Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

Do MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers riders want to race at Barber Motorsports Park? Judging by recent comments from Hayden Gillim, Bradley Smith, and reigning class champ Kyle Wyman, the response to that question is a resounding, “Yes!”

Let’s set the stage: Earlier this month at Road America, J&P Cycles/Motul/Vance & Hines Factory Indian rider Gillim and Harley-Davidson Dynojet Factory Racing teammates Smith and Wyman finished first, second, and third in the second of two KOTB races.

In the post-race press conference, Senior Communications Manager Sean Bice didn’t even finish his question before former MotoGP racer Smith leaned into the microphone and said, “Let’s go to Barber.” To which Gillim added, “That place would be awesome on a bagger.”

Watch the entire 41-second clip and tell us if you agree with Gillim, Smith, and Wyman. Perhaps the national series will add the class to next year’s weekend race menu. In the meantime, “Bring King Of The Baggers to Barber” has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

https://youtu.be/-ROB11guUBw?si=w3ee92-ZnwGlJjS8

The Mission King Of The Baggers Riders Want To Race At Barber Motorsports Park Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Education is fundamental to the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. School field trips, summer design camps, scout merit-badge programs, and undergraduate internships are among the high-energy, STEM-based, motorsports-leaning learning opportunities.

The collection is often used to illustrate key teaching points. Case in point: the SPARK Atlas. This third-generation, 120-mph, 280-pound electric race bike was designed and produced by an enthusiastic team of engineering students at the University of Michigan.

After two successful seasons of competition, including a pair of victories at Barber Motorsports Park, the Atlas was retired, its battery pack decommissioned, and the tube-framed machine was donated to the museum, where it inspires future generations of engineers.

Follow the link to learn more about the museum’s education programs: https://www.barbermuseum.org/edu/

Last month’s meet and greet with Rahal Ducati Moto Team Principal Ben Spies and Supersport star Kayla Yaakov kicked off the three-day “MotoAmerica Superbikes at Barber” race weekend. MotoAmerica Senior Communications Manager Sean Bice hosted the event in the Barber Advanced Design Center on the fifth floor of the museum.

Spies surprised attendees with his Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Yamaha YZF-R1 race bikes, the very same factory machines on which the “Texan Terror” won the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship and the 2009 FIM Superbike World Championship. Spies secured his first national title, the 2003 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship, at Barber Motorsports Park.

Yaakov had yet another standout MotoAmerica race weekend. The 18-year-old Pennsylvanian established a new Supersport lap record, earned pole position for the two races, and fought at the sharp end of the field on Saturday and Sunday, even leading a number of laps, and finished on the podium in both races.

The event is now available for viewing in three segments on the “Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum” YouTube page.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPnlrVXNPz53LDnYv0bLP-6v0EY4wVwIP

Photos: Anthony Sansotta

Kenny Roberts was in high demand during the "MotoAmerica Superbikes at Barber” race weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. Before anyone turned a wheel on track, the three-time world champ sat for a two-hour interview in the Barber Advanced Design Center with Pipe Dreams Podcast co-hosts Corey Alexander and James Rispoli, both of whom compete in the Super Hooligan National Championship.

Between daily autograph sessions at the "World Champions" exhibition in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Roberts jetted back and forth to the road course, where Fastrack Racing-Team Roberts rider Kensei Matsudaira finished third on Saturday and second on Sunday, extending his Talent Cup podium-finishing streak to six consecutive races. Follow the link to watch “Kenny Roberts–The King.”

https://youtu.be/Q4G7orbnsa0?si=EKThuZU-4GMbtH_O

Photos: Bryce Brown

Have you registered the young artist, designer, or motorsports enthusiast in your life for Barber Design Camp yet? Now is the time.

Barber Design Camp: Rising 5th- and 6th-grade students will dive into the world of science, technology, engineering, art, math, and design. Expect a variety of hands-on activities, from learning the mechanics of motorcycles to developing model vehicles using computer-aided design and artificial intelligence. This week-long, introductory camp begins on Monday, June 15, and concludes on Friday, June 19, running daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Barber Advanced Design Camp: Students transitioning to either 7th, 8th, or 9th grade are ready to take their skills to the next level. Building on the foundation of Design Camp, students will deepen their experience with computer-aided design and 3D modeling/printing while exploring engineering and robotics through the lens of motorsports. This week-long camp commences on Monday, July 13, and concludes on Friday, July 17, running daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Pricing is $325 per student for museum members and $375 per student for non-members. Early and late drop-off/pick-up options are available. Click the link to enroll your camper.

https://www.barbermuseum.org/edu/design-camp/

Final call, Scouts! The window is closing to sign up for the Summer Scouting America Engineering Merit Badge Program, a two-day, hands-on experience designed to complete all of the requirements for earning an engineering merit badge via the lens of motorsports.

Through engaging on-site activities at the museum, Scouts will learn and apply the engineering design process, strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and gain an introduction to computer-aided design and 3D printing technologies and applications.

Priced at $100 per person, the program is offered from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on select Mondays and Tuesdays in June and July. Follow the link to register for one of the three dates.

https://www.barbermuseum.org/edu/summer-scouting-america-engineering-merit-badge-program/

In observance of Memorial Day, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum will be closed on Monday, May 25. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 26, at 10 a.m. Enjoy a safe holiday with family and friends.

“There are automotive museums, and then there is the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Leeds, Alabama. One of these things holds a Guinness World Record, consults with world champion racers, and has sent motorcycles to the Guggenheim. The others do not. If you are building any kind of list of must-visit car culture destinations in America, Barber goes at the top. Not near the top. The top. We’ll get to everything else later.”

That’s the opening paragraph from automotive writer Peter Corn’s feature, “Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum: Don’t sleep on Alabama,” published on the RACER website. Have you seen the collection in person? Plan your visit to Birmingham today. Link to the full story in the comments.

Photo: Brandon A. Smith

Tickets are officially on sale for the 21st annual Barber Vintage Festival, scheduled for Friday, October 9, through Sunday, October 11, at Barber Motorsports Park. This year’s festival carries special meaning as we celebrate the life and legacy of park and museum founder George W. Barber, as well as the motorsports community that has flourished through his vision.

“Barber Vintage Festival is the realization of George Barber’s vision to create a world-class gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts,” said Brian Case, executive director of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. “As we honor his life and legacy, we celebrate the global community of collectors, fans, and riders who continue to bring that vision to life.”

https://www.barbermuseum.org/octobers-21st-annual-barber-vintage-festival-dedicated-to-the-memory-of-founder-and-visionary-george-w-barber/