21st Annual Barber Vintage Festival Dedicated to the Memory of Founder and Visionary, George W. Barber
Motorcyclists from across the nation and around the world will converge on Barber Motorsports Park and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum on Friday, October 9, through Sunday, October 11, for the 21st annual Barber Vintage Festival.
This year’s festival carries special meaning as we celebrate the life and legacy of park and museum founder George W. Barber, as well as the motorsports community that has flourished through his vision. Barber, 85, died following a brief illness on Sunday, February 15.
Known for its breathtaking landscaping and whimsical art, the 880-acre park hosts many events each year, including the “Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix” and “MotoAmerica Superbikes at Barber.” Barber Vintage Festival, however, is the culmination of Barber’s dream.
Barber won 63 races as a driver, and contests of speed and skill are integral to the three-day weekend. AHRMA road racing takes place on the 17-turn, 2.38-mile road course, with flat-track, cross-country, motocross, and trials competitions at designated areas throughout the park.
Last year, nearly 400 vendors participated in one of the largest vintage motorcycle swap meets in the country. A short walk from the front doors of the museum, the always well-attended gathering promises rare machinery, difficult-to-find parts, and historic memorabilia.
BMW Motorrad Days Americas, Isle of Triumph, manufacturer demo rides, and new-product reveals, plus gravity-defying stunt shows, a kids’ zone, live music, and the ever-popular “Wall of Death,” are a few of the other attractions planned for festival attendees.
Inside the museum, home to the world’s largest motorcycle collection and one of the greatest displays of Lotus race cars, visitors can take in historical seminars and new exhibitions. The celebration continues into the night with “Motorcycles by Moonlight,” our annual gala.
“Barber Vintage Festival is the realization of George Barber’s vision to create a world-class gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts,” said Brian Case, executive director of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. “As we honor his life and legacy, we celebrate the global community of collectors, fans, and riders who continue to bring that vision to life.”
Tickets are now on sale. Children 15 years of age and under are free with a paying adult. BMW Motorrad USA, Law Tigers Motorcycle Lawyers, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Triumph Motorcycles, Mecum Auctions, and Papa Johns are the official partners.
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“Their enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication enriched every program we hosted, and watching them grow in confidence, develop professionally, and inspire students was very rewarding. We couldn`t be prouder of Rey and Rodney.”
Liz Johnson, Ph.D., education programs manager at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, is describing Rey Bernardino Jr. and Rodney McCarroll, who recently completed the inaugural Turn 9 STEM Education Internship Program.
The internship was developed to enhance skills in communication, education, and public engagement, while fostering a deeper understanding of careers in motorsports. Follow the Linktr.ee link in our bio to learn more.
Photo: Lindsey McLain
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Aug 2
You know “Charlotte,” right? She’s the 35-foot spider, built by artist Bill Secunda, that lives beyond the Turn 5 gravel trap on the @barbermotorpark road course. Her four pairs of long legs are poised to collect racers who stray into her web.
Journalist Alan Cathcart, writing for Motorcycle.com, once asked park founder George Barber about the dozens of whimsical creatures carefully placed around the 880 acres. “Oh gosh,” replied Barber. “You’ve got to have some fun.
“All this came about because when we started building the track, the environmentalists jumped right onto us, and they really were very vicious and obnoxious with their lies and their personal attacks on everybody working here.
“Their constant criticism made everyone feel really down and totally depressed because things were taking months that should have taken days,” he added. “I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to do something to lift everyone and get some laughs.’
“So, I did the spider, and I did the ants, and I did some dragonflies, and then I brought the press out here and showed them all this. We got some laughs in the media, and the environmentalists kind of backed off after that, so we got the thing built, and here we are.”
Charlotte T-shirts are available in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum gift shop and online in the digital store. Follow the "Shop Barber Merch" link in our bio to make a purchase.
Photo: Parker Freedman
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Jul 30
The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum will be closed on Wednesday, July 29, for a private event. The museum will reopen on Thursday, July 30, at 10 a.m.
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Jul 28
Master car restorer Wayne Carini recently saluted two of his dearly departed friends, Jon Oscher and George Barber, both of whom founded their own automotive museums, the Savoy Automotive Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama.
“Of Men and Museums” was first published in the Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. “I remember the first time I met George,” wrote Carini. “He was the nicest guy, larger than life. The museum was everything to him, and he wanted it to be perfect. One morning, we were heading into the theater to give a seminar, and George was outside picking up cigarette butts from the ground.”
Carini described Oscher and Barber as “generous gentlemen who gave so much to the automotive world.” As preparations continue for the 21st annual Barber Vintage Festival, October 9-11, which will celebrate the life and legacy of George Barber, what are your memories of the man who envisioned and created Barber Motorsports Park?
Follow the "Carini: Of Men and Museums" Linktr.ee link in our bio to read the story.
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Jul 26
How does a 19-year-old industrial-design student (and talented photographer) conclude that a Britten V-1000 is the most “remarkable and fascinating” motorcycle among more than 1,000 machines exhibited in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum?
“At first glance, the Britten seemed like just another race bike from the 1990s,” admitted Wes Johnson. “It wasn`t until I returned home and began to research its history that I discovered I had photographed one of the most legendary motorcycles ever built.
“The Britten is a testament to New Zealand resourcefulness. John Britten designed and built these machines out of the shop in his own backyard in Christchurch. He went on to make history competing against major manufacturers, most notably Ducati.”
The late George Barber could relate to Johnson’s connection with the V-1000. “Some of these motorcycles, I swear they talk to you,” he said. “Each bike has such a fantastic history, so as you walk on by, it says, ‘Come here, I want to tell you something.’”
Photo: @wes.sparks.photo
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Jul 23
George Barber often referred to motorcycles as “mechanical art.” It’s the reason they form the backbone of the museum’s collection. The 2006 Ducati Desmosedici RR, seen here minus its exotic carbon-fiber bodywork, embodies that ideology.
When rumors of a Desmosedici RR began to circulate, many envisioned a lights-and-mirrors edition of the V-four Bologna bullet that carried Loris Capirossi to victory in the sixth round of the 2003 MotoGP World Championship at the Circuit of Catalunya in Spain.
In fact, the 989cc engine enjoyed many of the same features: vee angle, bore and stroke, included valve angle, gear-driven desmodromic valve actuation, horizontally split sand-cast crankcases, slipper clutch, and cassette transmission.
But, like the steel trellis frame, the claimed 188-horsepower RR engine was beefed up for street duty; the two powerplants actually shared only cylinder-head base bolts. Wet weight was 425 pounds, roughly 100 more than Capirossi’s GP3.
Initial production was earmarked for 999R owners who were prepared to write a check for $65,000; MSRP jumped to $72,000 for the second batch. Ducati ultimately manufactured 1,500 units, all built by hand and carrying a numbered plaque.
“The GP bike barks significantly louder but the D16’s aural tones enforce the familial ties,” wrote journalist Nick Ienatsch in his riding impression of the bike published in the January, 2008, issue of Cycle World magazine.
Turn up the volume and let us know in the comments if you agree with Ienatsch’s assessment.
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Jul 21
Does the background for this episode of the @pipedreams_pod look familiar? It should because the interview was recorded in the Barber Advanced Design Center overlooking Turn 9 on the Barber Motorsports Park road course.
“This is what we dreamed of: being able to travel and do this remote setup in cool places,” begins @jamesrispoli. “We have Porsches behind us. We`re in the museum corner at an absolute golf resort of racetracks.”
Rispoli and co-host @corey23alexander compete in the Super Hooligan National Championship, part of the @motoamerica Series. Rispoli is a factory Harley-Davidson rider and the reigning class champion. Alexander is a race-winner on the prototype ARCH Racing entry.
This is actually the third episode that Rispoli and Alexander filmed in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Interviews with Kenny Roberts and @a_sansotta were rolled out first, followed by this in-depth discussion with 2024 Super Hooligan champ @corywest13.
Follow the Linktr.ee "Cory West – Wild West" link in our bio to watch the episode.
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Jul 19
Hey, moms and dads: There’s no better time than the present to bring your kids to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Daily admission for children ages four to 12 is only $10. You can’t beat that with a stick, as the saying goes.
Summer hours are in effect through Sept. 30.
Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday: noon to 6 p.m.
Adult: $25
Child: $10
Military: $20
Annual: $66
Add $16.50 for a docent-guided tour. Weekend passes are no longer available.
Photos: @a_sansotta
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Jul 16
