By Bob Baker
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (September 11, 2010) – On Saturday, September 25, the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in Knoxville will participate in the sixth annual Museum Day, presented by Toyota. Museum Day is a day when museums and cultural institutions nationwide open their doors free of charge to all visitors who download the official ticket from www.smithsonian.com. A journey to celebrate our world’s dynamic heritage and cultural life, participating Museum Day venues emulate the free-admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities.
According to National Sprint Car Museum curator Thomas J. Schmeh, “It is important for all museums in North America to join together a couple of times a year and showcase our cultural unity and diversity, and Museum Day on Saturday, September 25, is one of those special opportunities. At the non-profit National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in Knoxville, we are proud to partner with the Smithsonian Institution in this worthy effort. On a local level, this is also a day when several Knoxville Chamber of Commerce members are trying to do something a little special to attract visitors from the greater Des Moines area to our community. I know the Peace Tree Brewing Company in downtown Knoxville will be hosting a fun ‘Blues, Brews & BBQ’ event that evening, so maybe visitors will come a little early and tour the world’s only museum solely dedicated to preserving the history of ‘big car’ and sprint car racing.”
Amongst the special exhibits that will be in the National Sprint Car Museum on Saturday, September 25, are…
– a “Salute to Louis Vermeil”, featuring his beautifully-restored ‘big car’ from Northern California, which is now owned by his son, coach Dick Vermeil,
– a “Salute to John Gerber”, featuring his bobtail special and his 1932 ‘big car’,
– a “Salute to 50 Years of Knoxville Nationals-Winning Cars”, featuring those driven by Kenny Weld, Kenny Gritz, Jan Opperman, Eddie Leavitt, Doug Wolfgang, Steve Kinser, Mark Kinser, Danny Lasoski and Donny Schatz,
– a “Salute to Bob Trostle”, featuring his 1977 and ‘80 Knoxville Nationals-winning non-winged sprint cars,
– a “Salute to the World of Outlaws (WoO) Inaugural Event”, featuring the winning Jimmy Boyd/Woodruff Brothers sprint car from Devil’s Bowl Speedway in March of 1978, surrounded by John Mahoney photos from that race weekend in Mesquite, Texas, and
– other open-wheel race cars, including midget, super-modified and dirt championship cars.
Attendees must present the downloaded ticket to gain free entry for two people to participating institutions. The Museum Day ticket is available to download on their web site at www.smithsonian.com/museumday. One ticket is permitted per household, per e-mail address. Listings and links to other participating museums’ and sponsors’ web sites can be found there.
About National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation
The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation, Inc. is a membership based, program-driven 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization, which was incorporated on April 25, 1986, in the state of Iowa. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation, Inc., was incorporated for the dual purpose of preserving the history and promoting the future of the sport of sprint car racing. For more information, visit www.sprintcarhof.com and www.sprintcarstuff.com.
About Smithsonian Media
Smithsonian Media comprises Smithsonian magazine, Air & Space, goSmithsonian, Smithsonian Media Digital Network and the Smithsonian Channel. Smithsonian Media’s flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, is one of the nation’s largest magazines with a circulation of more than 2 million and nearly 7 million readers. Smithsonian Media is a division of Smithsonian Enterprises, the revenue-generating business unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities. Approximately 30 million people from around the world visited the Smithsonian in 2009. For more information, visit www.smithsonian.com, www.airandspacemag.com, and www.gosmithsonian.com.