The Vintage Sports Car Club of America has announced that it will launch a vintage grand prix in Springfield, Massachusetts, this July, ending its 28-year participation in the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. The race will be held July 23 and 24 on a 1.6-mile course through the city’s downtown.
The president of the VSCCA, John Schieffelin, explained that his organization and the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association had parted ways over philosophical differences on the running of the event. He said PVPGA members decided to take control of the event, and were interested in “bulking up” the races by admitting cars that would not have been allowed under VSCCA rules. (The VSCCA’s emphasis is on rare and unusual sports and racing cars, including pre-war and certain post-war cars through December 31, 1959.) As a result, the VSCCA’s board of directors unanimously agreed to end their participation in Pittsburgh. The choice of dates, the same as those of the PVGP, was dictated by the availability of the VSCCA’s volunteer workers, and scheduling issues with the City of Springfield.
PVGP Executive Director Dan DelBianco confirmed that the VSCCA will no longer be the Pittsburgh event’s sanctioning body. He stressed that this year’s race in Pittsburgh will go on, sanctioned by the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Association. “Our race will survive and thrive – there’s no question about it,” he said. He declined to discuss the reasons for the VSCCA’s withdrawal.
Springfield was chosen for the new event for its significant role in the history of American manufacturing. It was the location of dozens of vehicle factories, most prominent among them Duryea, Knox, Rolls-Royce and Indian motorcycles. “This annual, free to the public charity event will be a great success and the crown jewel of New England events. Other cities will try to replicate this, but no other city in this country can recreate our true American story. There’s many Springfields across the nation, but there is only one ‘City of Firsts,’” according to the SVGP website.
On the SVGP site is a link to a brief interview with VSCCA President John Schieffelin by Kari Njiri of National Public Radio affiliate WFCR, and a news item from MassLive.com, the online site of the Springfield newspaper, the Republican.
The VSCCA is the oldest automotive preservation club in America that offers a complete race program in addition to rally and other automotive conservation events.
Stay tuned for more developments….