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Motorsport Museum gets a Permanent Home
by Dean V. Ricci

October 23, 1998 -- Detroit, Michigan -- In a well received announcement today, Govenor John Engler announced that the Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum, currently located in an old Coca Cola bottling plant in Novi, Michigan -- will be moving to a permanent home at the Michigan State Fair Grounds in Detroit.

After a failed attempt by the City of Detroit to locate the proposed Ford Mustang Museum there, the Motorsport Museum will be a welcomed addition to the Fair Grounds complex. It will be the first 12 month a year attraction located at the fairgrounds complex.

The museum and its collection of Cars, Plaques and Awards will be moved to the State Fairgrounds facility by the year 2000 for its permanent home.

The Motor Sports Hall of Fame, which has been temporarily housed at the Novi Exposition Center, will renovate the 34,000-square foot Rabbits & Poultry building to become the fairground's first year-round exhibition. State Fair officials say it's the first of what they hope will become several permanent attractions at the 94-year old fairgrounds at Woodward Avenue and Eight Mile Road.

"This museum adds significantly to the stature of our grounds," said John Hertel, the State Fair's general manager. "It demonstrates that we are a year-round location. We're heading more and more in that direction."

The Motorsports Museum features contributions from all forms of racing, including Indy cars, dragsters, motorcycles, boats and airplanes. Its board of directors includes Metro Detroit auto executives and racing stars such as Mario Andretti and Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney. Carroll Shelby is one of the racing pioneers that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The State of Michigan will contribute about $1.3 million to the project, which was announced at todays' news conference by Hertel, Gov. John Engler, Councilman Gil Hill and racing luminaries. In return for a contribution, the state will get 100 percent of the parking proceeds and an unspecified percentage of gross sales at the museum. It also hopes to boost fair attendance, which rose 11 percent this year.

"We are continuously looking at ways to extend activities at the fairgrounds throughout the year," said John Truscott, Engler's spokesman.

"There are a number of confidential things in the works right now that would bring people to the city and to the fairgrounds."

The Motorsports Museum has been staffed by a group of volunteers since it's inception. Todays' announcement is a crowning achievement to their efforts.

 

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