This is MY kind of museum. Unlike the NASCAR Hall of Fame, this exhibit includes the Flying #11 of " Mr. Modified" , Ray Hendrick . When they put that car of NASCAR's all-time winning driver in the NASCAR Hall, I may visit.
RIR display at Children's Museum gets preview
Sadler previews NASCAR exhibit at children's museum
NASCAR driver and Virginia native Elliott Sadler held his 2-year-old son, Wyatt, during the preview of the "When They Were Young" exhibit at the Children's Museum of Richmond. The Richmond International Raceway exhibit features childhood and adult pictures of NASCAR drivers from Virginia.
Photo by Mark Gormus, Richmond Times-Dispatch
By: Randy Hallman
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: March 22, 2012
Richmond, Va. --
When it's ready, in August, Richmond International Raceway's four-segment display will be one way the track tries to connect with potential new fans. On Wednesday, with a prototype of the first segment on display, the raceway seemed to be connecting.
About 200 people were at the Children's Museum of Richmond's in-town location for the unveiling of the "When They Were Young" prototype. The display will feature grown-up photos and childhood images of NASCAR drivers who call Virginia home. Participants will match the images.
Elliott Sadler of Emporia was on hand for Wednesday's unveiling. He liked the fact that the Children's Museum had one of Richard Petty's racing Pontiacs out front and a red racer from the earlier years of NASCAR's Modified series sitting a few feet away on the museum floor.
The red modified No. 11 car, he noted, had been driven by the late, great Ray Hendrick of Richmond. "That Flying Eleven," Sadler said, referring to the wings adorning the number on the side of Hendrick's car, "is probably the most famous paint scheme that has ever been a part of Virginia racing."
The display was unveiled with the help of Sadler's 2-year-old son, Wyatt, and the three children of RIR President Dennis Bickmeier: 8-year-old Joshua, 5-year-old Kaitlyn and 3-year-old Nathan.
By August, the then-and-now display will be joined by three other elements, explained Bickmeier: a race car for kids to see and perhaps climb into, a mock flag stand and a space where children assemble cars and roll them down the tracks they put together.
The display will travel among the Children's Museum's three locations in Richmond, western Henrico County and (to be opened later) Chesterfield County.
Museum officials said the museum already draws 360,000 visitors a year. Bickmeier said he hopes the display connects with them. "Auto racing isn't as self-recruiting as it used to be," Bickmeier said. "We need to let people know what a great sport we have."
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 11/23/20 09:39:08PM
