Ronnie Peterson Museum Closes

Organizers of the Ronnie Peterson Museum are keeping ronniepetersonmuseum.com on line and are considering a mobile museum to replace the one that has had to close here in the 10-time F1 GP winner's home town Sunday.

Peterson, who won the Oct. 7, 1973 USGP at Watkins Glen, is perhaps best known for his sliding driving style and for being Mario Andretti's supporting driver during the Nazareth, Pa. driver's World Championship season in 1978. "SuperSwede," 34, died Sept. 11, 1978 of injuries from a starting line accident in the Italian GP at Monza Sept. 10.

Ronnie Peterson Museum Association Chairman Joakim Thedin told pitpass.com that the hometown exhibition was unable to obtain local or national government funding. The non-profit museum has had several underwriters since Peterson's daughter, Nina, cut the ribbon May 31, 2008.

"We've had over 14,000 visitors and brought in 1.8 million Kronen to the local community," said Thedin. "We've had visitors from Italy, Brazil, Germany, USA and England and from near and far in Sweden – people who have placed Orebro on the map. They (politicians) don't really understand how much Ronnie is admired around the world and how many times Orebro's mentioned with Ronnie in books and magazines."