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Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin races through the scenic Barber Motorsports Park on Friday, March 27, 2026.
INDYCAR Photo by CHRIS OWENS
Springtime in the South is a special time of year because it arrives earlier than the rest of the United States where some residents still have to pack a heavy coat when they leave the house early in the morning.
Springtime in the South means the trees turn green again and the Azaleas and Lillies start to bloom into technicolor glory.
In a few weeks, one of the great sporting events of the year – The Masters – tees off at the beautiful Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. For those who aren’t able to attend, it’s a major reason why 4K and High-Definition was created to capture all of its visual glory.
There is another beautiful sporting venue on Interstate 20, 280 miles to the West of Augusta near the small Alabama community of Leeds.
It’s Barber Motorsports Park, a stunning and picturesque facility that combines the serenity of nature with high-speed racing excitement. This weekend is the biggest of the year as it hosts the NTT IndyCar Series with the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.
Barber Motorsports Park is also the lasting legacy of a great man in these parts of Alabama. It’s George Barber, a man who earned his fortune in the dairy business to become one of Central Alabama’s most successful businessmen, and one of its greatest philanthropists.
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George Barber
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum Photo
Barber’s gift to the state is a beautiful museum that features the largest collection of motorcycles in the world, and an equally impressive collection of Lotus race cars from Formula One, the Indianapolis 500 and other forms of racing. It’s the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, the centerpiece of the greater Barber Motorsports Park that opened in 2003.
Barber passed away on February 16 at the age of 85.
Barber was a tall, rather handsome man with silver hair and a friendly demeanor. He also had a unique sense of humor, but more about that later.
Barber made friends easily, including every IndyCar driver that had the pleasure of competing on his beautiful 2.3-mile, 17-turn road course.
He proved that IndyCar could find a home in the “Heart of Dixie,” located 35 miles west of one of NASCAR’s iconic high-speed ovals, Talladega Superspeedway.
Although Barber Motorsports Park opened in 2003, IndyCar first arrived for the first time in 2009. It was a test session to determine if Barber’s track designed for motorcycle racing would be conducive to the bigger, faster Indy cars. The test was so successful, IndyCar added Barber Motorsports Park to the schedule beginning in 2010.
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George Barber (left) celebrates with Helio Castroneves (right) on April 11, 2010.
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum Photo
Helio Castroneves of Team Penske won the first IndyCar Series event at Barber on April 10, 2010, and it quickly became one of the highlights of the season. Barber, along with race promoter ZOOM Motorsports, put on a first-class affair and gave racing fans a premier experience. Instead of cramming fans into grandstands, they could bring lawn chairs and blankets and watch the action from the tree-lined areas that surround the course.
Fans came for the family-friendly experience, many camping for the weekend and coming from all parts of the United States to realize the beauty of the Deep South in the Springtime.
The event may not have elevated itself to the status of a “Major” such as the Indianapolis 500 or the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, but it was certainly one of the most enjoyable events on the schedule.
George Barber’s Influence Remains At Barber Motorsports Park
IndyCar teams and fans arrived at the Barber Motorsports Park on Friday to begin practice for Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. Although Barber is no longer there to greet them, his legacy lives on through this incredible facility – a lasting tribute to one man’s greatness and generosity.
“I don’t remember the first year I met George. It might have been when we first tested there in 2009,” six-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon told me. “His passing is obviously huge for our sport and what he's done for that community.
“A big loss, but a hell of a person.
“What he did for motor racing, it’s sad to see him go, but his legacy will live on forever and that is pretty astounding.”
Will Power is a two-time winner at Barber Motorsports Park when he was driving the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet at Team Penske. Power’s victories were in 2011 and 2012.
Power has moved on to Andretti Global as the man behind the wheel of the No. 26 Honda and was among the fastest drivers in Friday’s practice session.
Power is among those who have memories of George Barber that bring back smiles, not tears, because of the friendly and warm impact Barber had on IndyCar and its competitors.
“I would always see George at the races, especially in the early days, and he would always say, ‘If there is anything I can do, anything to improve, please let me know,’” Power said. “He was such a lovely guy. His passion for putting on an amazing event, or just the presentation of that track, was unmatched.
“You got to walk through that museum. It's amazing the way it's presented and set up. The track, you drive in, it's one of the nicest presented tracks that we go to, the way the grass is done, the barriers, everything about it. The cool sculptures they have around the track.
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An impressive collection in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum Photo
“I think we were lucky to have George Barber put on that event for us from the beginning. It's been a part of the IndyCar Series now for, man, 16 years.
“Yeah, I was sad to hear the passing of George. He was obviously a big fan of IndyCar.
“Like I said, we were lucky to have him, what he’s done for our sport in Alabama.”
Barber Was Alex Palou’s Launch Pad To A Fantastic Career
Alex Palou got his first IndyCar Series victory at Barber Motorsports Park in his first race for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. It was Palou’s launching pad to stardom as he has gone on to win four IndyCar Series Championships, including the last three in a row.
Palou has 20 wins including the 109th Indianapolis 500 in 2025 and is the defending champion at Barber.
“Every time you drive at this facility, it’s insane the amount of love and work and money that him and his team have put in,” Palou told me Friday. “It’s sad that he is not here. I’m hoping we can keep this place as he wants and keep on delivering great races.”
George Barber’s ‘Critters’
Barber had an incredible sense of humor that lives on with the many unique displays that are part of this beautiful facility that has become a home for IndyCar.
From Monkeys and Mountain Lions to Zombies and Martians — “George’s Critters” are everywhere at Barber Motorsports Park. That sets it apart from other racing facilities.
Barber created artwork and sculptures of wild animals, giant spiders, Martians, and Zombies that are all over the course. Those include “Henry the Monkey” who hangs from the billboard atop the scoring pylon. A giant spider named “Charlotte” is in a series of turns known as “Charlotte’s Web” that includes the famed Turn 5.
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Crocodile in the water alongside the Lady in the Lake sculpture
INDYCAR Photo by CHRIS OWENS
A mountain lion has been moved from the scoreboard to the top of the restrooms in the paddock.
“He got sunburned over there, so we moved him to the restrooms,” Barber told me in 2022 when I wrote a feature about him for Forbes Sports Money.
MORE FROM FORBESHow An Alabama Dairy Owner Created IndyCar’s Augusta NationalBy Bruce Martin
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There was a reason for “George’s Critters”, and it included a veiled message.
Barber was a man of great wealth and wanted to turn a vast area of property near Leeds, Alabama into a racing facility. Even back in 2002 when he wanted to create Barber Motorsports Park, there were activists that protested the idea.
“When we first started this, we were attacked viciously by the Cahaba River Society and those crazy environmentalists,” Barber explained to me back in 2022. “I mean vicious. They would call us in the middle of the night and raise hell. It was unbelievable what they were doing to my people and me.”
But Barber would get the last laugh.
“So, I got the critters and the spiders and the various things around and I called in the press,” Barber continued. “I said, ‘Look at this, my God, the spiders and the critters and the animals, they drank this water around here and looked what happened to them. This is terrible.’
“Boy, they played it up big time and they really did us justice. The environmentalists saw this, and they backed off. We got our mojo back; we got our spirit back and we completed the project.
“Now, I take great delight in inviting the environmentalists out and ask them to show me the environmental disaster. They poo-poo, turn away and walk away.”
George Barber Created A Venue Unlike Any Other
Barber was successful in turning away the environmentalists and creating a sport facility of unique beauty.
With over 800,000 bulbs planted in the ground, 16,000 Crape Myrtles and 18,000 Azaleas, Barber Motorsports Park is exploding with springtime color. It’s a setting so serene and so naturally beautiful, it has earned the reputation as the “August National of Motorsports.”
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A view from the hillsides at Barber Motorsports Park.
IndyCar Photo
Again, that is as much a part of his legacy as the racing fans will see during Sunday’s IndyCar Series race.
“There are so many small details that you can see throughout the track and around,” Palou said. “Even at the lake or the pond when you see that woman there (known as the Lady in the Lake), it was a surprise.
“Even the grass here is cut perfectly. This place is insane.”
Georgina’s Famous Drop In
An example of that insanity came in the 2024 contest, and it involved a mannequin named “Georgina” who hangs from the bridge that crosses the track that connects the museum with the infield. Scott McLaughlin was racing around the course in a race he would ultimately win, but the turbulence of the IndyCar’s had loosened the mannequin’s grip and Georgina fell onto the track in front of McLaughlin.
Georgina, minus a hand that got run over as she laid on the course, was reunited with McLaughlin after he won the race.
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Georgina (left) with Scott McLaughlin in 2024.
Bruce Martin Photo
“I knew Georgina more than I knew George Barber, unfortunately,” McLaughlin told me Friday. “He was a great man that loved Indy cars. He built a great facility here. It’s very sad that he passed away but hopefully we can put on a great show for him as we always do.
“I believe our races are Barber are always fun. For me, personally, this is one of my favorite road courses. It’s a lot of fun, have a lot of history here and I’m always excited.
“He was loyal through thick and thin when the series was up and down. Now on the way up, he was a firm supporter, and we get massive crowds here.
“He was very unique. The eccentric artwork, it’s pretty funny when you drive around and find a big spider in a spiderweb.”
Enter Charlotte’s Web
That spider is located in the “Charlotte’s Web” portion of the race course that includes the treacherous Turn 5. It’s one of the action parts of the race course where drivers have been known to spin out and fall prey to “Charlotte’s Web.”
It’s a giant spider that is a welded steel sculpture that can be a scary sight to a new driver who doesn’t expect to see that on a race course.
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Charlotte, the giant spider at Barber Motorsports Park.
IndyCar Photo
That was the case with former Formula One driver Mick Schumacher, who is an IndyCar Series rookie with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
“Everything is fine except for that big spider,” Schumacher said. “I’m not the biggest fan of that spider, but hey, at least when I’m driving, I don’t see it too much. I was warned a little bit, but what caught me off guard was that lady hanging from the bridge (Georgina).”
Schumacher said the course is really pretty and reminds him of some of the great European road courses he has raced at.
“I was really excited to race on it,” Schumacher said. “I haven’t driven this track and didn’t get to go on the simulator, so it’s about getting experience and learning how to drive on this track and learn the different lines around here.”
Felix Rosenqvist of Sweden is another driver that came to IndyCar from Europe and has been racing in IndyCar since 2019.
“I think this place has always been kind of the standard for our series,” Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing told me. “The thing with Barber is every year it’s a little better. But I'm sure that will live on, after George's passing. I feel like everything is in pretty good order.”
That’s because Barber hired a great promoter in ZOOM Motorsports, part of Eventive Sports. It’s a local company that also promotes a PGA Champions Tour Event, the Regions Tradition at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama and other events around the nation. It even manages one golf tournament in Bermuda.
The company has strong ties to the region so this event will continue well into the future.
MORE FROM FORBESIndyCar Finds Its ‘Sweet Home Alabama,’ Extending Contract With Barber Motorsports Park For Five More YearsBy Bruce Martin
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George Barber was both generous and particular. He focused on the most intricate details to ensure his facility was immaculate, long after he was gone.
“I know there is a trust and I feel like he would be very particular with how he wanted to run the place, after his passing,” Barber said. “I expect it to continue, and I really hope it will.
“This is just an amazing track to come to, both from a fan’s perspective visually, but also driving.
“We will definitely miss him and make sure the place carries on with the great reputation it has had.”
The measure of a successful man’s life is in the legacy that he leaves. In George Barber’s case, that lasting legacy is on full display in its Springtime Glory at Barber Motorsports Park and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.
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Beautiful flowers frame Alex Palou's No. 10 DHL Honda at Barber Motorsports Park.
INDYCAR Photo by CHRIS OWENS
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