Barber Motorsports Park

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Barber Motorsports Park
Location Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
Owner Barber Motorsports
Operator ZOOM Motorsports
Opened 2003
Architect Alan Wilson
Major Events Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
AMA Superbike Championship
Road course
Surface Asphalt
Circuit Length 2.3 mi (3.7 km)
Turns 16
Lap Record 1:20.613 (Max Papis, Chip Ganassi Racing, 2004, Daytona Prototype)

The Barber Motorsports Park is a large multi-purpose racing facility on a 740-acre (300 ha) site in Birmingham, Alabama, located on the eastern fringes of the city, near Leeds.

Contents

[edit] Track

The park, which opened in 2003, features a 16-turn 2.3-mile (3.7 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 and Vintage Racing Series events, and serves as the home of the "Porsche Driving Experience".

On October 12, 2007, the IRL's IndyCar Series conducted an open test at Barber. Track officials indicated they are exploring a race for the 2009 IndyCar Series season.[1]

[edit] 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.

[edit] Museum

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum features a collection of over 900 vintage and modern motorcycles and racecars. It is considered the largest motorsports museum in the world.[citation needed] The racecars includes Lotus and other international race cruisers. The internationally acclaimed motorcycle collection includes bikes dating from 1904 to present production. There are bikes from 16 countries that represent over 140 different marques from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden.

[edit] Track records

  Driver Time Avg. Speed Date Vehicle
Official Max Papis 1 min 20.613 sec 102.713 miles per hour (165.301 km/h) 9 October 2004 Riley-Lexus
Daytona Prototype
Unofficial Tony Kanaan 1 min 9.743 sec 118.722 miles per hour (191.065 km/h) 12 October 2007 Dallara-Honda
IndyCar
Motorcycle
(official)		 Mat Mladin 1 min 25.047 sec 97.358 miles per hour (156.683 km/h) April, 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Star drivers to test at Barber", The Birmingham News, 2007-10-02. Retrieved on 2007-10-17. 

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Circuits of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Current Circuits (2008)
Former circuits
v • d • e
Birmingham, Alabama, USA landmarks
16th Street Baptist Church • Alabama Adventure Theme Park • Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame • Alabama Museum of Health Sciences • Alabama Sports Hall of Fame • Alabama Theatre • Aldridge Gardens • Alys Stephens Center • Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens • Avondale Park • Barber Motorsports Park & Vintage Motorsports Museum • Bessemer Hall of History • Birmingham Botanical Gardens • Birmingham Civil Rights District • Birmingham Civil Rights Institute • Birmingham International Airport • Birmingham Zoo • Birmingham Museum of Art • Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex • Boutwell Auditorium • Cahaba River • Carver Theatre • International Motorsports Hall of Fame • Kelly Ingram Park • Lane Park • Legion Field • McWane Center • Oak Mountain State Park • Red Mountain • Regions Park • Rickwood Field • Riverchase Galleria • Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa • Ruffner Mountain • Sloss Furnaces • Southern Museum of Flight • Talladega Superspeedway • The Summit • UAB • Vulcan Park & Statue
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