Fans enjoy sights and sounds at Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

Barber is a beautiful track

Alabama – Beautiful weather and world-class racing drew both novice fans and Indy aficionados to Barber Motorsports Park on Saturday for the second day of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

The Red Diamond Fan Zone was a popular destination, as children and adults enjoyed a view of the races from the stands, the sights and sounds of a carnival midway and the opportunity to get autographs from their favorite Indy drivers.

Tom Gish and his son traveled to Birmingham from Louisville to see their third straight Indy race of the season.

A self-avowed "nut fan," Gish said that he's followed Indy for 30 years and has been to 12 different tracks over the years. He stood near the front of the line to get autographs from his favorite driver, Scott Dixon, and enjoy the atmosphere of Barber.
"Barber is the prettiest track there is," he said. "It's so nice."

Kevin Driscoll and his son, Jacob, came to Barber for the first time from northeast Alabama and were impressed.

"We came out to see the Barber museum, and decided to stay around for a while," he said. "It's a gorgeous day to be out here."
Friends Gary Novak and Mark Huey came from Atlanta and Kennesaw, Ga., and stood in line around an hour to be near the front. Novak, who follows Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya in particular, said that they travel to all kinds of races and will be in Talladega next weekend.

"This is our big hobby," he said. "We are dedicated autograph seekers."

Jeff Johnson, on the other hand, is dedicated solely to Indy racing.

Johnson and his wife, Debbie, hail from Ferdinand, Ind., and he has traveled to the Indianapolis 500 for 42 years. Barber, he said, has become a favorite destination.

"We came last year for the first time, really enjoyed it, and decided to come back," he said.

While he waited in line for autographs from favorite Tony Kanaan, his wife focused on Castroneves.

The Johnsons and other fans enjoying race day seemed to be strong evidence of the passion that is alive-and-well for the sport.
"In my opinion, there is no other kind of racing," Gish said. "This is the best." AL.com