After the highly-televised last mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Endeavor in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 21, Shuttle Carrier Pilot Jeff Moultrie and Flight Engineer Henry Taylor made a pit stop at the NHRA Motorsports Museum before heading back home. They took a break to enjoy their next passion: drag racing, and there’s no better place than the NHRA Museum to feed their passion.

The crew enjoyed walking through the exhibits and enjoyed seeing cars they read about and raced from the 60s and 70s. The Museum staff and volunteers were over the moon with the NASA crew visit and made sure these fellas received the red-carpet welcome. Museum Curator Greg Sharp gave them a special guided tour. The crew had a blast talking with staff and stuck around for photos and autographs. 

Shuttle Engineer Henry Taylor, Museum Volunteer Bruce Sato, and Pilot Jeff Moultrie.

“Visiting the Museum brought back some fond memories: when I gave up my part time job in high school to go watch Don Garlits race at Spartanburg Dragway, and getting his autograph on my ticket stub, that I still have today,” said Taylor. “The NHRA Museum was definitely a highlight of our mission, especially getting a special welcome from the NHRA Museum staff.”

Taylor has been an NHRA Member since the late 1960s. In high school, Taylor raced stock cars and soon after joined the U.S. Air Force. Today, Taylor continues to share his drag racing love affair with his son Matthew, a WyoTech graduate and avid bracket racer.