Speedway Motors is a huge mail-order auto parts company located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Their founder, Bill Smith, is famous in sprint car circles as the sponsor of famed circle-trackers like Jan Opperman and Doug Wolfgang. He has been involved in all phases of motor sports, including sprints, Indy cars, Pikes Peak hillclimbers, dragsters, and hot rods. Speedway's huge 520,000-square-foot headquarters sits on 42 acres near downtown Lincoln, and the lucrative business is still run by Smith, his wife Joyce, and sons Jason, Carson, Craig, and Clay.
The success of this business has allowed Smith to indulge his passion for historic racing cars, performance engines, and pedal cars. Housed in an elegant three-story building separate from the Speedway fulfillment center, the Smith Collection Museum features polished stone floors and specially fabricated displays to showcase the hundreds of ultra-rare engines, cars, and speed parts on display. Many car museums feature cars replicated by the kit car industry, so it's nice to visit a museum that features kit cars worthy of display on their own merits. Join us for a photo tour of the museum.