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The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum pauses to remember the achievements of the late John Surtees on his birthday, February 11, 1934. Surtees was a deeply respected, longtime friend of museum founder George Barber.
“I have wonderful memories of John,” Barber told journalist and author Alan Cathcart. “He was like a ballet dancer on a bike. It was magnificent. He didn’t have to go more than 50 feet before you knew he was a world champion.”
Surtees is the only person to win world titles on both two and four wheels. He raced Grand Prix motorcycles from 1952 to 1960, and Formula One from 1960 to 1972. A seven-time champion on bikes, he won four titles in the premier 500cc class.
The 1964 Ferrari 158 that Surtees drove to the F1 championship that year is part of the museum’s permanent collection. Here, Chuck Huneycutt bumps off Surtees aboard one of his MV Agusta 500s on the 50th anniversary of his inaugural title.
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Feb 11
Before the green flag dropped on the 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis GP, Kevin Schwantz rode three demonstration laps of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course on his world championship-winning Suzuki RGV500. Various media outlets reported that the 45-year-old American hadn’t ridden his works racer since 1993, when he won the title.
Technically, that wasn’t true. Earlier that year, Schwantz moved his namesake riding school from Road Atlanta to Barber Motorsports Park. When the Suzuki-demo invitation arrived from IMS, he phoned Hamish Jamieson, one of his former GP mechanics, who flew all the way from West Africa to Birmingham, Alabama, to give the two-stroke V-four a once-over.
Jamieson pulled the Suzuki apart in the basement conservation area of the museum, where the bike was housed until it was trucked to Indy. “The engine was quite fresh when the bike was given to Kevin,” he said. “It was just a case of a bit of corrosion on some of the magnesium in the water system. I repaired those things, and the bike fired up straight away.”
Over the course of two days, Schwantz rode a number of laps of the Barber road course on the Suzuki, refamiliarizing himself with its narrow powerband and carbon brakes. “Kevin surprised the students with two unannounced runs at the end of each day of a two-day school,” recalled photographer Dave Smith. “They went crazy. It was really exciting.”
@kschwantz34 @motogp
Photos: Dave Smith
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Feb 10
Reminder: Lee Clark is hosting a special, one-night-only reception and lecture titled, “For the Love of Lotus” at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17.
The event is dedicated to four of the museum’s Lotus cars: 1959 Type 15, 1960 Type 19, 1962 Type 23, and 1964 Elan 26R Shapecraft.
Member pricing is $25 per person; non-members pay $35. Two complimentary drinks are included, along with light hors d`oeuvres. Bring a friend!
Photo: Joe Avila
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Feb 8
Barber Design Camp 2026 is here! Rising 5th-6th grade students will dive into the world of science, technology, engineering, art, math, and design at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and Park!
Students will engage in a variety of hands-on activities, from designing model vehicles using computer aided design and artificial intelligence to learning the mechanics of motorcycles. With access to the Museum’s incredible collection and the park’s inspiring setting, students will ignite their creativity and problem-solving skills while having fun. This camp is perfect for young innovators ready to dream big!
Members: $325/student | Non-members: $375/student
🏁 REGISTER NOW: Link in bio! 🏁
Feb 6
German track-and-field athletes Thomas Röhler and Julian Weber recently visited the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Both Röhler and Weber compete in the javelin throw.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Röhler (second from right) threw 296 feet, 3 inches to win a gold medal. The next year, he surpassed 308 feet.
Weber (third from left) also represented Germany in Rio, as well as Tokyo and Paris. He threw more than 300 feet this past August at a meet in Switzerland.
The museum extends its heartfelt well-wishes to all of the athletes competing in the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, February 6 through 22.
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Feb 5
Watch Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum Preservation Technician Russell Williams pedal the 1903 Thor to life. This particular example was previously owned by the late Urban Hirsch and restored to its current condition by Steve Huntzinger. The museum acquired it in 2025.
Feb 4
While many parts of the country are buried in snow, spring is just around the corner—really, it is. And so, too, is the beginning of event season at Barber Motorsports Park. As usual, the park’s dance card is jam-packed with exciting spectator experiences.
Here are five important dates to commit to memory:
March 27-29: Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix
May 15-17: MotoAmerica Superbikes at Barber
September 25-27: UAB Medicine GT World Alabama
October 9-11: Barber Vintage Festival
October 16-18: SpeedTour
When you’re making plans, please set aside time to visit the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and its world-class collection of motorcycles and Lotus cars. We recommend a full day to fully enjoy all of the two- and four-wheel exhibits.
By becoming a museum member, you will have the inside scoop and enjoy special discounts and unique opportunities throughout the year. Follow the link in our bio to learn more about membership and its benefits.
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Feb 3
If this 1903 Thor looks a lot like an Indian of the same vintage, well, it should. After all, the Aurora Automatic Machinery Co. of Aurora, Illinois, produced Oscar Hedstrom-designed engines for the Springfield, Massachusetts-based motorcycle manufacturer.
The 2.5-horsepower, intake-over-exhaust single is an element of the chassis, its cylinder head wedged into the seat tube, the crankcase affixed to the bottom of the frame. The “camel hump” fuel tank, also shared with Indian, held both gas and the oil for the lubrication system.
Aurora supplied power plants to other companies, too, including Emblem, Reading-Standard, Sears, and Torpedo. Soon, it was building complete bikes under the name of its house brand, Thor. The steel fork and frame are based on bicycle designs of the era.
This particular example was one of many pre-1916 motorcycles previously owned by the late Urban Hirsch. It was restored to its current condition by Steve Huntzinger and acquired by the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in 2025.
Photos: Joe Avila
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Feb 1
