Hub Happening – Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed Hosts One-of-a-Kind Wheel Hub Live Event
Does that thing ever get driven? That’s a common question when people see high-end street rods and customs at events or in car magazines. And it’s a query that was answered with a resounding “yes” at the first-ever Wheel Hub Live event held in conjunction with the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed last weekend.
The impetus of this two-day event was a new 90,000 sq. ft. addition to the already massive Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska. With initial construction of a new west wing recently finished, the publishers of Wheel Hub magazine saw the opportunity to host a curated, gallery-style indoor car show filled with some of the amazing custom vehicles that have been featured in the pages of Wheel Hub, along with its companion publications Chevy Hub, Mustang Hub, and Truck Hub. More than 30 vehicles from some of the nation’s top builders were presented in this special showcase.
Before the temporary indoor gallery went on display to the public, however, many of the invited feature vehicles participated in a reliability run on Friday covering more than 130 miles around the Lincoln and Omaha areas, sticking primarily to backroads and two-lane highways. The run included stops at a private collection in Lincoln, CAL Auto Creations in Bennington, No Coast Custom and Rod Shop in Lincoln, and the Museum of American Speed on the Speedway Motors campus, where participants enjoyed a barbecue dinner, plus drinks from Mash Lab Brewing.
It was cool seeing standout vehicles from the likes of Rad Rides by Troy, Hot Rod Garage, Boesch Hot Rod Concepts, Greening Auto, Bruce’s Rod Shop, Pinkee’s Rod Shop, Eddie’s Rod and Custom, Metal Brothers Hot Rods, and more in motion out on the highway. It was also a good reminder that elite rods and customs should be driven, not just statically displayed. These road tour rides were joined by several dozen other first-rate rods and customs from around the region and the country.
The fun spilled over into Saturday, when Speedway Motors and the Museum of American Speed hosted their first Cars & Coffee event of the year. The Wheel Hub event helped attract a record crowd to help kick off the summer season, with more than 1,200 vehicles crammed onto the Speedway Motors campus to show off and create a sea of chrome and color. It was an incredible sight!
As you can imagine, there was an overwhelming amount of cool car stuff to soak in on Saturday. There were great rides outside, fantastic custom creations in the new wing of the museum, plus three floors of historic hot rods, customs, race cars, engines, parts, memorabilia, and more in the main portion of the museum. All that, plus A-list hot rod builders and industry types from around the country mingling through the crowds.
Saturday’s activities officially ended at 1pm, bringing this whirlwind event to a quick end and allowing participants to head home in time to enjoy the second half of their Memorial Day weekend. Those who were fortunate enough to take part in the event came away buzzing about the experience. For a first-time show, Wheel Hub Live definitely made a big impact.
2023 Wheel Hub Live Photo Extra!
Photos by Damon Lee
