Race Day Info

Welcome to PPMS! We hope you enjoy your night of family entertainment. Here are some things you might want to know if you’re visiting for the first time.

We’ll sell you the whole seat but you’ll only need the edge! Dirt’s Monster Half Mile, Affordable Family Fun, gates open at 5PM warm-ups at 6PM, and Racing at 7 PM Saturday nights unless otherwise noted!

Action Events are only $16 for adults, $14 for seniors (60+) and military (with proper ID), $8 for students (aged 16-6), and Kids aged 5 and under are always FREE. We offer free parking at all of our events.

Special events typically carry alternative pricing.

Win Free Tickets

We give away free tickets frequently during race season! Like & Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to be the first to know about new contests.

Upon Arrival

Parking
All spectators park FREE at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway events in the large, mostly flat grass field outside our facility. Please Note: Leased events on speedway grounds may choose to charge for parking. PPMS DOES NOT collect any monetary value from those events. Light tailgating and casual gatherings before and after events are generally allowed, but we reserve the right to ask you to disperse if issues arise.

We strongly recommend rolling up your windows completely and closing convertible tops before races start. Motorcycle riders should bring a kickstand pad and may wish to bring a cover.

Seating
All of our seating is wooden, open, bleacher-style grandstands. You may wish to bring a towel, blanket, seat cushion, or stadium seat for comfort. Patrons may choose to utilize our drive-in parking area by turn one. This comes at an additional cost to your admission ticket(s) and space is limited.

Accessibility
Much of our facility can be accessed by people with mobility impairments. The first row of our main grandstands is accessible by ramp. Wheelchair users or persons unable to climb stairs may also choose to sit in front of the grandstands or in our lawn chair seating area near Turn 1. In some cases, persons with disabilities may also be allowed to park their cars in this area. Our restrooms, concession stand, gift shop, and Real Nutz Vodka Club are all located at ground level. Most walkways consist of hard dirt, thinly layered pea gravel, grass, or a mixture of these elements.

For persons sensitive to loud noises, we strongly recommend wearing earplugs or safety ear muffs. These items, alongside protective eye wear, are available for sale at our gift shop as supplies last.

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or requests for additional accommodations.

Rain Check Policy

Race events:
If heat races are not completed, your ticket stub will be honored at face value for the remainder of the season. No cash refunds. If all heat races are completed, no rain checks will be issued. Any remaining feature events will be rescheduled for future dates.

Monsters 'N' Megas Monster Truck Experience:
These events are operated as a "rain or shine" events. Events will proceed as scheduled unless severe weather poses safety risks. Updates will be shared promptly via official social media channels, email, and/or the website. In cases of lightning, heavy storms, or unsafe conditions, the event may be delayed, paused, or canceled.
Decisions will prioritize the safety of attendees, participants, and staff. Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Inc. is not responsible for cancellations, delays, or interruptions due to Acts of God, including but not limited to extreme weather, natural disasters, or other events beyond the control of the organizers. In such cases, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway reserves the right to reschedule or cancel events without liability. Attendees should come prepared for rain with suitable gear, such as raincoats, ponchos, and umbrellas. Attendees may be asked to return to their vehicles during severe weather.

A typical race night follows this schedule:

5:00 PM – Gates open
6:00 PM – Hot laps (testing and tuning for drivers)
6:58 PM – National anthem
7:00 PM – Racing starts
11:00 PM – Racing ends (approximate)

Qualifying (or “heat”) races are held at the beginning of the night and include between 5 and 10 drivers each. Drivers are assigned a random, computer-generated number to determine their starting position, and their finishing position helps determine their starting position in their division’s feature race.

Feature races are the main events and feature all of the cars from each division. Winners of these races win both prize money and points. The driver with the most points in each division at the end of the race season is declared the Division Champion.

We encourage you to arrive before races begin to find a good seat and get dinner and a drink at the Checkered Flag Food Court. For adult beverages, visit our all new Real Nutz Vodka Club. Both are conveniently located underneath the main grandstands.

Food Courts and Bars
Enjoy dinner during the races! The Checkered Flag Food Court has a variety of amusement-park-style food. Local pub-priced adult beverages are available at the Real Nutz Vodka Club. Stop by our gift shop for racing novelties and apparel for all ages. The Food Court, Club, gift shop, and restrooms are located in the main building beneath the grandstands.

An additional food court for drivers is located in the pits.

Cooler and Carry-In Policy
Coolers must be no larger than 14" and contain no glass. No alcoholic beverages may be brought into the speedway. Unopened non-alcoholic beverages and small snacks are the only food and drink that may be carried in. For example, an unopened bottle of water and a granola bar or two would be allowed, but a cheeseburger, fries, and soft drink in a cup would not be allowed. Your cooler and bags will be searched at the gate.

Due to space restrictions, no coolers are permitted into the grandstands during the Monster Truck or Pittsburgher weekends.

Free Wi-Fi
Enjoy free Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the track, sponsored by Zufall Communications, Crosstalk Solutions, and Cambium Networks:

Live Audio and Scoring
Throughout the night, you’ll hear the races narrated by our announcer, Tyler Harris. Bring a radio and some soundproof earbuds to listen throughout the night on 88.3 FM. Listen carefully for door prizes and giveaways!

Ever wonder how fast our cars go? During race nights, we stream live lap times and scoring data via the My Race Pass app. You can download this in your app store on your mobile device or tablet.

Rohrich Automotive/ Chevrolet Performance RUSH Late Model Dirt Series: The headlining division on a weekly basis at Pittsburgh features standard Late Model cars utilizing the popular sealed Chevrolet Performance 604 crate engine with spec Hoosier Tires on Sunoco e85r gasoline. This was RUSH’s original division that debuted in 2007 and now has over 400 cars in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Their average speed is about 110 miles per hour at Pittsburgh.

Falconi’s Moon Township Automotive 410 Sprint Cars: These lightweight 1400-pound open wheel winged machines with their 410 cubic inch fuel injected engines that run on methanol produce over 900 horsepower with speeds of over 140 miles per hour.

Pittsburgh Truck Center Penn Ohio Pro Stocks: These cars are similar to 1970s-era late models. They have a stock frame, but have different combinations of engine, weight, spoiler, and tires. Drivers can use a crate engine or build their own. Their average speed is about 100 miles per hour.

The Auto House Hobby Stocks: Designed to be an easy way for anyone to start racing, hobby stocks are entry-level cars which are essentially street cars with safety equipment added. Most have 350 V8 Chevy engines. They weigh 3200 pounds and provide some of the most exciting racing action week in and week out.

Kehm Oil Young Guns: Young Guns are four-cylinder, front wheel drive cars which are modified for safety only. It is designed as an entry-level class for teenagers starting at 13 years old. It is a trophy division. For our drivers’ safety, it is also a strictly no-contact division.

Crawford Auto Repair Four Cylinders: These are the most inexpensive and easily accessible dirt race cars around. Practically any four-cylinder front wheel drive car can enter, provided it meets the safety standards.

Visiting Divisions

We’re also joined occasionally by visiting series like the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, FAST on Dirt Sprint Cars, BRP Modified Tour, and more. See our schedule for details.

RUSH Sprint Cars: This RUSH division features the most cost-contained package off all. These traditional, non-wing Sprint Cars debuted in 2018 featuring the sealed Chevrolet Performance 602 crate engine from Pace Performance on spec Hoosier Tires, sealed/spec Bilstein Shocks and powered by RUSH Visual Methanol.

Opening year: 1979
Track type: .555 mile Semi-banked oval
Surface: Clay
Seating capacity: 10,000

Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway was originally built in 1948 as Heidelberg Raceway in Scott Township. The Heidelberg Raceway was the home of the Pittsburgher 250 and closed in 1973 as metro-Pittsburgh surrounded the area. Most of the facilities were relocated to build PPMS in 1979. Ten years later, Miley Motorsports took over, and the Pittsburgher returned as the Pittsburgher 100. In June of 2023, Blair Cress Jr. purchased the speedway and the property on which it stands.

Like the Race Guide? Think something’s missing? Let us know on Twitter at @PAMotorSpeedway or email us! We want to make race nights as fun and friendly as possible for first time visitors and hardcore fans alike.