INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 18, 2025) – The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum (IMS Museum) won the “Museum or Collection of the Year” award presented by the International Historic Motoring Awards (IHMA), beating out prestigious institutions that included Silverstone Museum (England), Petersen Automotive Museum (Los Angeles), National Motor Museum (England), Autoworld Museum (Belgium), Museo Alfa Romeo (Italy), and Nationales Automuseum The Loh Collection (Germany).
The IHMA is considered the world’s most prestigious awards in the collector car world. The winners were announced at a ceremony in London on Friday, Nov. 14.
“On behalf of the board and staff of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, I am deeply honored to accept the prestigious ‘Museum of the Year’ award given by the International Historic Motoring Awards. This recognition is a testament to the passion, dedication, and vision of our entire team, who work tirelessly to preserve and share the rich history of motorsport and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the world,” said Chuck Jones, IMS Museum Board Chair. “The award underscores our commitment to celebrating innovation, speed, and the human stories behind racing, while inspiring future generations to appreciate the cultural significance of motorsport. We are proud to represent the legacy of Indy car racing on the global stage and are grateful to IHMA for this acknowledgment. This achievement strengthens our resolve to continue expanding our collections, enhancing visitor experiences, and ensuring that the legacy of the Speedway remains vibrant and accessible for years to come.”
The “Museum or Collection of the Year” award is given to the museum or collection that has made the greatest achievements this year, whether in special exhibits, additions to the collection, or new innovations.
The IMS Museum reopened to the public in April 2025 following a $61 million renovation that added an additional 40,000 square feet of exhibit space and allowed for 10 distinct galleries that are more interactive, engaging, and educational than before. Since then, more than 150,000 guests have visited from around the world, already surpassing annual attendance from previous years.
The awards were judged by a distinguished panel of experts and prominent figures from the motoring world. The judges included TV stars Jay Leno, Wayne Carini and Donald Osborne, Le Mans legend Derek Bell and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance chairman Sandra Button.
Learn more at https://www.historicmotoringawards.co.uk/.
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About the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum represents more than a century of motorsports history and is driven by its mission to celebrate and preserve the history behind the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. Since 1956 when the IMS Museum first opened, it has brought to life the innovation, thrill, and cultural significance of motor racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. What began with only 12 cars on display has become one of the world’s premier collections of racing automobiles and artifacts – with more than 55,000 artifacts and over 150 vehicles. The IMS Museum ignites curiosity, sparks discovery, and embraces tradition.
About the International Historic Motoring Awards
The International Historic Motoring Awards (IHMA) presented by Lockton were launched in 2011 by the team behind Octane magazine. The aim of the awards was to celebrate the achievements of the global collector car community, something which no other awards has ever done. The IHMA’s first venue of The Renaissance St Pancras was soon outgrown, and the event moved to a series of prestigious London locations over the following decade. In early 2024, the IHMA and Octane magazine were acquired by Hothouse Media, led by two of the original founders of the awards and Octane. The new team relaunched the awards, with a focus on even higher quality, at the new venue of Peninsula London.
About Hothouse Media, IHMA organisers
Hothouse Media was born from the desire of its two founders, Geoff Love and David Lillywhite, to celebrate the best of the classic and collector car world through events and print and digital media. It organises the International Historic Motoring Awards, which has been running since 2011,and the Concours on Savile Row, London’s most stylish motoring event.
Hothouse Media also publishes the monthly Octane print magazine, the quarterly Magneto print magazine, the annual The Concours Year book and produces content and publications for Thorough Events, M1 Concourse, Meyers Manx, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and others.
See www.hothousemedia.co.uk
For more information, please contact: IHMA@hothousemedia.co.uk or rochelle@hothousemedia.co.uk