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Attendees of the 148th General Conference & Exhibition, Aug. 28-31 in Indianapolis, will have opportunities to visit what Time magazine calls one of the “World’s Greatest Places of 2026.”
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is the destination. Time included it last month in its annual list of the “World’s Most Exciting Destinations to Visit Right Now.”
The museum has been around since 1956, but officials last year completed a 17-month, $60.5 million reimagination of the facility, which reopened to rave reviews.
“Tucked inside the famed Speedway, the Museum added 40,000 square feet, transforming what was once a static collection into an immersive deep dive into American racing culture,” Time said.
Host-state conference officials are planning optional tours of the speedway, including the museum, Aug. 28 and 31. Cost is $30, which includes bus transportation from conference hotels and admission to the track and museum.
The Adjutants General Reception on Aug. 28 is also set for the museum.
Among the additions is an 80-foot LED projection capturing the pageantry of the annual Indianapolis 500, which is recognized as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” including the Indiana National Guard’s significant role in the opening ceremonies.
“It’s like being there for the race,” said retired Col. Jeffrey Coomler, the executive director of the National Guard Association of Indiana, who has attended the annual Memorial Day weekend auto race every year since he was 15 years old.
The museum features more than 150 cars dating back to the 1911 Marom Wasp that won the first race. There are also simulators that let would-be driver try four qualifying laps and a pit-stop station that gamifies the split-second choreography of a tire change.
“We can’t wait to show it off to everyone,” added Linda Conti, the NGAI conference chairwoman who has been involved in the race for many years, first on A.J. Foyt’s pit crew and later as a team owner of a car that finished in the top five in 1999.
The Indy 500, the most-attended single-day sports event in the world, is synonymous with Indianapolis and host-state organizers have included references to the race in both conference events and promotion.
The IMS Pogoda, the 10-story tower that houses race control, timing and scoring, and broadcast booths, is part of the conference logo.
The NGAI has also organized a conference pin competition featuring race-car theme open to exhibitors as well as the 54 states, territories and the District of Columbia.
In addition, the attendee golf tournament is set for Brickyard Crossing Golf Course, which includes holes inside the Speedway infield.
Indianapolis is more than a race town, however. It’s a sports town with few peers.
Last night, it hosted the finals of the men’s Final Four college basketball championship at Lucas Oil Stadium, the retractable-roof stadium that’s home to NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and annually hosts the NFL Combine for draft-eligible college football players.
Indianapolis is also home to the NCAA, the governing body of college athletics.
The city also has teams in the NBA (the Pacers) and the WNBA (the Fever). In the summer, local sport fans turn their attention to the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates.
Host-state officials have set the conference’s Company Grade/Warrant Officer, Field Grade and Senior Warrant Officer mixers for Aug. 28 at the Indians game with the Columbus Clippers at Victory Field downtown.
More conference information is available here. Most NGAUS members will register through their state or territory Guard associations.
—By John Goheen
