My son and I went to the L.A. County fair this weekend, and saw the usual array of carnies (nice mullets!), sideshows, rides, and midway stuff. Then there were the farm animals (and some exotics like porcupines), insects, and we watched some show horses in action. Typical fair stuff…including deep-fried delicacies.

But maybe the coolest part of the day was something that’s not really part of the fair, but which is on the fairgrounds property…the NHRA Motorsports Museum. We spent probably an hour or so wandering through the long building, checking out modern and vintage race cars. And in case you think it’s devoted to straightliners only, you’d be wrong. Yep, there were plenty of dragsters, funny cars and pro stockers from all eras. But there were also NASCAR cars (including one of Dale Earnhardt’s cars), a CART car, and a fair number of land speed record streamliners…and even a 300 MPH door-slammer.

My favorites were probably the four-engine fueler of Tommy Ivo’s, as well as several of Mickey Thompson’s cars, including a funny car, as well as a couple streamliners. There was also the original Hudson Hornet that the Judge was modeled after in the animated movie, Cars.

I caught myself a few times, explaining to my son about the different kinds of cars, the personalities behind the drivers, or the technology involved. True, it’s not motocross, but it’s something I grew up with, still dig when I get the chance to check it out, and…well, it’s motorsports, and something to share with my son…and that’s not a bad thing. (It sure beats the heck out of him spending time playing video games.)

What I didn’t spend a ton of time on was the cases full of memorabilia. That could have easily doubled the amount of time spent there. If you’re a motorsports nut of any stripe, and ever find yourself in So. Cal. with a few hours to kill, it’s well worth a visit.

Check out www.museum.nhra.com.