Mike,
One of the conditions stipulated, when Schenley Park was donated to the city
was that no one would EVER be charged admission to the park, for any event
or whatever reason. Pretty cool, huh?
I wish I could say, with a straight face, that our weather is always
wonderful for PVGP. However, we've had some major monsoons, in the
past....like the year ('86 or '89, I think) that Ferrari was Marque of the
Year. Also, '90, the year I got my Midget back on the road. We held
British Car Day on Schenley Drive because the golf course was saturated and
it rained all stinking day! Seems that God makes us pay for the great
weather weekends by throwing an occasional stinker at us, just to test our
resolve.
Did you know that Tivvy's Jag (was someone else driving it, in that race?)
and an MGA were involved in a fender bender at The Hairpin (turn 18)? It
happened directly in front of us, but, it happened so quickly I couldn't
tell exactly how it happened. The impact spun the Jag sideways and the MGA
got way ahead. Damage was fairly light, on both cars. However, when a
metal to metal occurs (or anytime a car is damaged by driver error or
over-enthusiasm), the drivers are not allowed to race at PVGP again. The
only exception was Burt Levy and I understand from Burt that there was a
WHOLE LOT of political arm-wrestling that went on to make that happen.
The reason for the exile of those drivers is that, due to the very
unforgiving nature of the course and the very dangerous, high curbs, big
trees and stone walls lining the course; it would be too easy for a case of
"The Red Mist" to result in a serious accident or a fatality. Besides what
that would do to the event's insurance rates, the city of Pittsburgh has
decreed that a serious injury or a fatality will mean the end of the event.
The event was almost discontinued several years ago, when a TD driver
suffered heat stroke, went off course and was killed instantly.
Fortunately, the Mayor is a big supporter of PVGP and the event was not
blamed for the guy's health problem (heat stroke). But, I'm told that the
event came within a hair's breadth of being stopped forever. So, you can
see why some drivers are banned from coming back.
Bud Osbourne
-----Original Message-----
From Michael Carpenter [mailto:MAIL4CARPENTERS at peoplepc.com]
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 11:38 PM
To: Dave Carpenter; Bud Osbourne
Cc: Spridgets@Autox. Team. Net
Subject: Re: Pittsburgh Vintage GP
Hi Dave,
You will probably remember me from asking about the Ft Pitt tunnel etc.
That was a real mess but got me there in about the same time.
You are right about the PVGP . . . it is the greatest week and weekend of
British and vintage cars in general. I have not missed one since finding
out about it in 1985. I look forward to it all year. I hope that I do not
jinx it but, unlike Carlisle (which I will not go back to for a long time .
. . ebay is better . . . ) the weather is almost always beautiful with nary
a cloud in the sky. Everybody should go to the PVGP. It is so hard to
believe that they have not found a way to make more money for the charities
by charging admittance. I guess that it would be hard to do as it is so
BIG!
I got to see your Sprite but didn't get to meet up with you. It looks most
excellent. Nice job.
I remember seeing a replica blue C-type jag was that the same one that you
saw?
I have to disagree with the blue mini being a threat to Tivvy's white jag.
Tivvy takes no prisoners! Tivvy is one of those drivers that they could
purposely put him in the back of the pack and he would still win in a three
lap race.
It was also nice to see the Bugeye there racing for the first time. Usually
it is all Turners and a Sprite powered Seven or two with the occasional
Sprite-powered Formula Junior thrown in for good measure.
Next year, I hope to have my '62 Sprite done and in the show as well as my
'62 Super Seven.
Mike Carpenter
----- Original Message -----
From "Dave Carpenter" <d.carpenter7 at verizon.net>
To: "Bud Osbourne" <abcoz@hky.com>
Cc: "Spridgets@Autox. Team. Net" <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 10:54 PM
Subject: Re: Pittsburgh Vintage GP
> Sorry Bud, we wandered around most of the time looking at cars. Our
> Bugeye was the Ivory one straight across the aisle. There must have been
> 40 big Healeys and about 600,000 MGBs and Triumphs. Never made it to the
> American cars. (Did you see the Corvette Nomad wagon?) The announcer
> said there were 1700 registered display vehicles if you count all
> classes and marques. I believe it to be true. Burt Levy was a lot of fun
> while signing autographs. The show had all the vehicles from the books.
> The C-type Jag was stunning as was the Jowett Jupiter. The Allards and
> TDs along with all the others made for a full day of looking. Don't
> forget the #409 Speedwell Sprite coupe that ran in the race too. I think
> the Mini would have been a real threat to the XK coupe had it kept
> running. There was one mishap at the turn near the conservatory, a red
> Elva Courier got out of shape and spun to the inside of the sweeping
> right hander. He went sideways onto the curb and took down a light pole.
> The big kind of city light pole 30 feet high witht he curved arm at the
> top. The pole did a slow motion fall right across the cowling, narrowly
> missing the cockpit. He was OK (probably had to send the driving suit
> straight to the cleaners), tok an hour and a half for the city crews to
> show up and clear the track. Could not have asked for better weather.
>
> CHUCK, you need to bring the sports racer!!!
>
> Those that missed this event, shame on you for six weeks.
>
> Dave & Bobbie
>
> Bud Osbourne wrote:
>
> >I finally got one of my fondest wishes, at PVGP: We actually had a B/E
> >Sprite racing. Not only that, the B/E won his class (production under 1
> >liter) very convincingly. I'm hoping this will open the "flood gate" for
> >Sprite entries. Sprites are so beautifully suited to the course, at
> >Schenley Park (PVGP is run on public roads, through a wooded, hilly, 150
> >year old park, right in Pittsburgh's Oakland section). The car looked
> >TERRIFIC on the track!
> >Also, we had way north of 400 cars on the golf course, overlooking the
race
> >course, for British Car Day, on Saturday. We had something like 18 B/Es
> >pre-registered, which is the most we've every had. We had about 9
pre-'75
> >Midgets, but no Mk-II-IV Sprites :(
> >Dave Carpenter, I'm sorry I missed you....I was busy parking cars all
> >morning and drinking beer/swapping war stories w/my Triumph Club and MG
Club
> >buddies all afternoon.
> >Hey, any Spridgeteers going to The Roadster Factory Summer Party?
> >
> >Bud Osbourne
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/spridgets
|