Barber Motorsports Park

The Barber Motorsports Park is a 740 acres (300 ha) multi-purpose racing facility located on the eastern fringes of Birmingham, Alabama, USA near Leeds. The facility was the vision of George Barber, and includes the Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum. In July 2009 officials announced that Barber will be the site of the IRL IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Alabama beginning in the 2010 season.^[1][2] Barber is also the home of the North American Porsche Driving School and the Kevin Schwantz Motorcycle School.

Track

The park, which opened in 2003, features a 16-turn, 2.38-mile (3.83 km) road course, designed by Alan Wilson, viewable from several naturally wooded or grass-covered banks.

The track has hosted numerous motorsport races including Grand-Am, Vintage Racing Series events, and AMA Superbike. It serves as the home of the "Porsche Driving Experience" and the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School. It also hosts the Keith Code California Superbike School and the Jamie James Yamaha Champions Riding School.

On October 12, 2007, the IRL's IndyCar Series conducted an open test at Barber.^[3] In March 2009, the IRL again conducted testing at the track, one of only two preseason test sites prior to the 2009 season.^[4] It has been confirmed that a three-year contract has been signed for an early season race beginning in 2010. The race will be held in lieu of the Detroit race on April 11, 2010.

The track had also been nominated by FIA as the official test track for US F1 Team.^[5]

Sculpture

The infield of the track is adorned with a number of large sculptures, including a series of large steel spiders and dragonflies, a pair of lions and a sisyphean figure pushing a boulder. HealthSouth Corporation, based in Birmingham donated its "Pulling the Wagon" statue to the park in 2009. The statue used to sit at the front of the HealthSouth's Corporate Headquarters on Highway 280. The statue served as symbol for HealthSouth's corporate slogan "Pulling the Wagon", which was created in 1984 under former founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard M. Scrushy. The statue was removed in March 2003 from HealthSouth Corporate Headquarters Campus. Today one of the statue's figures holds up a motorcycle.

Barber Vintage Motorsport Museum

George Barber had a serious interest in vintage motorcycles.^[6] He recognized that there was no museum that reflects the history of motorcycles around the world. He wanted to preserve motorcycle history in the United States in a way that represents an international aspect and to supply an example of motorcycles that until then could only have been seen in books and magazines.

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum began life in 1988 as a private collection of George W. Barber.^[7] However, in 1994 it officially opened to the public in Birmingham, Alabama. The Museum was relocated to its new location at the Barber Motorsports Park, Leeds, Alabama, on September 19, 2003.

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum features a collection of over 1200 vintage and modern motorcycles and racing cars. It is considered the largest motorcycle museum in the world, as well as the largest collection of Lotus race cars.^[8] The internationally acclaimed motorcycle collection includes bikes dating from 1904 to present production. There are approximately 600 of the 1200 motorcycles on display at any given time from 16 countries that represent over 140 different marques from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden.

Track Records

References

External links

• Official website
• Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum