Motorsports in Birmingham
If the sound of roaring engines and the smell of burning tires gets you excited and in the need for speed, Birmingham is the go-to place for some ear-bending, engine-throbbing fun
Visit these prime racing venues to watch elite drivers push their cars to the max. And, if you're feeling a bit nostalgic, check out the museum for a bit of motorcycle racing history.
Cheat the Wind at Talladega Superspeedway
Rev your senses as you watch the spectacle of colorful race cars bunched up nose-to-tail. The bunching up maneuver is called "cheating the wind" and is done so all the cars in the pack can go even faster. Even if you can't make it to Talladega Superspeedway on race days, take a track tour. Learn a bit of history as your tour van drives past pit row. See what the grandstand looks like from a driver's perspective. Check out the on-site museum filled with race cars and other memorabilia, then head to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame to learn about the racing greats.
Two-Wheeled Speed at Barber Motorsports Park
Take your pick of watching motorcycles or Indy cars duke it out on the track at Barber Motorsports Park. Watch the motorcycle riders lean deep into their turns, barely avoiding road rash as they skim the asphalt with their legs. It looks like controlled chaos, and sometimes it is. The Indy cars are little more than oversized engines with big wheels and lots of fiberglass. Loud and low riding, they make short work of a track lap. You may be in town during one of the park's Swap Meets, when you'll find racing memorabilia, vintage parts or even entire cars for sale.
Nostalgia Time at Barber Motorsports Museum
The Barber Motorsports Museum's collection of more than 1,400 motorcycles earned it the title "World's Largest Motorcycle Museum" from Guinness World Records. Check out the roughly 600 to 700 models on display; some of them more than a century old. If cars are your thing, the world's largest collection of Lotus models is waiting for you, including the Lotus 29, the first to race in the Indy 500. All cycles and cars have been meticulously restored. Do you have a vintage motorcycle at home that you're working on? Visit the museum's library, where you can find out-of-print service manuals, parts catalogs, photos and other items to help you with your project. The museum is open year-round, except on major holidays.
Getting to the Racing Fun
If you're flying into town, your best bet is the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Major carriers, including United, American, Delta and Southwest keep the place busy with some 120 flights arriving each day. Pick up your rental car at the special parking deck on the ground floor of the terminal, steps away from the rental counters. Talladega Superspeedway is about an hour's drive from the airport. The Barber Motorsports Park and Museum are a mere 20 minutes, or 16 miles, away.
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