2015 Inaugural Historics at Barber Motorsports Park

Barber Motorsports Park hosted its first annual Historic motor sports three-day event May 15-17, 2015. And if they do for Historic road racing cars what they did for vintage motorcycles, they’ll have 80,000 attendees in 10 years’ time.

Though the premiere event weekend, organized by the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA), attracted modest numbers of vintage race cars, around 70, it was an excellent first step. The sights, sounds and speeds, particularly of rare Formula One cars from the nineteen-sixties, -seventies and -eighties were glorious. Like Barber’s annual motorcycle Vintage Festival, held each October, a treasure trove of nostalgia was laid before us, all very accessible, informal and agreeable.

Click on an image to enlarge and view the series.

F1 Historics at Barber

1973 Shadow battles with Lotus 79 in the FIA Masters Race Series

Paddock Tower

Race Control overlooks Turns 5 & 6, known as Charlotte’s web hairpin

Barber Museum

Houses the world’s largest collection of motorcycles.

Barber’s Statues

Striking sculptures showcase the track and museum grounds

Barber’s Statues

Opened in 2003 the Barber facility is set in 740 acres of parkland

Inside the Museum

2003: Museum moved from B’ham city building to sumptuous new HQ

Museum from new bridge

Latest development: new bridge extends from museum over track

Race observation

Observing race through glass panels on bridge between turns 9 & 10

From bridge

Back straightaway: Part of the Barber 17-turn 2.3-mile racetrack

Chuck Huneycutt

Former vintage bike racer turned master restorer

Tyrrell F1

James Hagan driving 1983 001 machine in full Benetton livery

Can-Am intake stacks

Can-Am McLaren with its irregular length intake stacks

Cobra

From race control enthusiasts enjoy a wonderfully airy vantage point

Cobra-04

When properly prepared for road racing the Cobra can be invincible

Barber F1 Historics

European and Canadian drivers arrived for the inaugural F1 event

Cobra in paddock

Enthusiasts never tire of the nostalgic beauty of fine racing cars

Cobra Dash

Daimler SP250 & E-Type Jaguar

DatsunZ

Diamler SP250

Eddie Lawson

Four-time 500cc motorcycle world champion dominated weekend

Arrows F1

In familiar Warsteiner livery of the venerable German brewer

Preparation: the decisive edge

J&L Racecars, Seattle, WA one of many preparers arrive in Alabama

Evan Chance

checks oil level in Canadian Keith Frieser’s F1 Shadow: 10in down

George Barber

Undertook largest philanthropic project in Alabama history

Jaguar E-type

Enzo Ferrari called it most beautiful car ever: over 70,000 produced

View from the paddock

Lions maintained efficient guard at Barber’s inaugural Historics meet

Lotus 23B

In May, 1962 Jim Clark debuted the 23 at Nurburgring in the rain…

Lotus 23B Bulkhead

One of 5 bulkheads: rear; seat back; dashboard & front suspension

Lotus 23B-Dash

Made of mild steel sheet and tubing, gauge was decided by engine power

Lotus 47

Chassis partly based on the mid-engine Europa road-going car

Lotus 47

Rear suspension based on elaborate Formula 3 multi-link arrangement

Lotus 49

Lotus Elan

1962-’73 combined backbone chassis with alluring fiberglass body

Inimitable Lotus 49

with acclaimed Cosworth DFV employed as stressed member

F1 Lotus & Tyrrell

Europeans Andrew Beaumont (Lotus 76) & James Hagan (Tyrrell)

F1 Lotus 76

F1 Lotus 79

Andretti & Peterson: Low & sleek the 79 won 6 of the 16 GPs in 1978

Lotus Twin Cam

Harry Mundy’s aluminum head with potent dual overhead cams design

March F2

March FA

Tunnel under track

McLaren Can-Am

MGB GT

Parnelli F1

Porsche

Porsches in paddock

Score Tower

Score tower & grounds

Elva Courier

F1 Tyrrell 007

In Sunday’s race Nick Colyvas claimed well-earned runner-up

F1 Tyrrell 007

Used tall slim airbox & raced from 1974-’76: Scheckter claimed 3 wins

F1 Wolf WR4

The blend of Lawson’s pace and finesse was something to see

Jaguar E-type

E-Types have raced the world’s tracks with distinction for 50 years