By Bob Baker
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (May 6, 2010) – Back in 1990, when
construction was underway on the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in
Knoxville, Jeanie Bieri of nearby Oskaloosa was instrumental in providing
input on the non-profit museum foundation’s “A Brick At A Time” fundraising
program. Today, some twenty-one years later, her husband Joe Crookham and
his Musco Lighting company have totally “lit up” the Knoxville Nationals
Wall of Champions prior to this August’s 50th annual Goodyear Knoxville
Nationals. The wall, honoring the sport’s national championship-winning
drivers and owners, was initiated by the Eddie Leavitt Memorial Fund and was
a joint effort of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and the
Knoxville Raceway.
According to museum executive director Bob Baker, “The new LED
Musco Lighting system not only illuminates our Wall of Champions much better
than the old spotlights, but the new technology will also save our museum
money as it will only use a fraction of the power that the old lights were
using. We have to thank Joe Crookham and Ross McCombs so much for their
personal interest in this project and making it happen. We also owe a debt
of gratitude to museum volunteers like Grant Rankin, Jim Cadwell, Andy Clark
and Vickie Agan for always keeping our needs for improvement in mind on a
daily basis. And we can’t forget the late Tom Edwards, Sr., and the late
Kathy Visser for their visionary ideas, too.”
Since 1976, Musco Lighting has specialized in the design and
manufacture of systems for lighting recreation and athletic fields. From
neighborhood ball fields to NASCAR superspeedways to the fast-paced world of
sports broadcasting and the entertainment industry, Musco’s team can proudly
state, “We Make It Happen.”
Those seeking further information on the 501(c)(3) non-profit
National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, individuals are encouraged to
visit www.sprintcarhof.com. Those seeking further info on Musco Lighting
can visit www.musco.com. And sprint car racing fans can learn more about
the Knoxville National Sprint Car Championships, August 11-14, by looking at
www.knoxvilleraceway.com.