Barber Motosports Park

Deschodt · 04-13-2010, 05:13 AM

Anyone on the board having experience there ?

I saw the track this w/e on TV (hi-def, gorgeous) for the indycar race, it looks like a *fantastic* track... Elevation changes galore, cool turns, beautiful scenery around it, even funny sculptures here and there across the scenery... Looks like there is a Porsche school there.... I might be tempted to go for that one day... anyone here lucky enough to have tried this track ?

IROC · IROC's Garage

I've instructed there at DEs a number of times. Beautiful track. Very technically challenging with blind apexes and reducing radius turns. IMHO, it doesn't have the wonderful "flow" that Road Atlanta has...

chuckr · 04-13-2010, 05:40 AM

Been there a couple of times doing the Porsche Club Race, without question a beautiful track.
There is also a museum with one of the worlds largest motorcycle collections, there are cars
there also.The Porsche Driving Experience is also there.You can drive everything Porsche makes
as far as street cars/suv's go

Dueller · 04-13-2010, 05:43 AM

I did an SCCA race there a few years back...very technical track..elevation changes,m off camber turns, blind turns, etc. Visited several times to crew. Its the Pebble Beach of tracks. Absolutely pristine grounds. A great motorsport/motorcycle museum on the grounds...just stunning overall.

rouxroux · 04-13-2010, 06:14 AM

We were in Birmingham this past weekend (the Indy Grand Prix was running). I wish this track had been open when I lived in Huntsville, but I still prefer Road Atlanta (where I "cut my teeth" in the 70's).

IROC · IROC's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by rouxroux

...but I still prefer Road Atlanta (where I "cut my teeth" in the 70's).

especially "the dip" - not this "10A/10B" nonsense!!

willtel · 04-13-2010, 07:26 AM

Barber is a great looking course to look at. I haven't driven on it but I think they make you pay to repair the landscaping if you have an off.

air-cool-me · 04-13-2010, 04:47 PM

Took a riding school at the track. I was very happy. The elevation changes made the bike do new and interesting things.. it was a great experience.

Pardon the bad body positioning.. thats why I was taking the class.

Nice Bonnet · 04-13-2010, 05:04 PM

Went for the Alabama Grand Prix this past weekend and did the PCA de back in March. It is a beautiful facility with an extremely technical track. It's probably not as fast as Road Atlanta, but for the overall experience it's hard to beat. Birmingham is a well kept secret with some great roads to drive and very nice places to stay and eat.

Dueller · 04-13-2010, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IROC

especially "the dip" - not this "10A/10B" nonsense!!

a/k/a GRAVITY CAVITY

URY914 · URY914's Garage

Every Indycar driver interviewed said there was no where to pass. Seems designing a track to allow for passing would be high on your want list.

holtjv · 04-13-2010, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by air-cool-me

Took a riding school at the track. I was very happy. The elevation changes made the bike do new and interesting things.. it was a great experience.

Pardon the bad body positioning.. thats why I was taking the class.

very cool and the riding position looks great to me. I'll be there on my daytona beginning of May for the first time. Never heard of that school...Jack

fxeditor · fxeditor's Garage

I've done the Porsche Driving School there and it is a great track! I do agree about it not being a "flowing" as some others but it has a lot of very technical areas. The museum also has an amazing display of Lotus cars on display. I think everything there is belongs to the builder of the track, a former dairy farmer. It kind of makes me want to buy some cows!

Michael

air-cool-me · 04-13-2010, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holtjv

very cool and the riding position looks great to me. I'll be there on my daytona beginning of May for the first time. Never heard of that school...Jack

thank you...

You will love heading up the hill blind.. track out just appears out of no where!

IROC · IROC's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by air-cool-me

thank you...

You will love heading up the hill blind.. track out just appears out of no where!

The spot in your first picture is one of my favorites. Go blasting up that hill - foot to the floor - and let the car (in my case) drift over to the left side of the track completely on it's own after cresting that hill. Then come back over to the right and brake like crazy for the hairpin. Man, that's fun.

I think the "problem" with Barber is that it is a relatively tight track with no place to really relax. When you're learning the track, the blind apexes and reducing radius turns require a lot of attention and planning and once you get moving quickly, you're always busy. It's like a really big, beautiful autocross course with lots of elevation change. I can only imagine that - in Indy cars - it is much worse since things are happening much faster.