There Are Locations Around the Country to See Rare and Exotic Race Cars
By John Oreovicz
INDIANAPOLIS – It’s the middle of December, Groundhog Day is still weeks away, and only Punxsutawney Phil knows how long winter will extend beyond that for those of us who live in the northern half of the United States. By then, the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona will have been run, and by the time the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts flags off in March, the seasonal chill will hopefully be receding.
All that daydreaming about Grand Touring Prototypes (GTPs) and warm weather got me thinking about indoor activities during winter for IMSA and sports car racing fans. I came up with a list of museums across America that feature cars or exhibits relating to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship or other significant endurance racing events. Not all are located in cold weather climates, and some travel may be involved. But they are all worth seeking out – no matter what the season.
Brumos Collection – Jacksonville, Florida
(Photo above courtesy of Ketterman Photography)
Hubert Brundage became the exclusive U.S. distributor for Porsche in 1958; upon his death in 1964, Brumos Porsche was acquired by Peter Gregg, who went on to be one of the most successful drivers in IMSA history. Gregg honored Jacksonville by using the race No. 59 in Navy font from the Florida-based USS Forrestal in the iconic livery he created for Brumos Racing. Many of Gregg’s significant Porsche racing cars (though he also won the 1976 Rolex 24 teamed with Brian Redman and John Fitzpatrick in a BMW CSL fielded under the Peter Gregg Racing banner) are immaculately displayed in the Brumos Collection, which opened in 2020. The thoroughly modern museum features other significant Porsches, including variants of the 917, 935, 956 and 962. Each car features a digital information kiosk. Advance reserve tickets are available and strongly recommended.
5159 San Pablo Road S, Jacksonville, FL 32224 | https://www.thebrumoscollection.com
The Henry Ford – Dearborn, Michigan
While Henry Ford was a famous titan in the automotive industry, The Henry Ford is far more than just a car museum. Yes, the Museum of American Innovation includes a substantial number of vehicles – of particular note to IMSA enthusiasts, the Driven To Win: Racing In America exhibit features the Ford GT that claimed milestone GT class wins in the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2017 and ’18 Rolex 24, as well as the 1967 Ford Mark IV piloted to overall victory at Le Mans in 1967 by Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt. But cars and car culture make up only a small part of the indoor portion of The Henry Ford. Outside, you can ride a steam train around the 419-acre grounds, drive a Model T through historic Greenfield Village or take a short van ride to the Rouge Factory Tour to witness the best-selling Ford F150 truck under construction.
20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, MI 48124 | https://www.thehenryford.org
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America – Daytona Beach, Florida
Located on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway (DIS), the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) is the hall of fame for all motorsports. For 35 years, the MSHFA has inducted Americans or international competitors with exceptional achievements in U.S. motorsport in the categories of Drag Racing, Aviation, Motorcycles, Open Wheel, Power Boats, Stock Cars, Historic, At Large and, of course, Sports Cars.
The list of Sports Cars honorees reads like a “Who’s Who” of IMSA champions and pioneers and includes Derek Bell (MSHFA Class of 2012), John Bishop (MSHFA Class of 2014), Geoff Brabham (MSHFA Class of 2004), Peter Gregg (MSHFA Class of 2000), Hurley Haywood (MSHFA Class of 2005), Al Holbert (MSHFA Class of 1993), Tommy Kendall (MSHFA Class of 2015), Scott Pruett (MSHFA Class of 2017), Bob Tullius (MSHFA Class of 2018) and more.
The Sports Cars exhibit currently features an IMSA GTP Group 44 Jaguar XJR-7 V-12 on loan from the Tullius family. The winning Jaguar scored its final victory in the 1986 IMSA finale at Daytona with co-drivers Tullius and Chip Robinson.
Featuring nearly 300 inductees, racing artifacts and historic cars, planes, boats, motorcycles and trucks, the 20,000-square-foot museum is housed in the DIS Ticket and Tours building just outside of NASCAR Turn 4 on International Speedway Blvd. and is open nearly every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
1801 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114 | https://www.mshf.com
Petersen Automotive Museum – Los Angeles, California
Established in 1994 in partnership with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and extensively remodeled inside and out in 2015, the Petersen is relatively young in historic terms. But it quickly evolved into one of the most established and respected auto museums in a relatively short time. Known for a series of rotating exhibits – always top notch – the Petersen offers something interesting that’s car related for just about everyone. A recent exhibit featured notable Porsche racing cars; key current attractions highlight McLaren, Formula 1, Andy Warhol’s automotive art and famous movie and television cars. For maximum enjoyment, splurge on a self-guided tour of the museum’s Vault.
6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | https://www.petersen.org
Museum of American Speed – Lincoln, Nebraska
Speedway Motors was formed in 1952, and the pioneering mail order business became known as “America’s Oldest Speed Shop.” And while owners Bill and Joyce Smith made their name in the hot rod industry, they had a love for all forms of racing. The Museum of American Speed opened in 1992 and moved to its present location in 2001. The Smiths’ life of collecting has been preserved by their sons in a 150,000-square-foot facility that highlights almost every kind of motorized competition in the world. Of note to sports car fans is the unique Cadillac Le Mans Prototype that earned several podium finishes in American Le Mans Series competition in 2002.
599 Oak Creek Drive, Lincoln, NE 68524 | http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com
REVS Institute – Naples, Florida
The fact that admission to the REVS Institute is by appointment only validates how special it is to visit. The New York Times calls it “the finest sports car collection in America,” and that’s hard to argue, given the exclusivity of the vehicles and the quality of restoration and maintenance. The institute is home to more than 100 cars from the Miles Collier Collection, as well as a library stocked with the most extensive store of printed material and photographic images. The highlight is arguably the Eagle Formula 1 car that Dan Gurney drove to victory in the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix, but there are also examples of almost every significant Porsche racing car, along with Le Mans winners from Ferrari and Ford, and even the massive Cadillacs that Briggs Cunningham raced at Le Sarthe nearly 75 years ago.
2500 Horseshoe Dr. S, Naples, FL 34104 | https://revsinstitute.org
National Corvette Museum – Bowling Green, Kentucky
Everyone loves Corvettes, and this is the place to indulge in your passion for America’s original sports car. Each of the eight generations of Corvette is on display, including customs, racing machines (including the latest IMSA Corvette C8.R, and even wrecked cars that survived the Museum’s bizarre 2014 sinkhole episode.) The 115,000-square-foot facility is adjacent to NCM Motorsports Park, which features a 3.2-mile road course where you might occasionally see IMSA competitors running private test sessions. Acura recently used the track to shake down its GTPs prior to the IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona.
350 Corvette Drive, Bowling Green, KY 42101 | https://www.corvettemuseum.org
Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Simeone Museum officially opened in a 78,000-square-foot facility in 2008, but prior to that, those in the know could request appointments for private tours of Dr. Fred Simeone’s private collection of more than 75 vehicles – including the Jaguar D-Type that Juan Manuel Fangio co-drove to third place in the 1956 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Another exhibit features 10 cars that competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from the 1930s up through the “psychedelic” long-tail Porsche 917 that finished second in 1970. Dr. Simeone, who was the head of neurosurgery at Pennsylvania Hospital, passed away in June 2022 at age 86.
6825 Norwitch Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19153 | https://simeonemuseum.org
Porsche Experience Center – Atlanta, Georgia, and Carson, California
The Porsche Experience Centers in Atlanta and Los Angeles feature a handful of priceless Porsche racing and road cars on rotating display, along with other attractions and activities that celebrate the history of the German marque. You’ll often see valuable historic Porsches being repaired and restored on-site, and both Experience Centers offer opportunities to drive the latest and greatest Porsche products, with certified instructors, on either a short, paved circuit that mimics the Nurburgring or a rugged off-road dirt course.
PEC Atlanta: One Porsche Drive, Atlanta, GA 30354 | https://www.porschedriving.com/atlanta
PEC Los Angeles: 19800 S. Main St., Carson, CA 90745 | https://www.porschedriving.com/los-angeles