News

Museum Board member Al Novotnik died on Wednesday Jun 3 at age 89, less than a month after his final birthday. He was the museum’s oldest board member.

Novotnik had a life-long passion for auto racing and his family which included his wife Mary and four children.

He was deeply involved in the Vintage Celebrations held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In its early days, the event drew over 250 cars and lots of spectators. Looking back at the old Celebration programs or vintage auto racing magazines you’ll often see Al’s by-line.

He joined the museum’s board early on. His participation in the Board was ststrong and constructive.

Al was an enormously skillful man who built model race cars that were perfect to scale. His Indy cars were scale models of those driven by AJ Foyt. A long-time midget devotee, the rest were midgets. Some of the cars were of wood, others were metal. They were all magnificent pieces of art.

When we were fund raising and needed to show people what the museum would look like, Al built a scale model.

He was one of the most positive people you’d ever meet. He saw the good in people and what they did with their lives. He was a church regular who passed the collection plate. Another Board member, Ray Boissoneau did the same but at another church. On Mondays they’d compare to see who brought in the most.

Al Novotnik loved racing, especially vintage racing and vintage cars. He will be missed by all of us who knew him.