George Barber’s Lasting Legacy Is IndyCar’s ‘Augusta National’

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. 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.