Car lovers fueled by speed have a unique opportunity to learn about one of the oldest forms of auto racing at a new exhibition.
The Arlington Museum of Art is revving up the Entertainment District with its latest showcase “Chasing Victory: An INDYCAR Exhibition” in conjunction with the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington in March.
Five historic vehicles from 1912 to 2002 are on loan from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, an art institution with an extensive collection of racing memorabilia. Other items on display include a driver’s firesuit, helmets and awards.
INDYCAR traces its origins back to American open-wheel racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway built in 1909. The modern day INDYCAR Series was founded in 1994.
“If you’re not familiar with the sport, you can really learn about the ways cars have changed, from looks to functionality,” Arlington museum president Chris Hightower said.
The Grand Prix, which is part of the NTT INDYCAR Series, will take drivers along a 2.73-mile temporary race track passing AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field. The event is a partnership between the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers and Penske Entertainment.
The Arlington event is the INDYCAR series’ return to North Texas after removing Texas Motor Speedway from its racing schedule in 2024.
Upon entering the museum’s exhibition hall, patrons are introduced to the origins of racing with an Italian Fiat that finished in second position in the 1912 Indianapolis 500. The car was driven by renowned American racers Teddy Tetzlaff and Caleb Bragg.
As guests move through the rest of the hall, they get a closer look at other top winning vehicles, including the 1970 Sheraton Thompson Coyote, 1977 Gilmore Racing Team Coyote and the 2002 Pennzoil Dallara.
And then there’s the 1980 Pennzoil Chaparral 2K, driven by Fort Worth’s Johnny Rutherford, who won the Indy 500 in 1976 and 1980.
All of the cars, except for the Fiat, previously raced at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, said Kendall Quirk, director of exhibition at the Arlington museum.
A glass case at the center of the exhibition displays the blue INDYCAR firesuit worn by American driver Josef Newgarden when he won the 2023 PPG 375 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Bill Miller, president of the Grand Prix of Arlington, said the exhibition created a unique opportunity for the street race to teach children about racing technology and how it has evolved over the past century.
“Let them experience the race cars. Let them experience speed. Let them see drivers perform at the highest level,” he said.
If you go
What: Chasing Victory: An INDYCAR Exhibition
When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday through July 12
Where: Arlington Museum of Art, 1200 Ballpark Way, Arlington
Admission: $8-$10
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
The Report's arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Arlington Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
