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Museum of American SpeedA Family's Belief In The Value Of The Past To Preserve For The Future May 13, 2011 By Brian Brennan
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Once through the doors of... Once through the doors of the Museum of American Speed there’s no mistaking you are somewhere special. This will be the last time you view car museums the way you once did. A museum by its nature is intended to procure, care for, study, and display matters of interest. By definition, the Museum of American Speed lives up to its billing, but there's more, much more. Located on the corporate campus of Speedway Motors in Lincoln, Nebraska, the museum represents a lifelong dream of "Speedy" Bill Smith that began back when he was a young boy. His early formative years were spent studying to be a teacher but his passion rested elsewhere, so it was onto racing and the beginning of what is today an immensely successful business. Joyce, his wife, loaned him the $300 to get Speedway Motors started in a 20x20 square foot building near downtown Lincoln. Bill likes to tell this story about borrowing the money and never paying it back. (Editor's note: Joyce tells us she hasn't forgotten the debt and has kept track of the interest accrued over the past nearly 60 years! Careful there Bill.) Bill and Joyce Smith opened... Bill and Joyce Smith opened the doors to Speedway Motors in 1952. Today this enterprise is more than racing and rodding parts but also real estate and property management. Don't believe me? Drive through downtown Lincoln, NE, and note the name of the real estate company on many of the buildings: Speedway Properties. Think there's any connection? The officially registered museum opened in 1992 in a portion of Speedway's warehouse located near the speed shop. The museum moved to its current 135,000 square foot, three-story building and opened to the public in 2001. There are several other Speedway warehouses that accommodate numerous parts and cars that someday will be restored and eventually find their way into the collection. There's so much in the current museum that a number of cars await rotation, as they all can't fit at once. We found numerous identifiable cars of fame, including a magazine project car; STREET RODDER Project SpeedRodder is waiting its turn to visit the museum floor. Many museums have items that are faithfully restored with some that are displayed "as-is" giving a well-rounded feel. The Museum of American Speed takes this to another level. Many of the automotive and nonautomotive artifacts are literally "as-is" with their original packing material and boxes, some still bolted to their original crates, like a Tucker engine, and many displayed in dioramas made from original accessory items of the day. The Oldsmobile Aurora is said... The Oldsmobile Aurora is said to produce 650 hp at 10,000 rpm with 15 to 1 compression. Introduced to the IRL in 1997, the top 27 starters at Indy were Aurora V-8s. The next year, every car competing in the Indy 500 was powered by an Oldsmobile Aurora V-8. The museum collection is eclectic but there's a deep-rooted cultural significance that weaves a connection between the items. For instance, you will find a collection of rock 'n' roll album covers, guitars autographed by virtually every significant artist of the past 50 years, car club jackets and plaques to go along with virtually every kind of American-bred race car-Bonneville, dry lakes, drag race, dirt track, asphalt, Indy, board track, and even Soap Box derby cars. Do you see the common thread? The denominator is "Made in America" and this cultural tie brings racers, rodders, and car lovers together to enjoy each facet of the museum. Car fans enjoy many forms of Americana and because of this the museum offers something of special significance to each. There are collections of pedal cars, childhood lunch boxes, car movie posters, and toy cars, and it's a safe bet to say car guys from every facet of racing and rodding have enjoyed most, if not all, of these endeavors during their lives. Walking (slowly is best!) through the museum is akin to going back to various times in our lives and bringing back memories of our childhood, young adulthood, and even what we might be doing today. Think of this museum as "time standing still" giving you the opportunity to catch up on what you may have missed the first time around. How did all of this arrive? Lincoln, Nebraska, isn't exactly the cultural hub of America, so why here? Nebraska is linked to the heartland of America making it easily accessible to the early days of many forms of racing and a natural spot for the Museum of American Speed.  Doesn't everyone have Bonneville...  Doesn't everyone have Bonneville Salt for their table? Items like this tell you the interest the museum has in recognizing all facets of the automobile as a performance machine.  This Deuce sedan was legendary...  This Deuce sedan was legendary on the dirt tracks in the early '60s. Driven by Lloyd Beckman, its wins included an unprecedented 16 feature victories in a row at Lincoln's Capitol Beach Speedway. The sedan brought much attention to the Speedway Motors name, helping to grow the business. Bill's cars carried the number 4x because, in the early days, he could draw this combination with a straightedge. Bill is a lot of things but he has never admitted to being an artist!  Bill Smith, known as "Speedy...  Bill Smith, known as "Speedy Bill" throughout the automotive world, has literally spent a lifetime collecting all aspects of the car as a performance machine. Talk to Speedy about the museum and you will understand and appreciate the definition of the words passion, dedication, perseverance, and persistence.  The '70s brought a string...  The '70s brought a string of racing successes for Bill, with legendary drivers taking the wheel of Speedway 4x Sprint Cars. One of the best was Jan Opperman, who raced the car on the left to victory in the televised '76 Hulman Classic. The car on the right, designed by Bill, John Singer, and driver Doug Wolfgang, saw many checkered flags with drivers like Wolfgang and Shane Carson.  This island is dedicated to...  This island is dedicated to the dry lakes racing in SoCal. The Model T roadster in the foreground was built by Art Gerrick in the early '50s and powered by a Model T engine with a Rajo head and Winfield carbs.  There are over 600 different...  There are over 600 different racing engines making this the world's largest collection; two Weslake head conversions (left to right) with a circa-'69 Plymouth and mid-'75 Chevy, and a circa-'68 Gurney-Eagle Ford that came out of a joint venture between Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby are but a few outstanding examples of what's visible.  A '30 Duesenberg engine in...  A '30 Duesenberg engine in an original-style crate gives new meaning to a "crate engine." This model of motor powered one race car to a Fifth Place finish at the '30 Indianapolis race. Eight cylinders at 244 cubes, SOHC, with desmodromic valve action-look it up, it's interesting.  Walk into the museum and the...  Walk into the museum and the first exhibit is this '35 Miller-Ford race car. Originally built by Harry Miller and the idea sold to Edsel Ford by Preston Tucker. All four cars in the race failed due to an overheated steering box mounted too close to the exhaust. Car No. 42 completed 71 laps before it too failed from overheated steering box.  The Cornelian was built in...  The Cornelian was built in 1913-16 by the Blood Brothers Machine Company in Kalamazoo, MI, and raced by Louis Chevrolet (ring a bell?) in the 1915 Indy; qualified at 81 mph and ran 76 laps before valve failure. The recreation was built by Allen Rohrstaf of Michigan.  Driven by racing greats like...  Driven by racing greats like Al Unser and Sammy Sessions, the Johnny Lightning Special is one of the most memorable Indy cars of the past four decades. It had seven USAC National Championship wins in four years of competition in the late '60s and early '70s.  The Harry Miller exhibit is...  The Harry Miller exhibit is astounding with its collection of engines, life-size photos of the cars, Leo Goossen's drafting/design table, and interesting bits of information on Miller, Goossen, and Fred Offenhauser. Miller's innovations are seen throughout the automotive and boat racing arena's and dominated the racing ranks during and after his time. His efforts are revered as the preeminent engine and race car designer of the early 20th Century. It was because of the beauty and brilliance in his mechanical techniques that Miller is so highly though of-and rightfully so.  The museum’s pedal car collection...  The museum’s pedal car collection numbers over 500 and accounts for cars from the 1890s forward. This one-off, custom-built example is a scaled-down version of the ’35 Ford Indy racer
that sits on the first floor.  A life-size diorama of the...  A life-size diorama of the Brickyard paddock spans many decades with side-by-side garage scenes. It includes a '35 Ford-powered Indy racer, which qualified for the outside front row in 1937. This is the real car that the above pedal car is based on. Children's pedal cars first appeared in the late 1880s. It wasn't until the early 1900s that pedal cars became widespread and were readily seen in the United States. Originally called Juvenile Steel Automobiles by the Butler Brothers, their pedal cars had sheetmetal bodies, open steering, and double-spoke wheels.  Mickey Thompson gained added...  Mickey Thompson gained added fame with this 389-inch Pontiac cut in half and de-stroked to 180 ci with special Hemi-cylinder head and GMC 4-71 supercharger. It went 230 mph in the standing mile and 163 mph (9.50 seconds) in the quarter-mile.  One of the many display islands...  One of the many display islands on the first floor, this one is dedicated to drag racing and visible from this angle is a rotating cutaway of a Chrysler Hemi and the Tony Nancy rear engine top fuel car.  This '26 Miller features an...  This '26 Miller features an aluminum block with a cast-iron head, DOHC, four Miller dual-throat updraft carbs, and a whopping 90.2 ci-that's the entire displacement, not per cylinder.  The museum recognizes individuals...  The museum recognizes individuals as often as it recognizes things. This is a tribute to Ellsworth "Els" Lohn, who founded Eelco Manufacturing in 1953. The Wee Eel propelled Els into the 200 MPH Club with a record of 203.36 mph from of a 90-inch Coventry Climax Engine.  The museum has a number of...  The museum has a number of NASCAR examples. This is a recreation of a ’56 Pontiac stocker built by Speedy Bill and Bob McKee and driven by future Hall of Famer Tiny Lund. Lund won 500 feature events and 49 major races. He rescued fellow driver Marvin Panch from a burning race car in 1963 but was destined to die himself following injuries sustained at Talladega in 1975. Smokey Yunick was a legend,... Smokey Yunick was a legend, a winner, an innovator, and a master of the "gray area." NASCAR once gave him a list of nine items to fix before he could race. While the gas tank was out of the car, Yunick drove off, prompting him to tell the officials, "Better make it 10." Speedy Bill's penchant for "wheeling and dealing" discovered his early pieces of speed equipment, which included a Hal overhead-cam conversion for a Model A four-banger. It was discoveries like this that got Speedy Bill into truly scrutinizing these early speed parts and developing a true appreciation for the ingenuity and engineering of the early pioneers, like Robert Roof, Joe Jagerberger (Rajo), and George Riley. Bill will tell you, "When you consider what those guys did, it was really amazing. They didn't have much money or the backing of some big corporation, but they had the desire and resourcefulness to create products that made mass-produced engines more powerful and efficient. These guys literally laid the groundwork for the entire performance aftermarket industry." It doesn't take you long to realize that Bill's racing career and the promotion of his business afforded him the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the country. It was during this time Bill found numerous pieces, but also made the personal contacts that have served him well over decades of collecting. It's the real deal, Tucker... It's the real deal, Tucker No. 24. Bill lamented over purchasing this car for years because of the high price. Bill will tell you he should have bought it the first time! Bill tells us, "Back in the '50s, '60s, and '70s, a lot of these old parts and engines were considered obsolete junk. People were throwing some of this stuff away. But I could see the historical value and significance in these items. I felt it was important to save and preserve them so we would have a record of where the industry came from." Bill and Joyce are no strangers to the likes of Hershey and numerous other well-known swap meets. He's an avid reader of national classified ads; any form of communication that would lead to a vintage piece of speed equipment has Bill's attention. As Bill's collection of engines and parts grew, his collecting became more deliberate. A late '50s- to early '60s-era... A late '50s- to early '60s-era gas station display is complete with a Deuce highboy roadster-one of Speedway Motor's Signature Series '32s. It should be noted there are specific days and hours the museum is open; once-weekly tours on Fridays at 2 p.m. from October through April; from May through September there are daily 2 p.m. tours Monday through Friday. It's best to call and make an appointment and there's a $10 charge per person for a guided tour, plus the museum is available for special club and group events throughout the year. You will be hard pressed to get more for your money anywhere else than this two-hour tour will provide. We spent a day and a half and still felt as if there was much more we should have looked at more closely. The attention to detail within the museum is truly amazing and it is here the real car enthusiast will want to spend his or her time. Enjoy visiting the past like no other place can offer.  The Roth Excalibur, later...  The Roth Excalibur, later renamed the "Outlaw", this one is a tribute car that Speedy Bill just had to have for the museum to depict this style of wild show car that reigned supreme at car shows for years.  How many 997-pound Allison...  How many 997-pound Allison turbine engine-powered '32 Ford highboy roadsters do you know of? We only know of one and here it is.  It's all here at the museum,...  It's all here at the museum, tributes to virtually every type of racing there is, including big 'n' littles Sprint Cars from different eras.  In the background is the Red...  In the background is the Red Baron show car, in the foreground is a Total Performance carbon-fiber T-bucket once featured on the cover of STREET RODDER back in the early part of this decade.  Pictured is one small corner...  Pictured is one small corner of the workshop where current projects are brought in to be worked on. There's a full-time staff who are constantly rebuilding and maintaining the museum pieces.  Loads of car club memorabilia...  Loads of car club memorabilia can be seen on the walls of the museum.  What car museum would be an...  What car museum would be an automotive museum without a photo of the "First Lady" of racing-Linda Vaughn.  Every hot rodder needs a parts...  Every hot rodder needs a parts bin to go to when building their latest ride-look closely at the top shelf, need any quick-change housings?  The numbers of different and...  The numbers of different and rare parts are truly amazing.  Are you or have you ever been...  Are you or have you ever been fascinated or involved with Soap Box Derby? Well, Bill has, is, and will forever be fascinated with these gravity-powered racers. The display is true to form and the racers are the real deal. For many a rodder growing up in the '50s and '60s, the Soap Box Derby was synonymous Chevrolet. Chevy brought in its prestige and in turn many famous television and movie stars of the day would make guest appearances. Crowds were reported to be as large as 70,000 as they would cheer on 11-15 boys who were the champions of local races around the nation and from several foreign countries. At its peak, the Soap Box Derby was one of the top five sporting events in terms of attendance.  A typical garage setting in...  A typical garage setting in 1929 featuring many of the tools of the day with a '20s SOHC Fronty Model T-powered race car.  Ford hired a young consultant...  Ford hired a young consultant engineer named Zora Arkus-Duntov to solve a horsepower problem the Flatheads were having in London, England. He designed an OHV head adaptation for the Flathead-the head being named ARDUN. (Look up the horsepower problem, it's a great story.)  Arguably the finest and largest...  Arguably the finest and largest collection of Flathead intake manifolds in the world. (See "Manifold Destiny" by Ken Gross on page 70 of this issue for some great information.)  Another great diorama is the...  Another great diorama is the 1915 dirt track racer complete with a Fronty engine. The body was made from galvanized sheetmetal.  Hmm ... yep a small-block...  Hmm ... yep a small-block Chevy, well sort of-two small-blocks mated together to create a 16-cylinder really big small-block.  This Midget racing diorama...  This Midget racing diorama depicts two famous tracks from dirt racing's past-Olympic Stadium in Kansas City, MO, (left), and Lakeside Speedway in Denver (right).  There's also a collection...  There's also a collection of record album covers and guitars that fits very well with the legacy of hot rods and rock 'n' roll.  The museum also has a very...  The museum also has a very nice display of Cushman scooters, which were manufactured for decades at a nearby Lincoln facility.  Only Speedy Bill can find...  Only Speedy Bill can find a brand-new Tucker motor still bolted to its original crate. Now that's a collector.  This '24 Alemite Paige roadster...  This '24 Alemite Paige roadster pedal car is depicted next to a photograph of a proud owner of one of these prestigious (and costly) toys.  Board track racing didn't...  Board track racing didn't last long but here is a great example of a 1915 Ford racer built in New Jersey that features a unique suspension and a Craig Hunt OHC head.
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