Press Release: Grand-Am’s Top-Tier Sports Car Series Returns to Barber Motorsports Park

BIRMINGHAM — The Grand-Am Road Racing Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 returns to Barber Motorsports Park for the 6th annual Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant July 18-20, 2008. The weekend will feature Grand-Am’s Rolex Series and KONI Challenge Series, as well as the Ford Mustang Challenge Series and the BF Goodrich Skip Barber National Series.

Also included in the weekend’s event schedule is the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series. Making its debut at Barber Motorsports Park, this endurance motorcycle series includes three distinct motorcycle classes and will feature timed qualifying on Saturday and a 500K race on Sunday. This weekend’s competition features the fourth of seven rounds for the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series.

Movie and television actor Patrick Dempsey, star of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, will return to Barber Motorsports Park to compete against Grand-Am's best Rolex Series racers throughout the weekend. This is Dempsey’s sixth start in the No. 40 Hyper Sport Mazda RX-8 that he co-drives with Joe Foster.

“With six different series including four and two-wheel racers, this event should prove to be the most action-packed weekend in the history of Barber Motorsports Park,” said Clark Virden, Marketing Director of Zoom Motorsports. “The overall support for this event has been outstanding over the past six years. Grand-Am has continually been a great partner with the Park, and we’re thrilled to have both Porsche and Bradley Arant return as title and presenting sponsors.”

Scott Pruett and Alex Gurney will also be competing at the event. Both were involved in the closest finish in Rolex Series history when Pruett sling-shot Gurney on the final lap at Daytona to win by .08 seconds. Gurney is the defending winner of the Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant, returning with Jon Fogarty in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Pontiac Riley.

Ticket prices range from $20 to $45 and are available on www.barbermotorsports.com or by calling 1-800-240-2300. Kids ages 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. Additional attractions include the expanded Fan Zone featuring both a variety of industry vendors and a Chick-fil-A Kid Zone on Saturday, as well as the return of the Car Corral.

The Porsche 250 for the Rolex Sports Car Series race begins at 2 p.m. (CST) and will be televised live on SPEED.

Press release: AMA Superbike Racing returns to Barber Motorsports Park

Birmingham — America's premier motorcycle road race series, the AMA Superbike Championship, rolls into Barber Motorsports Park April 18-20.

Coming from NASCAR's high banks at Daytona International Speedway, which hosted the series' opening round, this world-renowned circuit, located just outside Birmingham, marks the first traditional road course on the series' 11-event 2008 calendar. It's also the first of eight Superbike-class doubleheader weekends.

Event Details

What: Round 2 of the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship

When: April 18-20, 2008

Where: Barber Motorsports Park
6040 Barber Motorsports Parkway
Birmingham, AL 35094

Web site: www.barbermotorsports.com

Tickets: Charge by phone at 800-240-2300 or order online at www.barbermotorsports.com. Kids 12 and under admitted free with an adult.

Other: On-site attractions include the Barber Motorsports Park Motorcycle Museum, paddock access, fan parade lap, racer autograph session, newly expanded Fan Zone and camping (Please note that some of these on-site attractions include additional fees.)