PVGP OFFICIAL WEBSITE

To: MG Vintage Racers and Friends

Re: Article on 2012 PVGP
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Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix 2012
30th Anniversary - Featuring MG
A “Bucket List” Event !
July 13-22

If you never have attended this “festival”, please understand that it is a unique vintage racing and car event in North America that should be on everyone's "Bucket List" - especially this year, because MG is the "Featured Marque"! Let me explain why! I raced my MGTD in its inaugural race in 1983 and a number of years thereafter, including 1991 when the MG T’s were featured, and for its 25th anniversary. I’ve watched it grow from a simple vintage car race weekend to a 10 day long “festival” with many car related activities: Car shows, drives, parties, dinners, ralley, waterfront “Cruise”, displays, happy hour fun, etc. Over its 30 years, it has raised over 3 million dollars for the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny Valley School. First of all, it’s not just a race or an event - it is a 10 day long "Festival" put on by the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association, with something for everyone. Good fun, good races, good car shows, good charity causes! It is community supported with around 1,200 local volunteers running it (bless them!). And there is no admission fee for watching the races in lovely Schenley Park. Besides the races, many car clubs also participate in the event with supporting car shows and activities. It has national status, with many thousands of car enthusiasts coming from everywhere! MG is the featured marque this year, plus there will be some special accents honoring the MGB - celebrating the 50th anniversary of its introduction in 1962. Overall there may be around 200 vintage cars racing in seven different classes, including over 40 MGs of all types - from Pre-war MG’s, T’s, A’s Midgets, B’s! “All MG Races” will be included! Not only can you enjoy watching these thoroughbreds dicing it out at speed around the course, and hearing them roar, but you are welcome to inspect them up close and chat with their drivers in the racer’s paddock area. This ain’t NASCAR! These MG racers love their MGs as much as you love your own vintage cars, and they are most happy to talk to you about their valiant steeds! Plus for a small donation, only street MGs will be offered the opportunity to do “Parade Laps” around the 2.3 mile, 23 turn, race course Sunday morning! A beautiful drive, from the driver’s seat, to see the course from! (at speed it’s even more thrilling!) Along with the Schenley Park races, there will be the adjacent “International Car show” with over 2,000 cars participating in 15 different marque groups! As part of it, there will be both a “MG Car Show” group and a “British Car Day” group adjacent to each other. You can enter your MG in the MG show if you wish (see web site). Over 500 British cars are expected to participate in the shows, on a golf course overlooking the race course. Vendors of all kinds will be set up selling food, souvenirs, and other neat “stuff”. A catered luncheon, ordered in advance, will be available for $20 to MG car show entrants, featuring English cuisine - if that’s your taste. There even is a FREE Shuttle bus service to get you around the miles of track and shows. Plus I’d suggest that you make a stop at the most impressive Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens adjacent to the race course.
I could write volumes on all that this awesome event has to offer, not to mention other attractions of Pittsburgh and nearby vacation opportunities! It kicks off with a Black Tie party on Friday July 13th, then vintage car races at the nearby Pittsburgh International Raceway track that weekend, followed by a week of activities, ending with the Schenley Park races and car shows July 21-22. PVGP has a great web site providing EVERYTHING you would like to know about it – and more! Just go to: PVGP.org to get the full story. It has been 21 years since MG was last featured at this event – so you might have to wait another 21 years for MG to be featured again – that would be 2033! Can you wait? That’s why this year it should be on your “BUCKET LIST” to attend! Bring your MG, the family, and your friends. Make your room reservations early! You will NOT be sorry!

Key Contacts:
- Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix: www.pvgp.org
Info, photos, videos, history, accommodations, schedule, etc. :
www.pvgp.org/marque/marque-of-the-year-schedule/
- Greater Pittsburgh MG Club - supporting MG Activities:
o http://www.greaterpghmgclub.org
o Bud Osbourne (724-855-9969) abcoz@hky.com
- Mark Of the Year (MG) Coordinator:
o Jerry Longstreth (412-759-3014) GLL1231@msn.com
- Car Shows Director
o Bop Speer, respeer@comcast.net
- British Car Day, car show
o Wil Schweitzer w.schweitzer@live.com
- MG Vintage Racers
o On the web: MGVR.org
- Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce
o http://www.pittsburgchamber.org/
- 2011 PVGP on You Tube
o http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialPVGP#p/a
- Take a lap of the “race course” on “You Tube”
o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Q4N7N6B_U
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
o phipps.conservatory.org/
- Pittsburgh International Race Complex
o www.pittrace.com/

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Greg Prehodka
MG Vintage Racers
Publicity Coordinator
E-mail: MGracer53@aol.com
March 9, 2012

Our Friend & Fellow Member......
at P-burgh:

"This was the Group 3 (Formula Cars and Sports Racers) race at the 25th annual Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, 2007.
The car I was driving (Dad's 1964 Quantum Formula SAAB)decided, for no apparent reason, that it didn't want to partake in the race. Rather, it preferred to stay parked on the grid and sit in the shade while all the other racecars ran around hot and bothered."

Schenley Park, 2011


Cars! Dogs! Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix

Schenley Park is the scene of our nation's only vintage race held on city streets. This 456 acre golf course and park hosts over 2,000 show cars and well over 200,000 spectators for the weekend.
I have attended the PVGP every year since 1992, always with at least one of my dogs in tow. The event is dog-friendly, and there are plenty of opportunities for us and our dogs to walk the golf course perusing the classic cars displayed there, shop at the numerous vendor booths, watch the races from safe vantage points where our dogs won't be spooked by the noise of the cars, and even enjoy inexpensive snacks.
I'll be attending the event with the Pittstop MINI Club. The club sets up and displays our cars in the area south of Schenley Drive, in the west-most end of the golf course. This will be a great place for us to meet and reconnect throughout the day with our little dogs. Maps of the car show are available at the event, and you'll see that the MINI Coopers are set up near the Volkswagens and BMWs. Our group cannot eat the catered lunch served to the MINI folks, but the area will give us a great "jumping-off" point for the event. If we don't connect up at the MINI area, we'll find each other via the green ribbons tied to our dogs' collars and/or leashes -- don't forget to tie on a ribbon! 
The PVGP races through Schenley Park are considered by many drivers to be the most challenging race course worldwide. The 2.33 mile circuit has 23 turns not to mention haybales, manhole covers, phone poles and stone walls.
There are practice/warm-up sessions each morning. Qualifying races take place on Saturday with the Crown Royal Featured Races on Sunday. Both afternoons feature exciting racing as groups are separated by engine size and year of manufacture. There is little difference to spectators between Saturday's and Sunday's track action as over 150 cars will compete.
VSCCA Race Groups at Schenley Park 
– Pre World War II (Pre '41) 
– Post-War Sports Cars Under 1 Litre &Preservation 
– Sports Racers and Formula Cars 
– Under Two Litre (Pre-1960) 
– Over 2 Litres (Pre '60) 
– Small Bore thru ’65, Modified & H Production
This event involves walking -- wear comfortable shoes! Bring water for your dog to get you through until you obtain bottled water for sale or free from the various vendors throughout the event course.
Non-retractable leashes are your best bet -- four or six-foot leashes keep our dogs safe, out of the way of other attendees' feet, and safely away from the classic cars on display throughout the park.
Food is available for sale throughout the park.
I will provide my mobile phone number to all of our group members who RSVP "yes". If you are unable to connect with our group, you can text or call me the day of the event to discover our whereabouts :-)


Pittsburgh Dachshund Meeting Group
http://www.meetup.com/dachshund-488/events/14097087/

PVGP 2009 Grp 2


Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix 2010 Group 2 Winner


PVGP 2010 - Group 4 Sunday race start