Sports History
Start Your Engines
By Anne Madarasz

The eyes of baseball fans will be focused on the North Side and baseball's All-Star game this month. At the same time, in the East End, racing fans from across the country will test their skills on the streets of Schenley Park as part of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.

Auto racing has a long history in this area. An active auto manufacturing industry existed in the region between 1900 and 1930. With abundant raw materials, booming steel and glass industries, and a large skilled corps of engineers, machinists, and mechanics, Pittsburgh had the elements to power this early industry. The nation's earliest auto racing enthusiasts used races to test new designs or demonstrate the roadworthiness of cars. As the automobile captured the imagination of Americans, racing spread to the general public. An open field or old horse track provided the speedway; mechanics the drivers.

Today, auto racing is a corporate enterprise and the top races involve a considerable outlay of capital. It's estimated that racing has attracted 75 million fans nationwide; locally, there are legions of followers. Pennsylvania currently ranks second in the nation in number of auto racing tracks. Some are major enterprises sponsoring races that attract national talent. Others, the smaller tracks that dot the landscape of the region, allow locals to test their cars and their skill in weekly competitions.

Three primary types of auto racing tracks exist -roads, oval tracks, and straight tracks. Road racing, where drivers must turn both left and right during the race, is the oldest type of racing. The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, founded in 1983, is an example of road racing. Held in Schenley Park, racers guide their cars through the winding streets, testing both driver and machine. The event attracts racers from around the country who participate in the weeklong celebration that includes car shows and motor sport events. In it's over 20-year history, the Vintage Grand Prix has raised almost $2 million for charity.

The most popular type of racing in the region takes place on oval tracks. Originally dirt or clay, some oval tracks were adapted from horse racing tracks. In the 1920s, board tracks such as the Altoona Speedway became popular. They were fast but treacherous. With the advent of advanced paving materials many oval tracks, such as Heidelberg, were asphalted-providing a smooth, hard racing surface. About 25 percent of the nation's oval tracks are asphalt, the rest are dirt. Straight tracks are used for speed or drag racing. Originally racers tested how fast they could cover the measured distance of the track-now many of the races are competitive matched races between two drivers. As All-Stars race around the bases in PNC Park, skilled drivers will start their engines, ready to negotiate the twisting streets of Pittsburgh.

Anne Madarasz is Director of the Western PA Sports Museum.