Even in an age of HDTV’s and DVR’s there’s still nothing quite like seeing a motorcycle race up close and personal. Fan camaraderie a side, you just don’t get that visceral experience of smelling race gas or hearing motorcycles scream down the front straightaway at over 150mph while sitting on your couch eating Bon-Bon’s.

If you’re one of the lucky people who lives close to Barber Motorsports Park (BMP) this isn’t going to be a shocking revelation to you since you’re probably aware of this but for those that aren’t let me tell you: this facility is simply gorgeous. Having opened in January of 2003 the track measures in at 2.38 miles long, 45' wide, and has 80’ of elevation change with 17 turns. In a short period of time BMP has hosted numerous high profile events along with notable product launches from Porsche, Lotus, Honda and Kawasaki.

The beauty of this track (among other things) is that it’s not an exclusive venue which means us average Joe’s can turn some hot laps just like the pro’s. That alone should make it onto your “list of track days schedule” but if you need more persuading then after you finish blasting around the track and scraping your knee pucks you can slow down and take in a tour of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

According to BMP:

“The museum began life in 1988 as a private collection of George W. Barber, owner of Barber Dairies. Mr. Barber, always an automobile enthusiast, raced, modified and maintained Porsches in the 1970's (63 first place wins). He started collecting and restoring classic sports cars in 1989.”

The collection of motorcycles on display is astounding and they truly have something for everyone. Whether your interest lies in vintage motorcycles, one off customs or engineering marvels like the Britten, this is the museum for you. Even without a racing event (car or bike) being run at Barber, the museum in and of itself is worth the trip. Plan to spend a full day there ogling over all sorts of machinery – cars, bikes, boat engines and more but for now, let’s go racing!

I’ve never been to Barber before so I decided to fly to Birmingham Alabama to kill two birds with one stone: check out the track and facilities and watch all the racing that the AMA could provide. Add in that fact that I’d also be attending Kevin Schwantz’s riding school and I was one happy camper.

Even though technically autumn had arrived a few days earlier, apparently someone forget to tell Alabama as Day 1 featured record-breaking temperatures. The phrase: “hazy, hot and humid” come to mind and while it made for a somewhat uncomfortable experience when not in the shade or drinking plenty of water, the track on the other hand was fully baked and glistening with heat waiting for all the racing to commence.

Before the racing started though I took a stroll through the paddock and hot pit lane to talk to some of the riders and see how everyone was copping with the heat (tip: if you go to a race event definitely spend the extra money for a paddock pass as this will allow you greater access to your favorite rider). Most were keeping themselves well hydrated and tried to limit their exposure to the sun especially while wearing all of their gear.