Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum: its evolution

The IndyCar season has ended, but doesn't widespread interest continue year-around among many Hoosiers in all things related to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? So rather than making a pit stop, Hoosier History Live will explore the evolution of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which has been located near the south entrance to the Speedway off W. 16th Street since 1976. About 20 years earlier, the museum had opened (in a much smaller version) in the administrative and ticket offices for the world-famous racetrack. When it kicked off in the mid-1950s, the museum displayed six race cars. Today, visitors can check out 34 winning cars of the Indianapolis 500, plus other history-making autos. Dozens and dozens of other historic cars are stored in the basement, which periodically can be seen on special, guided tours. The museum also houses non-auto collections including trophies, artwork, driver artifacts and a trove of documents.