Decades after racial segregation barred Black drivers from competing on the famous asphalt of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the extraordinary life and legacy of Hoosier racing legend Charlie Wiggins is taking center stage nationally.
LeMay – America’s Car Museum (ACM) in Tacoma, Washington, announced the upcoming world premiere of For Gold and Glory: The Charlie Wiggins Story, a 300-foot immersive exhibition dedicated to the pioneering African American driver, master mechanic, and four-time Gold & Glory Sweepstakes champion. Curated by Ed Welburn, former General Motors vice president of Global Design and the first African American to lead design for a major automotive company, the exhibit opens to the public on Sept. 17, 2026, following an exclusive gala premiere on Sept. 11.
Spanning three football-field-length sections of the museum, the exhibition reconstructs Wiggins’ life journey from the heart of Indianapolis’ historic Black commercial district to the national racing circuit. The immersive walk-through begins with a detailed recreation of Indiana Avenue during the mid-to-late 1920s, featuring custom wall graphics that prominently highlight The Indianapolis Recorder newspaper and an architectural interpretation of the publication’s historic building during that era.
“For Gold and Glory is more than an automotive exhibition; it is the restoration of an important American story nearly erased by time and segregation,” museum officials said in an exhibit summary. “Through immersive storytelling, historical interpretation, rare artifacts, and visionary conceptual work, guests will experience the determination, ingenuity, and excellence that defined Wiggins’ remarkable life and career.”
Born in Evansville, Indiana, Wiggins moved to Indianapolis in the 1920s, establishing an auto repair garage on Indiana Avenue that quickly became a bustling hub for drivers, mechanics and racing enthusiasts of all backgrounds. Known as the “Negro Speed King,” Wiggins earned a national reputation as a brilliant engine tuner and self-taught fuel scientist who could diagnose mechanical failures simply by listening to an idling motor.
Because the Indianapolis 500 enforced a strict racial bar prohibiting Black competitors, Wiggins became the standout star of the Colored Speedway Association. This integrated organization was founded in 1924 by Black and white businessmen to stage national championship races for African American drivers. Behind the wheel of his self-built, custom-tuned #23 “Wiggins Special,” Wiggins dominated the association’s marquee event — the 100-mile Gold & Glory Sweepstakes at the Indiana State Fairgrounds — winning the championship four times between 1926 and 1935.
The exhibition also shines a spotlight on one of the most famous covert operations in motorsports history. In 1934, white driver Bill Cummings hired Wiggins to tune his vehicle for the Indianapolis 500. Because segregation rules prevented Black mechanics from entering the pits, Wiggins posed as a janitor, sweeping floors in Gasoline Alley during the day and, under cover of night, overhauling Cummings’ Boyle Special #7 while advising on pit strategy. Cummings won the 1934 Indy 500 and set a track speed record.
Following the historic walk-through of Indiana Avenue, “Wiggins Garage,” and the dirt track at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the exhibition concludes with a special gallery showcasing futuristic automotive designs. Welburn created custom conceptual renderings of vehicles, imagining what modern race cars and luxury automobiles would look like today if Wiggins’ engineering vision had continued across generations.
“Charlie Wiggins was an absolute magician at fixing cars and a champion who fought through discrimination to showcase Black excellence on the track,” Interim CEO and Vice President of Curation & Education at America’s Automotive Trust Bruce Patton said. “We are honored to bring his story to audiences from around the world.”
For more information on tickets, gala reservations and educational programming surrounding For Gold and Glory, visit the museum’s digital portal at americascarmuseum.org.
Contact multimedia & senior sports reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral.
Noral Parham is the multi-media reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
