Latest news with #IMSMuseum
Indianapolis Star
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Josef Newgarden's 2024 Indy 500-winning car has same modified attenuator Penske failed tech with
INDIANAPOLIS — The violation that sent Josef Newgarden from third fastest during Day 1 of Indianapolis 500 qualifying on Saturday to a tech inspection violation for altering the attenuator resulting in penalties to start 32nd in the 109th Indy 500 has another layer to it. A walk over to the IMS Museum, where Newgarden's 500-winning car from last year is on display in the Penske Gallery, showed that the car's attenuator appeared to have had the same seam between two separate sections of that safety device on the rear of the car filled and smoothed over. It's not clear whether or not the modified attenuator found on Newgarden's 2024 Indy 500-winning car in the IMS Museum was on his car during the race or if it was placed on it after the fact. IndyStar has requested comment from IndyCar president Doug Boles, the series, Team Penske and Roger Penske, and is awaiting a response from all. Those illegal modifications on Will Power's No. 12 and Newgarden's No. 2 were found Sunday during pre-qualifying technical inspection, yet both cars made their way onto pit lane, where Team Penske team members were under the impression they'd be allowed to unmodify their cars before making their runs, leading to the clips shown on Fox's broadcast with Penske crew members scrambling around with various tools to remove the seam filler in any way possible. Eventually, IndyCar technical director Kevin Blanch made clear to Team Penske officials that they could make their Fast 12 qualifying attempt with Power's No. 12, but it would almost certainly fail post-session inspection. Team Penske elected to withdraw both cars, at the time believing they would start 11th (Newgarden) and 12th (Power) going off of their qualifying times from Saturday. Scott McLaughlin, the driver of Team Penske's No. 3 Chevy, crashed during early afternoon practice, and his team had already elected to forgo his attempt, for which he was slotted to start 10th. Monday morning, Boles announced that the cars of Newgarden and Power would be bumped back to the 32nd and 33rd starting spots, respectively, due to the flagrance of the violations. IndyCar impounded the crashed No. 3 car of McLaughlin on Sunday evening, and it was examined further to determine whether it also had the attenuator's seam improperly filled. Boles said Monday that IndyCar deemed the car to have been legal as it was running Sunday afternoon and therefore allowed McLaughlin to hold onto his 10th-place starting spot for Sunday's Indy 500. The Nos. 2 and 12 Team Penske entries also had their strategists (team president Tim Cindric and managing director Ron Ruzewski) suspended for all remaining Indy 500 activities, were each levied $100,000 fines, both had the points related to their qualifying spots (two points for 11th and one point for 12th) stripped and will lose their priority on pit selection for Sunday's Indy 500. In his news conference Monday morning, Boles was asked his level of confidence of whether both illegal Team Penske cars also had these modified parts on them during qualifying Saturday, and Boles only offered up that they had passed technical inspection. He did, though address the potential need for IndyCar to consider the adoption of an independent governing body outside Roger Penske's ownership that might either run tech inspections or govern the sport, in order to help eliminate the ongoing conflict of interest concerns that again have been inflamed across the IndyCar paddock, with Penske owning IndyCar, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Team Penske and Ilmor, which builds engines for Chevrolet.
Indianapolis Star
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Fans watch as 5 Indy 500 winning cars are added to IMS Museum collection
A small gathering of spectators watch as a crew works to unveil five Indianapolis 500-winning cars Thursday, April 24, 2025, acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Spectators gather around the fountain ahead of an unveiling Thursday, April 24, 2025, in front of the IMS Museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Spectators gather as five Indianapolis 500-winning cars acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing prepare to be unveiled Thursday, April 24, 2025, in front of the museum. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Five Indianapolis 500-winning cars acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing sit Thursday, April 24, 2025, in front of the museum ahead of an unveiling. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Spectators take photos Thursday, April 24, 2025, of the five Indianapolis 500-winning cars acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing on display in front of the museum. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Five Indianapolis 500-winning cars acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing sit Thursday, April 24, 2025, in front of the museum after an unveiling. The five include Juan Pablo Montoya's 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner, Scott Dixon's 2008 winner, Dario Franchitti's 2010 and 2012 winners, and Marcus Ericsson's 2022 winner. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Marcus Ericsson, Dario Franchitti, Chip Ganassi, Scott Dixon and Mike Hull chat Thursday, April 24, 2025, after an unveiling of five Indianapolis 500 winning cars acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar IMS Museum President Joe Hale says a few words Thursday, April 24, 2025, after unveiling five Indianapolis 500-winning cars acquired by the museum from Chip Ganassi Racing. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Five Indianapolis 500-winning cars acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing sit Thursday, April 24, 2025, in front of the museum after an unveiling. The five include Juan Pablo Montoya's 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner, Scott Dixon's 2008 winner, Dario Franchitti's 2010 and 2012 winners, and Marcus Ericsson's 2022 winner. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Chip Ganassi smiles and waves Thursday, April 24, 2025, after being recognized by IMS Museum President Joe Hale. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Spectators take photos Thursday, April 24, 2025, of the five Indianapolis 500-winning cars acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing on display in front of the museum. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Spectators take photos Thursday, April 24, 2025, of the five Indianapolis 500-winning cars acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing on display in front of the museum. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Five Indianapolis 500-winning cars acquired by the IMS Museum from Chip Ganassi Racing sit Thursday, April 24, 2025, in front of the museum after an unveiling. The five include Juan Pablo Montoya's 2000 Indianapolis 500 winner, Scott Dixon's 2008 winner, Dario Franchitti's 2010 and 2012 winners, and Marcus Ericsson's 2022 winner. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Scott Dixon stands next to his Indianapolis 500 winning car Thursday, April 24, 2025, after an unveiling at IMS Museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar Dario Franchitti stands between his two Indianapolis 500 winning cars Thursday, April 24, 2025, after an unveiling at IMS Museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar
Indianapolis Star
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
IMS Museum acquires 14 cars from Chip Ganassi Racing, including 5 Indy 500-winners
This is the museum's largest acquisition since 2011. With the addition of these five Indy 500-winning cars from Ganassi, the museum now owns 39 500 winners and has in its possession 49, far and away the largest collection in the world. The collection of 500 winners provides a needed update to the museum, which gives it five Indy 500-winning cars more recent than the previously most current winner it owned (1995). INDIANAPOLIS — In the process of the IMS Museum's $60.5 million facelift, museum president Joe Hale and the museum's board made a decision that stands to alter its future for generations. With all the cars rolled out of the museum's confines, they could take stock in the entire collection, and they started to see differentiating factor in the dozens of cars they owned: They either had something to do with their mission, telling the 100-plus-year history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or they didn't. Lucky for them, several of those non-mission cars had significant value, including the second-most valuable car sold at auction, the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 R Streamliner, an ex-Formula 1 car driven by Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss which sold for $53,917,370 earlier this year. Together with RM Sotheby's, the museum sold off 11 cars in its collection, among them a (Le Mans-winning) 1964 Ferrari 250 LM ($36,344,960), a 1966 Ford GT40 MK II ($13,205,000), a 1908 Mercedes 17.3-liter 150 HP Brookland Semmering Rennwagen ($8,255,000) and a 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS Project XP-64 ($7,705,000). In total, the 11 cars combined to fetch just short of $125 million, and with that endowment, the museum has made its largest vehicle acquisition since 2011, purchasing 14 cars, including five Indianapolis 500-winning ones, from Chip Ganassi Racing, adding the museum's first modern-day Indy cars to its collection. The museum would not revealed what it paid for the cars. 'Three or four months ago, we started having conversations with Chip, and what a great partner to have. He's basically said, 'I have these cars, and they belong in your museum where people can see them and enjoy them,'' Hale told IndyStar. 'My whole point (in this acquisition) was that if a guy or girl who's 30 or 40 comes into our museum, they really don't see a car that is in their era that they can relate to, and with this collection from Chip, we're acquiring cars from the last 30-plus years, and it's really going to resonate with a younger crowd that comes in here.' The five 500-winning cars acquired by the museum from CGR amount to all the team's victorious cars in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, including: Juan Pablo Montoya's 2000 Indianapolis 500 Winner, Target G-force GF05 Scott Dixon's 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner, Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara IR6 Dario Franchitti's 2010 Indianapolis 500 Winner, Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara IR6 Dario Franchitti's 2012 Indianapolis 500 Winner, Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara IR12 Marcus Ericsson's 2022 Indianapolis 500 Winner, Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda Dallara IR18 Ahead of Thursday's news, the museum owned 34 500-winning cars, 28 of which are currently on display – 27 split between its pair of 500 winners' galleries as well as A.J. Foyt's victorious car from 1977 in the Four-Time Winners Gallery. Additionally, the museum currently has on loan the winning cars from 1996 and 2011 and eight more split between the Penske Gallery and the Four-Time Winners Gallery. With the five purchased from Ganassi, it makes 49 Indy 500-winning cars in the museum's possession, far and away the most in the world. Prior to Thursday, the museum's most recent 500-winning car acquisition came in 2021, Bobby Rahal's 1986 winner, and until the addition of the five Ganassi cars, the museum's most current 500-winning car it owned was the victorious machine of Jacques Villeneuve from 1995. Among the rest of the purchases from Ganassi include the museum's first Brickyard 400-winning car, the 2010 winner of Jamie McMurray, the Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet Impala SS, which was already on display in the museum as part of its temporary Brickyard 400-winning cars gallery. Other highlights from the museum's latest acquisition include: Scott Dixon's 2022 Indianapolis 500 Pole Winner, PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda Dallara DW12, in which he passed Al Unser as the all-time leader in most laps led in the 500 Michael Andretti's 1994 Target/Scotch Video Reynard 94I, Chip Ganassi Racing's first team win Greg Moore's rookie year car, the 1996 Player's/Indeck Reynard 96I Alex Zanardi's 1998 CART Championship-winning car, h 1998 Reynard 98I Scott Dixon's 2015 IndyCar Championship winning car, Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Dallara DW12 Delta Wing, one of three chassis proposals for the 2012 IndyCar season, which was unveiled at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show Juan Pablo Montoya's Target Lola B2K/00, which won the 2000 Michigan 500 Tomas Scheckter's Target Chip Ganassi Racing G-Force GF09, in which he placed fourth at the 2003 500 — the South African driver's best finish at Indianapolis 5 thoughts on the IMS Museum's glow up: From 'indoor parking lot' to immersed wonder Hale said since the news of the museum's $125 million endowment, outsiders haven't been shy about showing their interest in striking a deal. 'We've been approached by a lot of people who want to sell us stuff, but we really want to be strategic in what we add to the collection,' Hale told IndyStar. 'This (acquisition) was so important because it really does fill a void in winning 500 cars from the last 30-plus years, but I think we're going to be very strategic with any future acquisitions.' Though he declined to offer specifics on the deal with Ganassi, Hale said that moving forward with the amount the museum has left from the nearly $125 million it earned from its deaccession of those 11 cars, the museum will plan to only work off of the interest revenue the endowment earns, with which it can make future purchases of cars or memorabilia to add to its collection. 'We've made a nice acquisition from Chip, but now we want to take a very steady approach annually to determine where the gaps in our collection are,' Hale said. 'It won't always be cars. It could be different items we think belong in our collection, whether it's a helmet or a race suit or a trophy.'
Fox Sports
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Reopens after Incredible Transformation
INDYCAR The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is open to the public after the completion of its $60.5 million, 17-month renovation, its first significant renovation in 40 years. The IMS Museum was closed to the public since November 2023 while undergoing a comprehensive transformation of its space and experiences. Now reopened, visitors of all ages will experience 40,000 square feet of additional space housing new immersive and dynamic experiences, including: Seven permanent and three rotating galleries The lower level, an area previously restricted to only select tours A new mezzanine dedicated to displaying non-vehicle artifacts, including: A race suit from three-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou The NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 trophy A piece of the SAFER Barrier to highlight safety innovations at the Speedway The 'Starting Line Experience,' placing guests in an immersive video space showcasing the pageantry leading up to the start of the "500' State-of-the art racing simulators allowing guests to try to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 A 'pit stop challenge' for guests to learn the tools and equipment of the racing trade The new exhibits and experiences will bring to life the Museum's vision to create a global destination that provides interactive, immersive and diverse Indianapolis 500 storytelling and educational experiences that can be enjoyed by guests of all ages. 'I'm thrilled to welcome guests back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum after a massive renovation that finished on time and under budget,' IMS Museum President Joe Hale said. 'With the support of our campaign from Lilly Endowment Inc., the John H. Holliday Family, Penske Foundation, Dyson Foundation, The Heritage Group and countless others, we have made the IMS Museum a cultural destination celebrating the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500.' Current galleries include The Heritage Group Gasoline Alley Gallery, Starting Line Experience, The John H Holliday Family Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery, Mezzanine, Qualifying Zone, Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Innovation Workshop, Penske Gallery, The Bobby Rahal Family Gallery (Featured Car Gallery), Best of the Best: The Four-Time Winners (The Chip Ganassi Gallery) and the Track Lounge. One of the cornerstones of the renovation was ensuring accessibility so all guests felt included. New features include a wheelchair-friendly racing simulator controlled fully by the steering wheel instead of the pedals and a wellness room designed for anybody that needs a quiet, private space, from nursing mothers to those with sensory sensitivities. The Museum is also working with Kulture City to become Sensory Inclusive™. Sensory bags can be checked out at the Welcome Center and include soundproof headphones, fidget toys, and glasses to reduce light. Signage around the building will indicate 'headphone areas' for those with sensitivities to noise. General admission tickets and memberships for the IMS Museum are now available at For more information on the IMS Museum, visit recommended
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Reimagined Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Reopens To The Public
The famed Marmon Wasp that Ray Harroun drove to victory in the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 is one ... More of the prized exhibits at the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame that reopens to the public on April 2, 2025. The celebrated history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 is on display in an impressive, reimagined and renovated Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. On Monday, March 31, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum announced the completion of its $60.5 million, 17-month renovations – it's first significant renovation in 40 years. After a few private viewings for benefactors and other VIPs, the famed Museum reopens to the public on Wednesday, April 2. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is schedule for 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on April 2 and will feature special speakers IMS Museum President Joe Hale and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske. Other speakers include Indiana Governor Mike Braun, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, Mayor, Chuck Jones, IMS Museum Board Chair and Robert Dyson, IMS Museum Chair Emeritus. The Museum had been closed to the public since November 2023 while undergoing a comprehensive transformation of its space and experiences. About the only thing that resembles the Museum that opened in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1976 is the outer shell of the building. Everything else has been completely rebuilt and reimagined, connecting the incredible history of the world's most famous and historic race to a boundless future. The outside of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum When the Museum reopens to the public on April 2, visitors will experience 40,000 square feet of additional space housing new immersive and dynamic experiences, including: • Seven permanent and three rotating galleries. • The lower level, an area previously restricted to only select tours. • A new mezzanine dedicated to displaying non-vehicle artifacts, including: ο A race suit from current IndyCar driver, and reigning champion, Alex Palou ο The NASCAR Brickyard 400 trophy ο A piece of the SAFER barrier to highlight safety innovations at the Speedway • The 'Starting Line Experience', placing guests in an immersive video space showcasing the pageantry leading up to the start of the "500'. • State-of-the art racing simulators allowing guests to try to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. • A 'pit stop challenge' for guests to learn the tools and equipment of the racing trade. The new exhibits and experiences will bring to life the Museum's vision to create a global destination that provides interactive, immersive and diverse Indianapolis 500 storytelling and educational experiences that can be enjoyed by guests of all ages. 'I'm thrilled to welcome guests back to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum after a massive renovation that finished on time and under budget. With the support of our campaign from Lilly Endowment Inc., the John H Holliday Family, Penske Foundation, Dyson Foundation, The Heritage Group and countless others, we have made the IMS Museum a cultural destination celebrating the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indianapolis 500,' said Joe Hale, IMS Museum President. In the past, an impressive collection of race cars, mainly the winning cars from previous Indianapolis 500s, were on display in a static environment. When it opened in 1975, it was state of the art, but over the past 40 years, Museums have been redesigned and reimagined to help give the visitors a more interactive experience. To achieve that, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum includes various galleries, each with a different theme. Jim Clark's famed Lotus Powered-by-Ford that won the 1965 Indianapolis 500 inside its Gasoline Alley ... More garage display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. This exhibit allows visitors to literally stroll through history in The Heritage Group Gasoline Alley Gallery. The gallery features seven garages, representing different eras of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, that highlight the stories of each time-period through cars, decor, and immersive audio and visual elements. Corresponding cases are on the opposite side featuring several artifacts on view for the first time, including the original 1909 Articles of Incorporation for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Company and the bucket hat Janet Guthrie wore in 1978 when she finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500, generously donated by Guthrie. The Starting Line Experience helps guests in what it feels like to be at the starting line of the Indianapolis 500 by experiencing Race Day traditions with a seamless blend of cutting-edge technology, imagery, and show cars of the front-row drivers of the most recent '500'. A seven-minute video will play on an 80-foot by 20-foot LED-screen that begins with the cannon firing and concludes with the green flag at the start of the race. When the 'Drivers, start your engines' command is given in the video, the show cars will roar to life. The Front Row for the 108th Indianapolis 500 in 2024 featured in the "Starting Line Experience." This gallery is featured on both levels of the Museum. The John H Holliday Family Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery celebrates the winning cars that have shaped Indianapolis Motor Speedway history. From the 1911 Marmon Wasp to Dan Wheldon's 2011 William Rast Dallara, the cars are now displayed on platforms with improved lighting and signage, including hydraulic platforms along the wall at a 45-degree angle to allow people to look inside the driver seats. The Borg-Warner Trophy is the focal point in the center of the space, with an updated display worthy of holding one of the most unique trophies in sports. "Having had the cherished opportunity to create the images of Indianapolis 500 winning drivers for the Borg-Warner Trophy since 1990, I am deeply honored and grateful to see my work displayed in the beautifully renovated IMS Museum,' said sculptor William Behrends, who has crafted the face of each Indianapolis 500 winner since 1990. The process of creating Josef Newgarden's face on the Borg-Warner Trophy. Also recognized in a special display case is the work of Julie Harman Vance, a florist from Yorktown, Indiana that makes the winner's wreath for BorgWarner. 'I am honored to be part of the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum BorgWarner display,' Harman Vance said. 'The fact that my years of making the winners wreath has become an amazing Hoosier tradition has brought me an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment.' The gallery is located on two levels, with 17 winning '500' cars showcased on the main level and 12 on the lower level. Indianapolis 500 winning cars featured in the Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery The Mezzanine, located above the Winners Gallery, focuses on the extensive artifacts in the Museum's collection. This oval-shaped area, in honor of the Speedway's iconic oval, allows more opportunities to tell the stories of IMS—from '500' traditions and fan experiences, to safety improvements and innovations in technology. There will be multiple interactive kiosks, including ones dedicated to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and a timeline of IMS's history. This gallery also showcases the other motorsports the Speedway has hosted including stock cars, sports cars, motorcycles, and air racing. Through immersive hands-on activities like a pit stop challenge, driving simulators, a strategy challenge and more, guests can learn what it's like to be a driver, strategist or pit crew member in the new Qualifying Zone. This area of learning has something for guests of all ages—from a soft play area for the youngest fans to the dissected car display which goes into detail on the parts that make up an Indy Car. Adjacent to the Qualifying Zone is the Allen Whitehill Clowes Foundation Innovation Workshop, a classroom space for the new education department to offer STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) hands-on experiences for K-12 students. The classroom will be the home for field trips, summer camps, and presentations. Students will examine the concepts, challenges, and innovations that drive a successful racing team and participate in career exploration programs designed to promote job opportunities in the racing industry. The Penske Gallery is an interactive experience that chronicles the history of Team Penske, its team members, and the driving force behind the team, Roger Penske. The gallery features historic race cars, legendary trophies, unique artifacts, and displays honoring some of the most iconic and accomplished drivers in racing history. The McLaren M16B that Mark Donohue drove to victory in the 1972 Indianapolis 500 — the first of ... More Roger Penske's record 20 Indianapolis 500 victories. The Bobby Rahal Family Gallery will host rotating featured exhibitions, with the theme changing every three to nine months. The lower-level gallery will open with a feature on 'NASCAR at the Speedway'. Eight winning Brickyard 400 cars will be showcased, including Jeff Gordon's 1994 winner, Dale Earnhardt's 1995 winner, and Jimmie Johnson's 2006 winner. Only four drivers have achieved the prestige of being a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. This rotating gallery highlights those legends: A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Rick Mears, and Helio Castroneves. Each driver has one of their winning cars on display as well as a racing suit, helmet, and other relevant artifacts. This gallery will change every three to nine months and can be divided into two smaller modular exhibits to give the curatorial team flexibility and provide guests with a reason to visit time and time again. The car that AJ Foyt drove to victory to become the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 ... More in 1977 — the famed Coyote. The Track Lounge serves as the conclusion to the Museum, offering guests the opportunity to book a tour of the track. While tours will depart from the lounge, it's not just a place to board a bus—this space includes an interactive 3-D track map where guests can visually see the evolution of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1909 to present day, a photo car for souvenir pictures, and the 'In the Race' video experience, where guests can see footage from the '500' projected on the walls as they walk down the hallway. A grab-and-go food and beverage stand for guests to fuel up completes the lounge. One of the cornerstones of the renovation was ensuring accessibility so all guests felt included. New features include a wheelchair-friendly racing simulator controlled fully by the steering wheel instead of the pedals and a wellness room designed for anybody that needs a quiet, private space, from nursing mothers to those with sensory sensitivities. The Museum is also working with Kulture City to become Sensory Inclusive™. Sensory bags can be checked out at the Welcome Center and include soundproof headphones, fidget toys, and glasses to reduce light. Signage around the building will indicate 'headphone areas' for those with sensitivities to noise. In 2023, the IMS Museum launched an $89 million capital campaign, The Stories Behind the Spectacle, to fund the Museum's transformation. Of that $89 million, $64 was earmarked for the complete transformation of the interior of the Museum building. The Museum has surpassed its phase one goal, having raised $69 million to date. With the Museum renovation completed at less than initially estimated, the remaining funds are now a part of the second phase of the campaign, which includes a new off-site restoration facility. As a public, non-profit organization separate from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the IMS Museum admission revenue helps cover operating costs, provide students nationwide with free or reduced educational programming, and allows the IMS Museum to offer a variety of community programs and benefits, including Access Pass, free Community Days, Blue Star Program for active military and others. On April 1, IMS Museum members and donors received an exclusive preview of the new space at an invitation-only event. Then on Wednesday, April 2, the IMS Museum will celebrate with community leaders, donors and members with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by the official reopening of the Museum. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum represents more than a century of motorsports history and is driven by its mission to celebrate and preserve the history behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. Since 1956 when the IMS Museum first opened in the old ticket office building outside Turn 1, it has brought to life the innovation, thrill, and cultural significance of motor racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What began with only 12 cars on display has become one of the world's premier collections of racing automobiles and artifacts – with more than 55,000 artifacts and over 150 vehicles. • Established in 1956 • Current building opened in 1976 • 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, separate from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway • 40,000 square feet of exhibit space added with the renovation • 55,000+ artifacts in the Museum collection • 150+ vehicles in the Museum collection • 140,000+ visitors annually • 1,500 square foot STEAM classroom • Final cost of the renovation came in at $60.5 million—under budget, and on time. o $64 million was earmarked from the capital campaign for the renovation • There are 33 lights in the entryway rotunda, representing the 33 drivers in the Indianapolis 500. • The green paint in the Gasoline Alley Gallery was matched to the original green used in the actual Gasoline Alley. • The banking in the Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery on the lower level matches the banking of the four turns on the IMS oval: 9 degrees, 12 minutes (9.2°) • The cutout in the Mezzanine that overlooks the Indianapolis 500 Winners Gallery is designed to resemble the IMS oval. • The simulator steering wheels were modeled after Scott Dixon's steering wheel. • The dissected car in the Qualifying Zone was completely assembled by the Museum's restoration team over a three-month period with real parts donated from teams and manufacturers. It weighs roughly 1,000 pounds. • Real IMS 'Yellow Shirt' staff were used in the video telling guests to 'wait' before the Starting Line Experience. • Shiel Sexton installed more than 14,200 linear feet of new piping—a little more than the track length. • Excluding Museum staff, more than 180 team members from architects to fabricators to construction staff brought this project together over 164,000 work hours. February 2023: Project kickoff. Shiel Sexton, Schmidt Associates, and JRA are chosen as construction, architecture, and design firms. July 2023: The IMS Museum's $89 million capital campaign, The Stories Behind the Spectacle, launches with 51 percent of funds raised, including a $20 million grant from The Lilly Endowment. September 2023: The Museum's historic collection of 150+ vintage automobiles are moved from the basement into storage. November 2023: The IMS Museum closes to the public for a 17-month reimagining and comprehensive renovation. February 2024: Demolition of the interior is completed. April 2024: Exterior refresh of the IMS Museum building is completed. April 2024: The new Mezzanine level is installed, and the skylight is removed from the old Atrium area. November 2024: The Gasoline Alley Gallery theming and buildout begins. December 2024: Installation of the Starting Line Screen begins. January 2025: The dissected car, located in the Qualifying Zone, is the first vehicle to be moved into the Museum. February 2025: The Museum's extensive collection of artifacts and vehicles are moved out of storage. March 2025: Museum cars and artifacts are placed into their relevant exhibit spaces. April 2025: The IMS Museum reopens to the public with 40,000 square feet of additional exhibit space. $5 Million And Above John H Holliday Family, The Dyson Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc., G. Marlyne Sexton, The Heritage Group, Penske Foundation. $1 Million - $4,999,999 Linda and Mike Curb, Robert R. Dyson, The Bobby Rahal Family, Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation, Scott and Sandi Borchetta. $500,000 - $999,999 Susan & David Roberts, A. Dano Davis, Hulman & Company Foundation, The Gordon Family, Thomas and Sharon Malloy. $100,000 - $499,999 Bill Simpson Foundation, Dorsey Foundation, Jenny and Bob Hillis, Mr. and Mrs. James H. Voyles Jr., Melissa A. Caito, The William Loadvine Family, Lynn and Preston Root, Shiel Sexton Company, Inc., Hubbard Family Foundation, French-Pheffer Family, The McGuire Family, Carol and Stephen Hatfield, Duncan and Renea Dayton, The MacAllister Family, R.B. Annis Educational Foundation, Anne and David Shane, Linda and Jeff Congdon, Shelly and Jim Shook, Team Penske, Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Associates and the Wayne Schmidt Family, Miller-Eads $50,000 - $99,999 Timothy J. Cindric Family, Josie George, Laura and Tony George, Thomas and Barbara Beeler, Cheryl and Thomas VanParis, Cheri and Mitch Daniels, Karen and Mike Long, Shiel Sexton Foundation, Inc., Judy and Jim Singleton, Sue and Mike Smith, Cindy and Doug Kizer, The Wurster Family, Michael Fux and Gloria Rubin, Lila and Steve Huse, RJE Interiors, Susan and Bill Tolbert, Xtrac, Ilmor Engineering, Inc., INDYCAR, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bruce R. McCaw Family Foundation, Dallara, Indy Racing Experience. The Indianapolis-based Shiel Sexton Construction oversaw the construction phase of the revamped Museum. 'The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum started with a vision to transform an already iconic venue into an immersive experience that tells the stories of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing from the very beginning to present day,' said Mike Dilts, Chairman, Shiel Sexton Construction. 'It was an honor for Shiel Sexton, along with our incredible design and trade partners, to bring these concepts to reality and maintain the rich history of the Indianapolis 500 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway for generations to come.' Indianapolis architecture firm Schmidt Associates handled the architectural process. "The IMS Museum renovation is all about creating a more immersive, accessible, and engaging experience for Visitors,' said COO Kevin D. Shelley, AIA, LEED, AP of Schmidt Associates. 'Through thoughtful updates, the space now better connects guests to the history of racing while incorporating modern design and sustainability for the future.' JRA, part of RWS Global, handled the Design and Creative Development. 'It has been an immense privilege to conceptualize, design and develop the reimagined Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum,' says Tony Schmidt, Director, Creative Design, RWS Global. 'The new galleries, exhibitions and interactive displays are engaging, immersive and filled with artifacts and digital experiences that will exceed visitor expectations.' Winning cars throughout the history of the Indianapolis 500 flanking the famed Borg-Warner Trophy.
