Speedway Motors’ Museum of American Speed, which just finished a physical expansion, will also be growing its collection of auto racing items.
The museum announced Friday that it is merging with the Unser Racing Museum based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“The Unser family is one of the most storied families in automotive and racing history,†Carson Smith, director of the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed, said in a news release. “We’ve had racing partnerships with members of the Unser family for over 38 years and are honored to welcome the Unser collection to our museum.â€
The Albuquerque Journal reported that the Unser museum’s last day is May 29. It’s not clear exactly when its collection will move to Lincoln and become available for viewing.
The collection includes more than 40 race, pace and Pike’s Peak cars original racing art, trophies and memorabilia belonging to the Unser family, which is one of America’s best-known Indy Car racing families.
Al Unser Sr. won the Indianapolis 500 race four times, and his brother Bobby won it three times. Al Unser Jr. won the race twice.
Al Unser Sr. and Bobby Unser both died in 2021, and Unser Racing Museum spokesman Bob Brown told the Albuquerque newspaper that relocation of the family’s collection had been discussed before Al Unser Sr.’s death.
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That didn’t stop Albuquerque officials from trying to keep the museum from leaving, though.
According to the Journal, the Albuquerque City Council voted to include $4 million for the Unser Museum in a general obligation bond package that will go before voters this fall.
Brown told the newspaper that the move to Lincoln will give more room to display the Unser collection and also will make it available to more visitors.
The Unser museum, which opened in 2005, has 20,000 square feet of space and averages 20,000 visitors a year. Speedway’s museum now has 240,000 square feet of space after its expansion and averages 100,000 visitors a year. It also was named the No. 1 best attraction for car lovers by USA Today earlier this year.
“In motorsports, the Unser name is recognized worldwide, and we believe merging with the No. 1 nationally ranked Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed will provide not only a larger national, but also international, platform for this collection of the Unser’s iconic racing legacy,†Susan Unser, speaking on behalf of the Board of the Unser Racing Museum, said in the news release. Susan Unser is the widow of Al Unser Sr. and the mother of Al Unser Jr.
In Lincoln, the Unser collection will join a number of Unser-related vehicles already owned by Speedway, including the Johnny Lightning Special and Viceroy VPJ Special driven by Al Unser Sr. and the 1971 Gurney Eagle driven by Bobby Unser.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Al Unser Jr. (right) and his cousin, Robbie Unser, stand with their 1965 Chevrolet Nova during Goodguys-Speedway Motors' "Day at the Hay" in 2015. The Unser Racing Museum, started by Al Unser Jr.'s parents, will be moving to Speedway's Museum of American Speed later this year.