Barber Motorsports Park: A Tribute to George Barber

This weekend, the NTT INDYCAR Series returns to Barber Motorsports Park for the 16th time. The 880-acre world-class facility near Birmingham, Alabama, will once again host the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, with thrilling action promised on its challenging 2.3-mile road course.

However, one very important figure will be noticeably absent. George W. Barber Jr., the visionary founder of both the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and the park itself, passed away peacefully on February 15, 2026, at the age of 85.

A Birmingham native and Auburn University graduate, George Barber was a successful businessman, real estate developer, and generous philanthropist. He is best remembered as the visionary founder of both the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and Barber Motorsports Park.

Barber’s lifelong passion was collecting and preserving vintage motorcycles. Over the decades, he built an extraordinary collection that earned global recognition. In 2014, Guinness World Records officially named it the world’s largest motorcycle collection, with more than 1,400 motorcycles housed in the museum.

Autoracing1 spoke with Don Erwin, former Vice President of Barber Companies, about Mr. Barber.

“I actually first met George when I was doing economic development for Alabama Power back in 1997 or 1998, and at the time the museum was in an old warehouse of his in downtown Birmingham. And I started going down there, bringing business prospects, and that’s how I got to know him.”

“So at a certain point in time. I asked him, What are you going to do next? And he said, “Well, I want to build a bigger museum with greater visibility.” And I said I know a site you might want to look at. It’s for a project I worked on that never materialized. I took him out to the site where the Barber Park is now, and when he saw it, he said, “I want to build a museum, but I want to build a track as well.”

“ But you know, around the country, we see car museums and motorcycle museums, and they’re started by a founder, someone who’s really interested in motorcycles or cars. When that person dies, a lot of times, the children don’t share the same interest in that. And so the collection is sold off. And that’s the end of the museum.”

“George was never married. He didn’t have children, and the people that George picked, not just for the company, but for the museum and park, were kinda like his children. They were people with values and interests he felt would carry on his ideas.”

Brian Case Photo courtesy of Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

“For instance, the current Executive Director of the Barber Museum, Brian Case, originally started out as an industrial designer, but he had been involved with the design of two different motorcycles. The latest was the Motus motorcycle, which was built from scratch, including the engine.”

“The longest current employee may be a guy named Lee Clark, who specializes in restoring lotuses. The Barber Museum has the largest Lotus Racing car collection in the world. And so he is a liaison between classic Lotus Racing in the US and the UK. Or maybe Brian Slark, a 2012 AMA Hall of Fame Inductee. He’s actually a Brit who came to the US in the early 60s and was involved in off-road motorcycle racing in California for many years. Brian’s about 85 or 86 now and still works at the museum.”

Will Power Photo courtesy of Penske Entertainment/Joe Skibinski

One driver in the series that has had success at this track is Will Power, driving the No 26 TWG AI Honda for Andretti Global. The Australian has two wins (2011, 2012) and four poles (2010, 2011, 2014, and 2017) on this road course.

Power was recently asked about his relationship with Mr. Barber.

“I’d always see George at the races, especially in the early days. He always says, If there’s anything I can do, anything to improve, please let me know. Such a lovely guy.”

“His passion for putting on an amazing event, or just the presentation of that track. You’ve got to walk through that museum. It’s amazing the way it’s presented and set up. The track you drive into is one of the nicest-presented tracks we go to. The way the grass is done, the barriers, everything about it. The cool sculptures they have around the track.”

“Yes, I was sad to hear the passing of George. I think we’re lucky to have George Barber put on that event for us from the beginning, and now it will be 16 years. He was
obviously a big fan of INDYCAR. ”

Mr. Barber’s legacy is one of turning big ideas into reality while lifting up the people and places around him.

This weekend, as IndyCar engines roar during the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, the event will carry an extra layer of meaning — a celebration of the track’s beauty and excitement and a heartfelt tribute to the man whose vision and passion made it all possible.

Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst Fast Facts

Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 90 laps / 207 miles | INDY NXT by Firestone: Race 1 – 35 laps / 80.5 miles / 55 minutes; Race 2 – 30 laps / 69 miles / 50 minutes.

Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum single duration of 20 seconds. Push-to-pass is not available on the initial start or any restart unless it occurs in the final two laps or three minutes of a timed race. | INDY NXT by Firestone: 65 seconds of total time.

Hybrid energy deployment parameters: Unlimited activation, with a maximum deployment of 385 kilojoules (kj) per lap

Firestone tire allotment: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Five sets primary (hard) and five sets alternate (soft) to be used during the event weekend. Teams fielding a rookie driver may use one additional set of primary tires in the first practice session. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. INDY NXT by Firestone: Three new sets to be used during the event weekend, with one new set used for qualifying and another new set used during one of the two races. Qualifying tires must be used during one of the two races. Two carryover sets from the Arlington race may be used during the first practice.

Twitter: @BarberMotorPark @IndyCar, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #IndyCar

Instagram: @BarberMotorPark, @INDYCAR, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR

Facebook: @BarberMotorsportsPark, @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYBHM, #INDYCAR

TikTok: @INDYCAR, @INDYNXT, #INDYCAR

YouTube: @INDYCAR

Event website: www.indyalabama.com

NTT INDYCAR SERIES website: www.indycar.com | INDY NXT by Firestone website: www.indynxt.com

2025 race winners:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Alex Palou (No. 10 HRC Honda)

INDY NXT by Firestone

Dennis Hauger (No. 28 Andretti Global)

2025 NTT P1 Award winner (NTT INDYCAR SERIES): Alex Palou (No. 10 HRC Honda), 1 minute, 7.2918 seconds, 123.046 mph

2025 INDY NXT by Firestone pole winner: Dennis Hauger (No. 28 Andretti Global) 1:12.7705, 113.782 mph

Qualifying records:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

Pato O’Ward, 1:05.5019, 126.409 mph, April 17, 2021 (set in Round 2 of qualifying)

INDY NXT by Firestone

Christian Rasmussen, 1:10:7371, 117.053 mph, April 29, 2023

FOX Sports telecasts: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: Practice 1, 3:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Practice 2, 11 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Qualifying, 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Warmup show/final practice, 10 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1; Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst, 1 p.m. ET, Sunday, FOX (live). Will Buxton is the play-by-play announcer for FOX’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters. | INDY NXT by Firestone: Practice 1, 2:30 p.m. ET Friday, FS2 (live); Qualifying, 10 a.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Race 1, 1 p.m. ET Saturday, FS1 (live); Race 2, 11 a.m. ET Sunday, FS1 (live). Kevin Lee is the play-by-play announcer for FOX Sports’ coverage of INDY NXT by Firestone alongside analyst Jack Harvey. Georgia Henneberry is the pit reporter.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the anchor alongside driver analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query and Nick Yeoman are the turn announcers. Michael Young, Alex Wollf and DJ Clark are the pit reporters. The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst race and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. All INDY NXT by Firestone practices, qualifying sessions and races are available on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation 218, indycar.com/leaderboard and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA.

At-track schedule (All Times Local/Central Time):

Friday, March 27

1:30-2:15 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone practice 1, FS2 (Live)

2:35-3:55 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (split group format), FS2 (Live)

Saturday, March 28
9-9:30 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Qualifying (Two groups, 10-minutes each), FS2 (Live)

10:05-11:25 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice (split group format), FS1 (Live)

12:01 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 1 “Drivers, start your engines”

12:06 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 1 (35 laps/80.5 miles/55 minutes), FS1 (Live).

1:35-3 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS1 (Live)

Sunday, March 29

9:05-9:35 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup, FS1 (Live)

10 a.m. – FS1 on air

10:03 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 2 “Drivers, start your engines”

10:09 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Alabama Race 2 (30 laps/69 miles/50 minutes), FS1 (Live).

Noon – FOX on air

12:10 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”

12:17 p.m. – Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix (90 laps / 207 miles), FOX (Live)

‘WHAT TO LOOK FOR’ AT BARBER:

March Madness rolls on: This weekend’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park represents the fourth series race in the past 29 days this month, which is noteworthy. It’s been 50-plus years since the series was this active in March, and in the past decade, only the month of July has hosted as many events in different locations. This weekend also offers another opportunity to add to the competitive balance of the 25-car field. So far, three drivers representing three different teams have won races, and there is every reason to believe the run of new winners to open the season can continue.
Dixon Needs a Barber: It can be argued that Scott Dixon is the most successful NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver in Barber Motorsports Park history, yet he doesn’t have a win to show for it. Dixon’s stat line at the 17-turn, 2.38-mile permanent road course is impressive: Nine podium finishes in 15 starts, including six runner-up finishes. That’s impressive by any measure. But he still would like to win at the track and score his first victory of the season.
The Captain’s Table: As for reaching the top step of the podium in Birmingham, Alabama, Scott McLaughlin and Alex Palou have been the track’s recent masters, each winning two of the last five races. In fact, Barber has been a Team Penske kind of place. Josef Newgarden has won three of the past 10 races, while Andretti Global’s Will Power has won two races while driving for Penske. Power is a four-time NTT P1 Award winner at Barber with Penske, part of the record 71 poles he has scored in his career.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes:

Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, who won the Java House Grand Prix of Arlington on March 15, is the series points leader for the first time in his career. His margin over four-time series champion Alex Palou is 26 points. Further proof of the young season’s competitive balance is the overall point separation. The top eight drivers are separated by less than 50 points. Last year, only three drivers were within that spread after three races as Palou won twice and finished second in the other.
The Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix will be the 16th NTT INDYCAR SERIES event conducted at Barber Motorsports Park. Active race winners who are expected to compete are: Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin.

ACTIVE RACE WINNER	WINS	SEASONS
Josef Newgarden	3	2015, 2017, 2018
Will Power	2	2011, 2012
Alex Palou	2	2021, 2025
Scott McLaughlin	2	2023, 2024
Pato O’Ward	1	2022

Seven drivers have won this race from the pole – Will Power in 2011, Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2013, Simon Pagenaud in 2016, Josef Newgarden in 2018, Takuma Sato in 2019, Scott McLaughlin in 2024 and Alex Palou in 2025.

ACTIVE POLE WINNER	POLES	SEASONS
Will Power	4	2010, 2011, 2014, 2017
Alex Palou	1	2025
Scott McLaughlin	1	2024
Rinus VeeKay	1	2022
Pato O’Ward	1	2021
Josef Newgarden	1	2018

Scott Dixon has finished on the podium in nine of his 15 previous starts at Barber Motorsports Park – including six runner-up finishes – but he has yet to finish on the top step of the podium at the picturesque road circuit.
Three drivers have competed in every NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Barber Motorsports Park – Scott Dixon, Will Power and Graham Rahal. All are entered this weekend.
Team Penske has eight wins at Barber Motorsports Park (2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023 and 2024). Andretti Global, Chip Ganassi Racing, ECR, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Arrow McLaren have also won at the track. Andretti Autosport won in 2013 and 2014 with Ryan Hunter-Reay. ECR won with Josef Newgarden in 2015, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing won in 2019 with Takuma Sato, Chip Ganassi Racing won in 2021 and 2025 with Alex Palou and Arrow McLaren won in 2022 with Pato O’Ward.
Twenty-two of the 25 drivers entered in the event have competed in NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at Barber Motorsports Park. Twelve entered drivers have led laps: Will Power 216, Alex Palou 153, Josef Newgarden 141, Scott McLaughlin 85, Rinus VeeKay 58, Pato O’Ward 52, Scott Dixon 46, Graham Rahal 25, Santino Ferrucci 14, Marcus Armstong 6, Alexander Rossi 3 and Felix Rosenqvist 1.
Three NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year contenders – Caio Collet, Dennis Hauger and Mick Schumacher – are entered and will race an NTT INDYCAR SERIES car at Barber Motorsports Park for the first time. Hauger won the INDY NXT by Firestone race at the track in 2025.
Milestones: Marcus Armstrong will attempt to make his 50th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start … Scott Dixon will attempt to make his 360th consecutive start, the longest streak in INDYCAR SERIES history.

INDY NXT by Firestone Notes:

INDY NXT by Firestone resumes its 2026 season this weekend with a doubleheader at Barber Motorsports Park. Teenagers Nikita Johnson and Max Taylor have won the first two races of the year but will face an equally tough test with Barber’s twinbill. Taylor and his Andretti Global teammates should enter with confidence as they were among the fastest cars in an offseason series test at the track.
A record 24-car field for the INDY NXT Grand Prix of Alabama doubleheader is expected at Barber Motorsports Park. There were a record 21 cars in 2021. While none of the current field of drivers has won an INDY NXT by Firestone race at Barber, Myles Rowe has visited victory lane at the picturesque road course, winning a USF 2000 Championship race in 2022.

Group qualifying will decide the starting grid on road and street circuits but with a twist for the doubleheader. Based on the best lap times from the practice session immediately preceding qualifying, the fastest driver in that session will choose which group will compete in the first of the two qualifying sessions. With 10 minutes allotted for each group (with a guarantee of one timed lap), the fastest driver between the two sessions will be awarded Race 1 pole position with the drivers who finished behind that driver, in order and in that group, occupying the odd-numbered starting positions (3, 5, 7, etc.) for the race and the drivers who finished in order from the other group occupying the even-numbered starting positions (2, 4, 6, etc.). The second-best laps set by each driver in their group will apply to Race 2. One driver and entrant championship point will be awarded to the fastest car in each qualifying group.