Barber Motorsports Track

One of America’s most beautiful circuits is Barber Motorsports Park. This track is a track that I call as a European-style course deep in the South. It will be raced on by the IndyCar Series for the first time as an official venue later 2010. The track was basically intended with motorcycle racing in mind, but it’s a great car racing course too. What makes this course beautiful? This tracks excells most because it is just a beautiful European-style course. Only that you don’t have immediate access to the garages from the pits. The configuration is a challenging one. If you have never experienced this course, you’re in for a treat.
— The Configuration —
Have a look at this course’s configuration here:

Click here to visit Barber Motorsports Park’s official website!

— The Track —
Based in Leeds, Alabama, USA; this track is a Grand Prix-style racing course with its fair share of elevation changes and decisive corners. It is a tough and rewarding course to race whether on two wheels or four. It boasts a 2.3-mile, 15-turn configuration.

The first corner is a fairly sharp left corner. You go uphill a bit going into Turn 2. Turns 2 and 3 rides like an oval in a way. You ride up hill into the little kink at Turn 4 followed by a long blast into the Turn 5 complex. The three corners that make up Turn 5 is part of an increasing radius. A slight left kink leads to Turn 6. Then after blasting down the straight, you come into the most challenging section of the track- the Turn 7 complex. It is a downhill right-left-right complex that almost rides like the Laguna Seca Corkscrew, and that you have to do it twice in different directions. You have to attack the very inside of all three parts of the Turn 7 complex to gain some steam heading into the Turn 8 complex. Turn 8 into Turn 8a is another increasing radius section. The road leading into the left-hander at Turn 9 goes slightly uphill, and the right-hander at Turn 10 is the same way. The road to Turn 11 is very long. Build up some speed, but be ready to take on Turns 11 and 12. Turn 11 is level while Turn 12 is slightly downhill. Exiting Turn 12 takes you up a somewhat steep hill. You have no idea how to take the next corner since you can’t see it and judge your distance while uphill. Turns 13 into 14a makes up a decreasing radius section. Along that way is a slight trudge uphill. And into the final corner, a slight decline awaits when going into Turn 15. And that’s a descriptive lap of this awesome American road racing course.

Here are a few video laps here (courtesy of YouTube):

It may not be Formula 1 circuit long, but it is plenty challenging and physical to race. It’s truly one of the loveliest tracks in America. The Barber Museum showcases three floors of “one of a kind” vintage motorcycles. The track is world class with weapons grade racing machines. You want be disappointed at Barber Motorsports.

The Barber Motorsports Park will be the third stop on theIndy Racing League calendar next year, state and local officials confirmed at the racetrack today. The Indy Grand Prix of Alabama is slated for April 9-11, the third stop on the IndyCar Series schedule and two races before the Indianapolis 500 in 2010. “The Barber Motorsports Park is the finest road track in North America and deserves an event of this caliber and prestige,” said Gene Hallman, president of Zoom Motorsports, which will present the race. “This will be the only IndyCar Series race in the Deep South, meaning it is a great tourist draw for the region.” The three-day event is expected to draw around 100,000 race fans and have an economic impact of $30 million, according to the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau. The CVB was part of a team that included the racetrack, Zoom, State of Alabama, City of Birmingham and others.

“We are pleased to bring the speed and excitement of the IndyCar Series to Barber Motorsports Park, the greater Birmingham area and the state of Alabama,” Terry Angstadt, president of the commercial division for Indy Racing League, said in a statement. “The nearly two-year pursuit to bring IndyCar Series racing to Birmingham only reinforces the professionalism and planning put into this by our newest scheduling partner.” Gov. Bob Riley and Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford praised George Barber’s vision to invest his own money developing the $70 million facility, making it possible to win the event. Riley said the race will showcase the state the rest of the world and Langford said it shows what can be accomplished through teamwork. Indy racer Dan Wheldon weighed in on the announcement via telephone. He said the 2.38 mile road track at Barber is both beautiful and challenging and coming back for a real race after the two testing runs in the past is generating a buzz among drivers. “It just seems to have a little bit of everything,” Wheldon said. Tickets will go on sale in September.