Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum unveils $60.5 million renovation

INDIANAPOLIS – We’re all chasing something. We pursue our passions, seek the best version of ourselves, and stretch and strive for success, all part of an intrinsic yearning to achieve. We are driven to achieve great things.

“Drive” and “great”: two simple, five-letter words that are part of a century-long tradition in Indianapolis. A legacy forged in rock and tar, brick, and asphalt. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a beacon for the blessed among us with steely nerves and the guts and gumption to drive faster and the fortitude to press on when heat, exhaustion, and all manner of danger surround them.

They chase. Every individual embarks on that journey. Be it fame, fortune, history, glory, or some unspoken feeling that only winners know, the light from that beacon strips away life to a basic principle: we chase.

What better way to appreciate and treasure that noble pursuit than with a monument to honor the competitors and celebrate those lucky few who’ve conquered a 2.5-mile oval track?

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum preserves the rich history of auto racing for future generations with its interactive displays, remarkable racing artifacts, and exhibits honoring the greatest winners in the track’s history.

The museum reopened in April following a 17-month, $60.5 million renovation, just in time for the 109th Indianapolis 500. It was the first large-scale renovation of the museum in 40 years at its current location on the southeast infield.

It serves as the permanent home of the Borg-Warner Trophy, given to the winner of the Indianapolis 500, and the PPG Trophy, given to the winner of the Brickyard 400; it is also the home of the IMS Hall of Fame.

Gasoline Alley quickly transports guests decades into the past and introduces them to Indianapolis’ racing history. The floor is designed to mimic the appearance of the track over the years, evolving from the basic tar and rock to brick and finally to asphalt. Museum designers recreated the aesthetic of garages from the Speedway going back to the 1920s, complete with vehicles and tools from those times, as if you traveled into the past.

“The Starting Line Experience” is a six-minute video that engulfs visitors in the pageantry of race day, providing them a glimpse of what it’s like for drivers, from the morning cannon shot and fireworks display up to the green flag signifying the start of the race.

Dozens of Indy-winning cars are showcased, from Ray Harroun’s 1911 Marmon Wasp and the 1932 dual-passenger Miller-Hartz Special to Rodger Ward’s 1962 Leader Card Watson Roadster, each car immaculately lit, their vibrant beauty impossible to ignore.

More wondrous race cars can be found in the museum’s basement, along with a pair of exhibits celebrating “NASCAR at the Speedway” and what could be considered the Indy 500’s Mount Rushmore. Through September, visitors can see eight Brickyard 400-winning vehicles, among them Dale Earnhardt’s stock car from The Intimidator’s 1995 victory. The “Best of the Best” exhibit, open through November, honors A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Rick Mears, and Helio Castroneves – the only drivers to have won the Indianapolis 500 four times.

Staring at the helmets and driver suits of these prestigious champions on display, you’re reminded that every driver since and onward is chasing history—a chance to reach the pinnacle of the sport with such legends, only to realize the next goal to chase is surpassing them.