Wally Parks NHRA Museum Unveils New ‘Gallery Of Speed’ Exhibit

Despite all of the incredible technological advancements in drag racing machinery over the decades, and the performance achievements made possible by the never-ending pursuit of speed, there’s still a degree of romanticism with the simplicity and the innocence of the hot rodding era that preceded our sport, and the very culture that helped to shape the foundation of the NHRA. But as much as it revolves around the culture itself, it too has everything to do with the cars and the individuals that made it all happen, and it’s why more than half a century later, we still celebrate the classic iron that roared down the strips and the men and women who, at the time, had no idea the impact they were making.

Photos courtesy NHRA/National Dragster

Fortunately, the NHRA still recognizes its glorious past, year-round, though the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum just outside the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, with exhibits paying homage not only to drag racing storied history, but to all forms of racing born out of the hot rodding culture and industry. And now, more than 16 years after opening to the public, they’ve added a brand new interactive exhibit, the Gallery of Speed, that contains some amazing exhibits with historic vehicles and artifacts that pay homage to that golden era.

There’s some spectacular history contained within the new exhibit hall, and the NHRA brought out some of the legends, including “TV” Tommy Ivo, Art Chrisman, the NHRA’s Steve Gibbs, and the voice of drag racing, Dave McClelland, to help cut the ribbon. And the list of cars that are featured include a pair of 1932 Ford DeLuxe 3-window coupes (one of them all-original), the famous McMullen 1932 Ford Highboy roadster, the legendary No. 25 Chrisman dragster, the Albertson Olds dragster, and Chet Herbert’s Beast III Bonneville streamliner.

Below is the press release and more information on the vehicles featured in the Gallery of Speed:

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by Automobile Club of Southern California announced Tuesday the opening of its new interactive exhibit hall Gallery of Speed, which vividly recreates historical moments in American motorsports and car culture.

through innovation, engineering and design.The Gallery of Speed brings to life the humble beginnings of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and how motorsports have impacted the world

“The new Gallery of Speed is not just an exhibit but an entirely new learning experience with a unique look into the fascinating world of hot rodding and motorsports,” the NHRA Museum’s Executive Director Larry Fisher said. “Here we will begin to tell the stories of the great American hot rod and, those who built and raced them, in a new light. We will not only celebrate the cars but the people, the engineering, the science, and the sheer audacity of those who pushed the limits in their pursuit of speed.”The Gallery of Speed features five new focal areas: the origins of hot rodding, land speed racing, the early days of the NHRA and the influence of custom car design. The eye-opening exhibit offers a unique collection of historical vehicles, artifacts, interactive touchscreens, images, oral histories, life-sized sculptures designed by Weldon Exhibits and other memorabilia.

The Gallery of Speed will spark the visitor’s quest for knowledge. The exhibit is designed to be a fun learning experience sprinkled with hands-on activities and touchscreens focused on S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). Visitors can customize their own hot rod, learn the ‘language of hot rodding,’ and listen to candid stories from NHRA Founder Wally Parks and other motorsports legends.


“We wanted to develop a new approach to learning about the history of hot rodding, motorsports and the individuals who influenced American car culture,” said Greg Sharp, curator of the NHRA Motorsports Museum. “I believe that the new Gallery of Speed will capture the visitor’s imagination and inspire all ages for years to come. It’s an exhibit our Founder Wally Parks would be very proud of.”

The Car List 

An immaculate original 1932 Ford DeLuxe 3-window coupe
A wonderful example of the car that carried Ford’s first production V-8 that dominated hot rodding for decades, as well as the styling supervised by Edsel Ford that made the ’32 Ford a favorite of hot rodders to this day. From the collection of John Lawson, Fresno, California

A ’32 Ford 3-window coupe under construction as a hot rod 
Featuring an original ’32 Ford chassis and a souped-up Ford flathead engine, the car demonstrates what a hot rod might look like during the process of construction in an enthusiast’s garage. From the collection of John Mumford and Roy Brizio Street Rods, South San Francisco, California

The Mc Mullen’32 Ford highboy roadster
After appearing on nine magazine covers, four record albums, and in several television shows and movies, this is arguably the world’s most famous street roadster. Featuring a supercharged small-block Chevrolet engine and iconic flames designed by the late “Big Daddy” Ed Roth, the car was named one of the 75 Most Significant Deuces for an exhibit celebrating the ’32 Ford’s 75th Anniversary. Immaculately restored by Roy Brizio Street Rods it is on loan from Mecum Auctions of Walworth, Wisconsin.

The Chrisman #25 dragster
Arguably the world’s oldest living hot rod it is believed to have been built in the early ‘30s as a track car. First powered by a Rajo-equipped Model T engine it was raced at dry lakes time trials through the late 1940s with a variety of engines. When drag racing began in the early 1950s Art Chrisman raced it at Santa Ana drag strip using Ford flathead power. In 1953 he lengthened it and added disc wheels to make it more suited for the new sport. It became the first dragster to exceed 140 mph. With a Chrysler engine it made the first run at the first NHRA Nationals in 1955. It was restored by Chrisman to its 1953 appearance and was gifted to the Museum by Bill Lindig and Family of Houston, Texas.

The Albertson Olds dragster
In the late 1950s commercially manufactured dragster chassis saved racers money and allowed them to race safely. This car, based on a Chassis Research K-88 frame, was known as the Albertson Olds based on sponsorship of engine parts, etc. by that Culver City dealership. The team, consisting of Ronnie Scrima, Gene Adams and Leonard Harris won an amazing 12 consecutive Top Eliminator wins at the famed Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach. At the sixth NHRA Nationals in Detroit the team set low elapsed time, and beat 34 other dragsters to become National Champion. Tracked down in Alabama in 1993 the car was restored for the Museum by noted Oldsmobile racer Don Ratican.

The Beast III Bonneville streamliner
Chet Herbert, a young entrepreneur in the camshaft business in Southern California, decided in 1952 to build an all-out streamliner from scratch for competition at the Bonneville National Speed Trials. He met aerodynamicist Rod Schapel who designed the car based on computations and the results of testing a 1/10th scale model in Cal Tech’s wind tunnel. Schapel then built the full size body from fiberglass. Using a new Chrysler Hemi engine the car arrived at Bonneville a few days after Speed Week began. Driver Art Chrisman attained a one-way best speed of 238.095 mph and a two-way average of 235.991 mph qualifying Chrisman as a charter member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club and the Beast as the fastest single engine car in America. The car was restored by Custom Auto of Loveland, Colorado and gifted to the Museum by Dr. Mark Brinker, M.D. of Houston, Texas.

About the author

Andrew Wolf

Andrew has been involved in motorsports from a very young age. Over the years, he has photographed several major auto racing events, sports, news journalism, portraiture, and everything in between. After working with the Power Automedia staff for some time on a freelance basis, Andrew joined the team in 2010.
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