The Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science is enjoying life in the pole position by hosting an exhibit showcasing the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
A centerpiece of “500 Miles to Go: Recalling Select Milestones & Moments of the Indianapolis 500” is the white race car Jimmy Bryan drove to a second-place finish in 1954. “You can tell it was only turning left because the tires’ treads are much more worn on the left side,” says Chief Curator and Curator of History Tom Lonnberg. Next to the car are bricks from the Brickyard.
Helmets and other memorabilia of four-time winners Helio Castroneves, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, and Al Unser Sr. are displayed. Snapshots explore the legacies of Evansville natives such as the late Edwin Wilbur Aleon, who drove in the race in 1916, 1919, and 1922; and the late Mary Fendrich Hulman, who married future Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman Jr. in 1926 and, after his death, took over his “Gentlemen, start your engines!” command. There’s also a tribute to racing pioneer Charlie Wiggins, a Black Evansvillian barred from the Indy 500 who nevertheless stacked victories in the parallel Colored Speedway Association’s Gold and Glory Sweepstakes.
“500 Miles to Go” primarily features material provided by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the IMS Radio Network/INDYCCAR Radio with the support of local sponsors. It’s the Evansville Museum’s first exhibit of its type, and it stays until the checkered flag drops Aug. 23. “We started a conversation with them two or three years ago about doing this, and they were very gracious and generous,” Lonnberg says.
