Children … start your engines. NASCAR has come to the Children’s Museum of Richmond.
Richmond International Raceway has partnered with CMoR to create an interactive, motorsports-themed exhibit that will spend several months at each of the museum’s three metro Richmond locations.
The four-piece exhibit was unveiled Thursday morning at the museum’s Chesterfield County branch.
“We love anything that engages and excites kids,” said Karen Coltrane, CMoR president and CEO. “We’re always looking for partnerships that engage children.”
An official opening ceremony for the exhibit will be held at the Chesterfield location on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and will feature former NASCAR driver and Emporia resident Hermie Sadler. Admission to the museum will be free that day beginning at 4 p.m.
The traveling exhibit will move to the museum’s central location on West Broad Street in Richmond around late April (in conjunction with the spring races at RIR) for a few months, then on to the Short Pump location in West Broad Village.
The exhibit is designed to appeal to a variety of interests, and the racing theme has been incorporated throughout the museum’s Chesterfield location. Children can sit inside an actual race car that has been cut in half, or build their own small-scale race car to race against others.
The popular train in one corner has been replaced with race cars that the children can propel around a track. A piece of RIR’s asphalt track also is on display.
One of the important things, Coltrane said, is that the exhibits are real.
“Sometimes you have to have mock-ups, but kids really react to touching and feeling the real things,” she said.
RIR President Dennis Bickmeier said the raceway, and the sport of racing in particular, is focused on the next generation of fans. This partnership with CMoR is one more way to reach children, he said.
“To do something like this, where kids can come and learn about racing in a really fun environment … is a very unique experience for kids and families to enjoy,” Bickmeier said.
There also is the opportunity to learn about NASCAR’s legacy in Virginia. Part of the exhibit includes historical facts and information about NASCAR drivers, crew chiefs and owners who hail from Virginia.
Among those featured are current Sprint Cup driver and former Chesterfield resident Denny Hamlin, team owner Rick Hendrick and Hamlin’s crew chief, Darian Grubb.
“It’s just amazing the connection that Virginia has to the sport,” Bickmeier said. “We’ve been racing at RIR for more than 60 years. The tradition and the legacy that we have is very important to us.”
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