Acclaimed authors, distinguished designers, and decorated racers headline six seminars scheduled in conjunction with the 21st annual Barber Vintage Festival, October 9 through 11, at Barber Motorsports Park. The seminars will be hosted in the Barber Advanced Design Center on the fifth floor of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

Subjects range from the magnetic attraction of motorcycles and the milestone models that have excited generations of enthusiasts to competing and winning at the pinnacle of the sport. Each seminar is expected to last one hour, and questions are welcome. The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the festival weekend.

AESTHETICS OF MOTORCYCLING

Friday 11:30 a.m.

Moderator: Ultan Guilfoyle

Peter Jones has written for nearly every motorcycle title in the U.S. He is a racer, owner of a three-time WERA National Endurance class-championship team, and a life member of the East Coast Timing Association’s 200-mph club. Jones has co-authored two books of regional history, and he has been published in the Sartre Studies International Journal and Confluence literary journal.

WOMEN IN MOTORSPORTS

Friday 2:30 p.m.

Moderator: Liz Johnson

Sonya Lloyd got her start on dirt, racing flat track. A well-rounded athlete with a degree in biological engineering, Sonya finished second overall in the Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. program, spent a season overseas in the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, and competed this year in MotoAmerica Twins Cup as a rider for the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team.

Melissa Paris discovered motorcycle road racing later than most, but she quickly made up for lost time. Boundless enthusiasm, combined with unparalleled determination, led the Californian to ultimately form her own MotoAmerica team, MP13 Racing/One Cure Racing. Paris is married to four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes, and they have two children.

Kayla Theisler’s interest in vintage racing began at the 2019 Barber Vintage Festival. Now, she’s a national champion sidecar racer, has competed in Royal Enfield’s Build.Train.Race. program, and was recognized as AHRMA’s “Lady Racer of the Year.” A mechanical engineer by day, Kayla combines her passion for data, design, and “things that go vroom” into all she does.

 

FORTY YEARS OF SUZUKI GSX-R

Friday 4 p.m.

Moderator: Matthew Miles

Nick Ienatsch has profoundly impacted motorcycling as a journalist, a championship-winning racer, and a riding instructor. He began his career in the mid-1980s at Motorcyclist magazine and later established Sport Rider. After a decade at the Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School, Ienatsch co-founded the Yamaha Champions Riding School.

Kent Kunitsugu is one of a handful of national-level road racers who is as adept at writing and editing for an international audience as he is at lapping a racetrack at speed on a MotoGP prototype motorcycle. Kent was the editor-in-chief of Sport Rider for more than 20 years, successfully navigating the challenging transition from print to digital publishing.

 

MOTORCYCLE DESIGN

Saturday 1:00 p.m.

Moderator: Ultan Guilfoyle

Pierre Terblanche is the celebrated resident mentor of the Barber Advanced Design Center. He is perhaps best known for his many years with Ducati, where he played key developmental roles in a number of landmark models, including the 999, Supermono, MH900e, and Sportclassics. Terblanche continues to influence motorcycling with his bold design ideas.

 

STATE OF MOTOGP

Saturday 2:30 p.m.

Moderator: Matthew Miles

Neil Spalding is a former London banker and club road racer who ran away and joined the MotoGP circus. He authored three editions of “MotoGP Technology,” the definitive technical history of the first decade of the modern four-strokes. His latest, “Motorcycle Racing Technology,” is now available in digital form. Neil also runs Sigma Performance, a supplier of racing slipper-style clutches.

Kenny Roberts Jr. had one objective as a motorcycle racer: to win a world championship, just as his father did. In the nearly 80-year history of grand prix road racing, the Roberts are the only father and son to both lay claim to premier-class titles. Kenny’s winning factory Suzuki RGV500 is part of the museum’s permanent collection.

 

DUCATI 750 SUPER SPORT

Saturday 4:00 p.m.

Moderator: Matthew Miles

Kevin Cameron is a respected technical writer and historian, known for his decades of valued contributions to Cycle and Cycle World magazine. A former two-stroke race tuner, Cameron possesses the unique ability to explain complex concepts in accessible and insightful ways, earning him a reputation as one of the leading authorities in motorcycling.

Alan Cathcart is a British journalist whose work has been published in more than 40 different countries. Alan’s bevel-drive Ducati V-twin testing resume includes both Paul Smart’s 1972 Imola 200 winner and the ’73 short-stroke Imola racer. He continues to compete in classic events on his personal 750 Super Sport, one of the original 401 examples produced by Ducati.

 

MODERATORS

Ultan Guilfoyle is a filmmaker and writer. He co-curated the landmark design exhibition, “The Art of the Motorcycle” at the Guggenheim Museum, and “The Motorcycle: Design-Art-Desire,” at QAGOMA in Brisbane, Australia. He has authored four books: “Spoon,” “Phaidon Design Classics,” “The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire,” and “Guitar: The Shape of Sound.”

Liz Johnson is the education programs manager at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, and a specialist in STEM education. Johnson earned a bachelor of science and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Alabama. She leads the museum’s youth programs, summer internships, and engineering outreach.

Matthew Miles studied journalism before embarking on a career in motorcycling. He joined Cycle World magazine in 1991, serving its readership for 29 years, 20 as the managing editor. Miles has edited two books, “Superbike: An Illustrated Early History,” co-authored by Kevin Cameron and John Owens, and “50th Anniversary Honda Gold Wing.”