Goodbye, George Barber
Visionary founder of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and Barber Motorsports Park leaves a lasting legacy
I began covering professional motorcycle road racing at Barber Motorsports Park in the mid-2000s, not long after the gates opened and the world got its first look at the 2.38-mile “Alabama roller coaster.”
I was introduced around that same time to George Barber, the founder of the park and the adjacent Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Over the years, I enjoyed a number of brief but wonderful interactions with him.
My personal highlight was a private tour two years ago of his home overlooking Birmingham, during which time he provided some family background and described his own days spent successfully racing Porsches.
This is my favorite photo of George Barber (right), posing in the museum with Executive Director Brian Case and the Suzuki RGV500 and Yamaha YZR500 raced by Kenny Roberts Jr. and Kenny Roberts.
Why favorite, you ask? I was fortunate to play a small role in the procurement of those premier-class championship-winning factory machines, both of which are now part of the museum’s permanent collection.
The last time Barber and I spoke, one-on-one in the basement conservation area of the museum, I was able to shake his hand and thank him for his kindness and generosity. He smiled and thanked me.
“What we now share,” reflected Case, “is the impact George Barber had on our lives and the responsibility we carry to honor his vision, generosity, and belief in what this place could be.” A lasting legacy, indeed.
Photo by Joe Avila/Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum