Barber Motor Sports Park (PDE)

[carreradpt]

Just returned from the 2 day Porsche Driving Experience at this 2.38 mile track. Gave this to myself for my 50th birthday. Oh my god is that track awesome. All the cars are 2005. Drove the Carrera primarily, but drove both Boxsters and the Cayenne S on the autocross track and did some laps on the track in the S. The track was built in 2003 and has been resurfaced each year. It is George Barbers, the Dairy Man in that part of the country, and it also houses a 700 motorcycle + cars museum, his collection. Contrary to what I was led to believe, it is primarily an instructional course, with quite a lineup of instructors, with Mr Hurley Haywood as the chief instructor. The program is absolutely first class in all respects. The instruction, the catered food, the cars, track, landscaping. Even the guardrail off track tires are brand new. Only the best for George.
a view of the cars

great landscaping
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more landscaping
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The museum
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amazing collection
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more machines
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the spider is fake.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads5/Img20741115528010.jpg[/img]

[Venetian]

Where is this track and how much was the week end? Looks like a great time.

[Instrument 41]

I worked the Inagural SCCA race and the initail Grand Am race at Barber as a race official. This track is is done well. The actual track had been surfaced for an entire year before he let anyone use it, because he wanted the landscaping to be complete. Numerous Bronze statues throughout the facility. Very anal about pit usage and keeping it clean. And...if you wreck on the track...any damage that you inflict, will be rewarded with a bill to fix the damage. Including sod replacement, labor for redoing the gravel traps, etc... Good freind was there with is spec Miata, slid off around turn 11 eleven and collected a little section of armco barrier. Before he had left he was given a bili for the damaged barrier and sod. Paid the bill, went out to the blessed site, cut out the bent up armco and took it home, where it hangs in his garage! This track is really suited to bike racing. If you have an opportunity to see the facility I would highly encourage it.

[VincentVega]

Very nice museum too!

[carreradpt]

The track is just east of Birmingham Alabama on I-20. Their website is They have different courses and prices. The track was built on the site of an old strip mine. We were told that he caught grief from the local "save the insects" crowd so he put in these very cool, very large sculptures of insects and animals and other stuff. Apparently he has a sense of humor too.
Guy holding a boulder up

Very large dragonfly

[fireant911]

carreradpt,
You came from Washington to experience this track? This place is practically in my backyard, actually it is within a one hour drive for me, and I have never been... I may now have to certainly reconsider and act on this grand opportunity.

[carreradpt]

My Mom lives in Daytona Beach and I needed an appropriate 50th birthday present to myself that didn't include climbing any mountains. So this PDE thing thing seemed liked the right thing to do. Kinda on the way to FL. The museum alone is worth the drive.