SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Within the last year and a half, the IMS Museum has put an extra emphasis on restoring its collection of vintage IndyCars.
“It's an important part for the museum to show that these cars are actually running, living things," said Dan Rosenau, IMS Museum restoration manager. “They're not just museum pieces. We work very hard to go through these cars and make sure that they do exactly what they need to do on race day.”
Each year, the vintage cars take a lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway just before the start of the Indy 500. This year they'll highlight cars that raced in a year ending in "2" from 1912 to 1982.
“You've got to make things and you have to figure out how they did it back then and make it the same way because originality is also very important," said Rosenau. "We can't put modern parts on an old car.”
It’s work that requires year-round attention.
“We're a functioning restoration shop and preparations facility not just blow the dust off them and shining the tires kind of stuff," said Rosenau.
It’s a gratifying transformation for fans and IMS restoration staff as well. Rosenau saw Gordon Johncock win in one of the cars he's restoring for this year's race.
“I saw this car run when I was a kid. I remember this car from ’82, I would have been a teenager," said Rosenau. “There's a lot of history in this place."
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