The inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama is next April 11 at the undulating, 2.38-mile, 17-turn race track on the eastern outskirts of Birmingham near Leeds. It’s one of 17 events on the 2010 IndyCar Series schedule and will feature marquee drivers like three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti and Danica Patrick.
But can IndyCar racing succeed in the heart of NASCAR country, especially with a race at Talladega just two weeks later? Can Barber, primarily designed for motorcycles, provide a good racing product? Why does IndyCar have a school-girl crush on the facility and on Alabama?
Occasionally referred to as “the best-kept secret in the state,” Barber Motorsports Park will now be in the spotlight as those questions are answered.
Last spring, more than 20,000 people poured into Barber simply to watch a weekend of IndyCar testing, “a very pleasant surprise,” said Terry Angstadt, IndyCar president, commercial division.
“The fans are obviously coming out,” Danica Patrick said, “so I don’t doubt that the promoters could bring a bunch out for the race.”
“Once they got into it, started driving it, and realized how safe the track is and the fun they were beginning to have on it with their cars, they all fell in love with it,” said owner George Barber.
The surrounding area provides two twists.
First, the Honda plant in Lincoln, just up I-20 from Barber Motorsports Park. It’s more than coincidence to IndyCar’s arrival in Alabama that Honda is the engine supplier for all IndyCar teams.
Another neighbor of sorts is Talladega Superspeedway, which holds a Sprint Cup race on April 25. Speedway President Rick Humphrey expressed confidence the two events will “be beneficial for both of us. We’ve done a good job partnering (with Barber) in the past, and I think we will this time.”
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