Legends of Motorsports Road Rally Draws Large Crowds
Thousands of Spectators Fill Mountain Brook Village for Inaugural Event
MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE, Ala. (May 21, 2010) – Legends of Motorsports, a Bobby Rahal Signature Event, announced its arrival in Birmingham, Ala., with a mesmerizing road rally from Barber Motorsports Park to nearby Mountain Brook Village. Thousands of spectators lined the rally route and filled the center of town to welcome nearly 100 unique and rare cars.
A street party in the heart of Mountain Brook welcomed the motorcade, which received a police-escort composed of the Mountain Brook and Hoover Police Departments, as well as the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department. Local restaurants set up service on the sidewalks and boutiques offered one-night only sales, while fans enjoyed an up-close look at dozens of exemplary automobiles. Numerous race cars, which will compete at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend and have never been on public roads before, participated in the rally. Legends of Motorsports co-founder and 1986 Indy 500 Winner Bobby Rahal took part, driving a McLaren M1B, as did fellow co-founder and series CEO Peter Stoneberg, who piloted a Lotus 23.
“This has been a herculean effort by all accounts,” reported Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Suzan Smith-Doidge. “The community really paid attention to this event. All the merchants and retailers really shut their businesses down for a whole day so the streets could be blocked off and we could make this a real party. We’re thinking about 2,500 people have come through this area tonight.”
Smith-Doidge is pleased that Thursday’s road rally gave locals a taste of what Legends of Motorsports is all about, a celebration of racing history. She is hopeful that the event will become a regular part of the series’ visit to Alabama.
“This is a unique event that brings people out who may have never seen cars like these. I see Legends of Motorsports as, not just a race, not just a car show, but as an event. That’s what the buzz is all about. I hope that Historic Motorsports Productions, Barber Motorsports Park and Zoom Motorsports enjoy this, because we’re so proud to be a part of it. I think next year this will only be bigger and better.”
Those in attendance witnessed the Mayor of Mountain Brook, Terry Oden, present Rahal with a key to the city. Rahal happily accepted the honor and commended Mountain Brook Village and the Birmingham area for their overwhelming support.
“What a fantastic reception,” Rahal said as he addressed the crowd. “We feel so flattered that you’ve welcomed us in the way you have. We’re very excited to be at Barber Motorsports Park for our debut event. We think there’s a long future between Legends of Motorsports and Barber Motorsports Park. This is obviously a racing community and one that values the history of the sport. On behalf of all the participants, the entrants, the crews and everyone, thank you for welcoming us in this incredible way.”
Rahal went on to encourage all in attendance to visit the track this weekend for three days of activities for the whole family. In addition to watching historic cars compete at speed, fans will have the opportunity to enjoy wine tastings, a kids’ fun zone, a racing-themed film festival, a display of vintage fire trucks and more. A three-day ticket for the event can be purchased for $45, while Saturday or Sunday tickets are priced at $25. Children 12 and under are free and all tickets include paddock access. Tickets are also available for Saturday night’s charity gala with honored guest Mario Andretti for $250. Call 1-800-240-2300 to order tickets, or order online at either www.legendsofmotorsports.com or www.barbermotorsports.com.
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About Legends of Motorsports:
Legends of Motorsports is a premium race series owned by Historic Motorsports Productions LLC (‘HMP’). Specifically, Legends of Motorsports is an annual series of premium historic racing events and related lifestyle experiences staged at historic North American venues. Based in Zionsville, Indiana, HMP’s principal owners are racers and businessmen Bobby Rahal, Peter Stoneberg and Zak Brown. Additional equity investors in HMP include Spire Capital Partners and Just Marketing International, which provides comprehensive strategy, marketing, public relations, and event logistics services to the venture. For more information, please visit Legends of Motorsports on the web at www.legendsofmotorsports.com or by calling (317) 344-1998.
About Barber Motorsports Park and ZOOM Motorsports:
Barber Motorsports Park opened in the spring of 2003. Since its inception, ZOOM Motorsports, LLC has been the exclusive event promoter and management team for the events at the Park. The 2.38 mile racing circuit is 45 feet wide, with 17 turns and elevation changes of more than 80 feet. The Barber Motorsports Park has been considered one of North America’s finest road courses for car and motorcycle racing, and has served as the venue for several international product launches. The Barber Motorsports Park also features the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. This 144,000 square-foot facility houses more than 1,000 vintage and modern motorcycles from 17 different nations and more than 125 manufacturers. For
