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Pittsburgh
Vintage Grand Prix
Written by Keith Fudge
This week, travel with us to a city rich with sporting heritage,
as Hemming’s My Classic Car takes you to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for
the 18th annual Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. This year’s event was held
July 14-16, 2000, in the picturesque setting of the city’s Schenley Park.
Not only is the Pittsburgh Grand Prix a treat for the “Certified Car Nut,”
but it is also for a worthwhile cause.The race and show are held for the
benefit of the Allegheny Valley School and the Autism Society of Pittsburgh.
While there, Dennis joined Mike Connolly, Co-Chairman of
the event and the President of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association.
This year, Mike stated that there were more than 1,500 cars on display
for show, and that the three-day event would draw approximately 150,000
spectators. He also went on to note that the support of the Pittsburgh
community is largely responsible for the overwhelming success of the show
and race.
While we were filming, it was tough to keep up with Dennis
as he was just like a kid in a candy store! After taking a turn through
the course in a vintage Jaguar, and wetting his own appetite for some
serious racing competition, Dennis found Robert Hoemice and his classic
1962 Cooper T59, powered by an 1100 cc Ford engine. Robert said that the
Cooper ran its best in the 7,000-10,000 rpm range. Looking at this beauty
only made Dennis even more determined to drive one of these classic racers.
Next, Dennis spoke with Danny Yanda, the Chairman of the
Board of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association, and by the way,
Danny was not alone. He was in the company of a stunning 1958 Elva, a
1953 Allard, and a vintage Jaguar E-type.The amazing thing about these
cars is that they were still in the possession of the original owner!
When all was said and done, we had a great time at this
vintage race and show.We tip our caps to a job well done on the part of
the PVGPA and the city of Pittsburgh.They have truly teamed together in
a worthwhile effort for a great cause, as well as continuing to promote
the preservation and conservation of these incredible automobiles. For
information concerning next year's event, you can find the PVGPA on the
web at http://trfn.clpgh.org/pvgpa/,
or you can email them direct at pvgpa@trfn.clpgh.org
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