NASCAR: A Salute to 60 Years of Racing opens August 6 and runs through March 1, 2009. Authorized by NASCAR, the exhibit will feature racing memorabilia and photos, along with a selection of race cars, including one of the most famous-Dale Earnhardt's '98 #3 Chevy Monte Carlo courtesy of Schroeder Racing Products.
There will be two Prolong Cruise Nights, August 6 and 27 (there is no Cruise Night in September due to the L.A. County Fair). Hundreds of the coolest hot rods around will fill the Fairplex parking lot for the family-fun event. Runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Trophy Queens, a photo exhibit honoring the glamour girls of racing, runs August 27 through August 2009. Included in the dozens of rare shots of models presenting racing trophies from the '50s through the '70s are images of a 19-year-old Raquel Tejada, later to become Raquel Welch, and Barbara Huffman, later known as Barbara Eden, star of the long-running "I Dream of Jeanie." Also highlighted is the most famous trophy queen of all, Linda Vaughn, known as the "First Lady of Motorsports."
Other upcoming events at the museum include an Indian Motorcycle Day, honoring the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson racing, October 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Presented by Duke Video USA and Coker Tire, this annual event features scores of vintage motorcycles, especially Indians. Plus, Sam Wheeler, owner/driver of the 355-mph E-Z-Hook motorcycle, will host a special seminar.
Attendance is free to those who bring a pre-1965 motorcycle.
The 75th Anniversary of the Ford Model 40 goes from December 3 to spring 2009. The exhibit is sponsored by Steve's Auto Restorations and highlights one of the most popular hot rod platforms around: the '33-34 Ford. Among the cars in the exhibit will be three of the most famous: the Billy F. Gibbons' ZZ Top Eliminator, the Pierson Brother's coupe, and the Pete & Jake's California Kid. Also on display will be the Super Bell coupe, Big Al, and the Mooneyham & Sharp 554 car courtesy of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing.