services
These are volunteers that have training in medical response, fire fighting, and vehicle recovery. They are staged along the racecourse in vehicles ready at any moment to remove disabled vehicles and restore the racecourse to a safe condition. They react quickly and are sometimes placed in dangerous conditions. Email Walt Matenkosky and his “Coarse Crew” they would love to have some help on both race weekends.
Schenley Park 7/19 & 7/20– Shifts Available: 7:30 AM – Noon & Noon-5 PM
PIRC Race Weekend 7/11 – 7/13 – Shifts Available: 7:30 AM – Noon & Noon-5 PM
Race Track Setup & Tear Down
Many of us are going like gangbusters before the spectators and cars show up. The track and display facilities need to be ready for the weekend’s flurry of activities by Friday night. We would love to have a few more people get the place ready to roll! Afterward, we do the reverse and tear down the temporary track and prepare the streets for “normal activity” in Schenley Park. Even if you volunteer for any of the above duties you can still help us before and after Race Week. Please contact Brian Urban.
Set-up Dates: Tuesday 7/14 thru Friday 7/18 – Shifts Available: 8:00 AM noon and noon – 4:00PM
Tear down Dates: Monday 7/21 thru Wednesday 7/23 – Shifts Available: 8:00 AM noon and noon – 4:00PM