How are tires made? Why are they flexible? What makes an engine run? Can a kid who likes to pull things apart and put them back together turn that interest into a career?

The answers to these questions and more can be found at Albuquerque's Unser Racing Museum – home to cars, a million-dollar crash wall, an old hot rod, a racing simulator and plenty of chrome. Kids who visit the Unser Racing Museum find there's a lot to see. They also find it hard to slow down.

For nearly three years, this museum shaped like a wheel has brought the fun and excitement of racing to visitors. Exhibits explain what makes a car and what makes a race. But the museum is not stuffy or dull.

"It's a fabulous interactive, innovative learning center," says the museum's Executive Director, Cathy Brock. She explains how the Unser family, after winning many professional car races, wanted to provide the community with the legacy of education. So they created an interactive museum. They created a scholarship to help kids interested in the automotive industry get through college. And they brought out their cars and memorabilia to provide a learning environment that would appeal to all kids, but especially those who might be like Al Unser Sr. was when he was in school – the kind of kid who didn't think education was that important.

In an introduction letter to teachers, Unser notes that he didn't know the reading and writing he did in school would be so valuable to him later in life, when he was asked to speak in public. And he didn't know the math he learned would be so important in getting a race car running. As an adult, he recognized the importance of his education and wished he’d paid more attention in school. He wanted to bring the idea of an education's importance – and how it relates to real life, especially in racing – to kids. So he started the Unser Racing Museum.

The Unser Racing Museum is a hands-on place where visitors can explore career opportunities in motorsports or the history of racing. A technology section features computer kiosks. A race simulator in one room looks like a real racecar. Get in, belt up and place the simulation goggles over your eyes. Race the virtual Indy, where they wave the black and white checkered flag just for you. Rev the engines. Watch the pit crew scramble. Be on the look out for the green flag waving you in. Racing the simulator isn't easy. Steering a vehicle at more than 200 miles per hour never is. Turn too hard on the wheel and car plus driver might run off track. It's a fun challenge for visitors ages 10 and up.

During my visit, 5th-graders from Eugene Field Elementary did some racing themselves, practically running from computer kiosks to cars.

An engineering area contains computers with racing games that challenge players to improve skills and move up to the next level. Kids who complete all five levels earn five stars and win a racing badge on a lanyard. Kids 6th grade and up earn a poster. Kids were busy at the kiosks, and many stood in lines waiting for a turn. The engineering area also explains the workings of a car, both inside and out.

Student Adam Aragon, 10, liked the computer game. “And the cars are cool!" he said. His friend, Julian Gallegos, 9, played on the computer kiosk, working to earn stars and a racing badge. "But I like the cars!" Julian said.

It's no surprise that many boys enjoy the museum. But girls enjoy it as well. To present the math and science of racing in a girl-friendly manner, the museum created a special Girl Scout badge program. Girl Scouts learn about the engineering behind cars and races and ultimately earn a badge in the shape of a pink race car. Local Go Kart racer Jennifer Greenwold gives tours and works with the girls – mentoring them on what it takes to be a racer.

Many of the learning experiences at the racing museum are found in stories. One tells how the Unser family learned the ropes of racing on Pike's Peak in Colorado – on a steep, 12-mile course with 156 sharp turns. Running a fast car on the side of a mountain taught them how to determine distance, angle and speed –  some of the most important principles of physics.

Just outside the museum is a low white wall. In 1989, when Al Unser Jr. entered the last lap of the Indy 500, he was in the lead. It looked like a sure win. But as he took the third turn, Unser crashed into the wall. He lost the race. He lost the million-dollar prize. But he didn't lose his sense of humor. The wall outside the museum stands as a reminder of being close to a win – “the Million Dollar Wall.”

The Unser Racing Museum at 1776 Montaño Road N.W. is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum can be reached at (505) 341-1776. The Web site is www.unserracingmuseum.com.