Racing community pushing to save track in Beaver County

BIG BEAVER, Pa. — “It was kind of disbelief, and kind of like a gut punch.”

That’s how Max Romano felt when he heard the owners of Pitt Race would be closing the popular Beaver County racetrack in November. Channel 11 first told you when they announced it on Facebook last week.

The news has been hard for Romano and others who have an interest in racing and cars.

“We don’t really have something similar in scale to Pitt Race within a 3-4 hour radius of Pittsburgh, so it was really upsetting to me that a hobby and an interest of mine that I’ve had access to and have cherished is down the drain,” Romano told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek.

He’s not the only one surprised.

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix was also shocked by the news.

“There was a lot of surprise, and certainly disappointment,” said Dan DelBianco, Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Executive Director.

The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is a 10-day event that raises money for Autism Pittsburgh and Merakey Allegheny Valley Schools. They’ve raised more than $7 million for those charities since 1983.

“I think it affects other organizations even more so than the Grand Prix,” DelBianco said. “The Steel City’s region of the SCCA, (Sports Car Club of America), which is a huge part of our volunteer base, that was their home track.”

The event has kicked off at Pitt Race since 2004. They’re looking at other places to host the start of next year’s event.

“As a region, the track will be greatly missed,” DelBianco said.

With no clear answer on what will happen to the track once it closes next month, an online petition, SavePittRace.org, is now urging people to attend a meeting Tuesday night at 6 p.m. in Big Beaver in hopes of getting answers and saving the racetrack.

They are also urging people to write to local lawmakers.

“People, whether that’s race fans or just normal people in the community, want to be heard,” Romano said.

The last public event at Pitt Race is on November 9.

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