The Art in This Wilsonville Museum Can Still Burn Rubber

These are more than just speed demons. They're art exhibits on wheels. They're living, roaring, racing icons of motorsports. It takes automotive know-how and a deep, abiding affection for the automobiles of decades past to make a hot rod—to make a '55 Chevy Del Rey go faster than its original designer ever imagined.

And so it's no surprise that the World of Speed motorsports museum has one hell of a collection of vintage American cars souped up six ways from Sunday.

Twenty years of blood, sweat and love went into getting this bright-orange 1955 Chevy Del Rey up and running. Powered by a big-block Chevy engine with a four-barrel carburetor and a Turbo 400 three-speed automatic, it can travel a quarter-mile in a blistering 10.95 seconds. When it isn't featured at World of Speed, this vintage beauty is burning rubber out on the track.

Hot rods are but one of the attractions at this nonprofit motorsports museum just off I-5 in Wilsonville. Since opening its doors in 2015, World of Speed has been dedicated to the education and celebration of motorsports in all its forms.

But there's more here than just the cars on display. Special exhibits include the Daytona display, Wall of Sound, Oregon Sidewinders Motorcycle display, and three racecar simulators, along with limited-time exhibits like the current celebration of the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500®, World of Speed offers a comprehensive and engaging history of motorsports. The Learning Center is filled with activities ranging from hands-on workshops and summer camps to gallery talks and lectures by world-famous racing icons.

These edutainment opportunities will help distract your family and loved ones while you stare at that bright-orange '55 Del Rey, making loud "vroom, vroom" noises. That is, of course, unless the Del Rey is out racing. Then you'll just have to entertain yourself with some of the museum's other hot rods. And muscle cars. And funny cars. And cars that sped down Indianapolis Motor Speedway in decades past. If it has four wheels, an engine and can go really, really fast, you'll find it at World of Speed.

For more information, visit www.worldofspeed.org.

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