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The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum had a special place in my heart before I ever stepped foot in the building.
My grandfather—Ralph Winstanley—was a car guy. Not a guy who was out in the garage tinkering with engines but someone who especially appreciated foreign cars and liked to go watch a mechanic who specialized in foreign cars fix them. And my grandfather owned foreign cars before most others in my hometown of Vincennes.
But he had never been to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So my dad (his son-in-law) loaded him into his American-made vehicle, which likely was a Chevy van but could have been an Oldsmobile, and drove him up to Indianapolis to see the track. I don’t know who shot the photo but dad always had a camera.
My guess is that this was in the mid- or late 1970s. My grandpa died in 1982, my dad in 2014.
I didn’t go to the museum myself until 1996, shortly after I moved to Indianapolis. And although my interest in racing then was in its earlier stages, the museum made me emotional. You can still stand in the spot that the photo of my dad and grandpa was taken. And every time I stop at the museum or drive by while visiting the track, I get a little misty-eyed thinking of it.
I had the same thoughts last weekend as my husband and I drove into the track to visit the museum for the first time since it reopened after a $60.5 million renovation. My thoughts after we walked in? Man, I wish my dad and grandpa could see the museum now.
The new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is spectacular. If you’re any kind of consumer of news (which you must be if you’re reading this column!), you’ve seen the photos and probably some video of the transformation.
The change is so dramatic that once you’re inside, it’s almost hard to get your bearings.
What once was mostly a collection of race cars—albeit truly amazing race cars—is now an interactive celebration of the Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
You start your museum journey by walking through a re-created Gasoline Alley, with garages on one side that start with the earlier eras of the Indianapolis 500 and run through recent years. Those displays are essentially time capsules that include not just a race car but also the tools, clothing and appliances (think TVs and refrigerators) from each era. The other side of the hall is lined with glass cases displaying trophies, programs, equipment and other memorabilia.
The Starting Line Experience features video in front of and over your head, with the flyover roaring past and “The Star-Spangled Banner” ringing out as Roger Penske calls for drivers to start their engines. In other galleries, you can try your hand at changing a tire (sort of), determining race strategy or testing your reflexes.
And of course, the museum is still full of race cars, including dozens of Indy 500 winning cars. But the new displays put the cars in context, let you more easily peer inside the cockpits and provide more information about what makes each one special. You see a piece of safer barrier, replicas of trophies and championship rings, helmets still marked with dried milk and bits of rubber, and so much more.
This summer, IBJ will host our newest Indiana 250 honorees for a celebration at the IMS Museum. I can’t wait. The place is inspiring, and I can’t wait to be there with a group of people who are also inspiring. Until then, I encourage everyone to go see for yourself.•
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Weidenbener is editor of IBJ and the Indiana 250. Reach her at [email protected].
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