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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@rahalducatimoto tested for two days in July at @barbermotorpark, and freelance photographer Wes Johnson captured the action. Team Principal @bspies11 was joined by three of his four riders: @pjjacobsen, @josh_herrin, and @alessandrodimario27. @kayla_yaakov was absent due to an injury sustained at an earlier round of the @motoamerica series.
Spies added his name to the list of AMA Superbike race winners at Barber Motorsports Park in 2006, earning pole position and winning both premier-class races. Don’t miss the opportunity to meet the 42-year-old Texan and see his title-winning 2008 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum during the Barber Vintage Festival, October 9-11.
Follow the "Barber Vintage Festival" Linktr.ee link in our bio to purchase tickets.
Photos: @wes.sparks.photo
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Aug 9
What’s on the lift? That’s George Barber’s personal 1987 Porsche 928 S4. Barber enjoyed a lot of racing success in Porsches. This silver metallic example was his second 928. He drove it frequently, accumulating nearly 30,000 miles. Then, inexplicably, he parked it.
The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum’s conservation team is readying this 32-valve, 5.0-liter V-8 grand tourer for a return to the road. The timing belt, water pump, and steering assembly were replaced. Original-spec tires are ordered.
A unique feature is the 12-hour clock, purchased separately. “You can now claim to be the only owner of a 928 with this type of clock,” wrote Hans Struffert, Porsche Cars North America national service director. “I am certain you will not have any problem installing this gem.”
Photos: @wes.sparks.photo
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Aug 6
For motorcyclists of a certain age with a fondness for roads that twist and turn, the Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition is perhaps the Holy Grail of mid-1980s Japanese sport bikes. So, how did the more track-focused Limited Edition differ from the standard model?
For starters, it was fitted with a dry clutch, floating front brake discs, the electric anti-dive front suspension from the GSX-R1100, and a solo-only racing seat. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price was $6499, $2000 more than the higher-volume GSX-R750.
In 2013, Cycle World Contributing Editor Nick Ienatsch rode a Limited Edition at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, California, back-to-back with a new Suzuki GSX-R750 Yoshimura Limited Edition. The title of the story was “Superbikes with Soul.”
“You sit on a modern sport bike but in the Limited, the low seat making the reach to the clip-ons extremely comfortable,” wrote Ienatsch. “The bubble surrounds you with the fuel tank between your elbows, and it’s an amazingly placid place to spend a few laps.”
Photo: Wes Johnson/Sparks Photography
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Aug 4
“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
