Barber Motorsports Park, a member of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce, and the IndyCar Series have announced a three-year partnership today that will bring the much coveted series to the Birmingham-Hoover Area beginning in April 2010.

The "Indy Grand Prix of Alabama," will be contested the weekend of April 9-11, 2010 and will feature the most dominate names in the IndyCar Series including 3-time Indy 500 Winner Helio Castroneves, 2008 Series Champion and Indy 500 Winner Scott Dixon, 2007 Series Champion and Indy 500 Winner Dario Franchitti and the first female-winning driver Danica Patrick.

"The Barber Motorsports Park is the finest road track in North America and deserves an event of this caliber and prestige. We were fortunate to have the assistance of both Governor Riley and Birmingham Mayor Langford, both of whom understand the benefits the IndyCar Series bring to our city and state. This will be the only IndyCar Series race in the deep-south, meaning it is a great tourist draw for the region. Plus, having the automotive world focus on our state enables us to highlight our growing automotive industry," explained Gene Hallman, President of Zoom Motorsports, the Track's exclusive promoter.

Representatives from Zoom Motorsports, Barber Motorsports Park and the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body for the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights, began discussing a partnership in 2007. Intense lobbying efforts by the State of Alabama, City of Birmingham, Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau and Zoom Motorsports resulted in Birmingham's addition to the 2010 season schedule.

"We are thrilled to bring the speed and excitement of the IndyCar Series to Barber Motorsports Park, the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan area and the state of Alabama," said Terry Angstadt, president, commercial division for the Indy Racing League. "Zoom Motorsports and Barber Motorsports Park have already been outstanding hosts of two previous IndyCar Series tests. The nearly two year pursuit to bring IndyCar Series racing to this area only reinforces the professionalism and planning put into this by our newest scheduling partner."

The Barber Motorsports Park opened in 2003; it is the largest philanthropic project in the history of the state of Alabama with more than $70 million in private funds contributed. The track features 17 turns and 80 feet of elevation changes over the 2.38 mile circuit. The IRL has hosted two practice sessions at the Barber Motorsports Park, the most recent in March 2009 - an estimated 20,000 spectators attended the test session.

Tickets to the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama will be available in September 2009; daily capacity at the track will be limited to 30,000 individuals to enable all spectators the opportunity to experience the race up close. Individuals interested in purchasing tickets can pre-register for them by visiting www.barbermotorsports.com -- pre-registration will be available for both grand-stand and general admission seating.

Sponsorship packages are now available for companies large and small. Each package will be customized to meet the specific company's need and may include on-site exposure, hospitality tickets, VIP parking and more. For additional information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Anna Lacy Hale at 205-262-2818 or Clark Virden at 205-262-2823.

About the IndyCar Series:

The IndyCar Series is the premier open-wheel series in the United States, competing on a challenging combination of superspeedways, short ovals, scenic road courses and temporary street circuits. In 2009 the IndyCar Series will conduct 14 race in the U.S., two in Canada and one in Japan, all available worldwide through comprehensive, long-term agreements with ABC and VERSUS, with all races broadcast in High-Definition. A leader in motorsports technology, the IndyCar Series is the first racing series to power its Honda engines on 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol, a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel. The IndyCar Series continues to the be the fastest, most competitive and innovative racing series, attracting a diverse lineup of drivers including Scott Dixon, Danica Patrick, Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti, Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan and Ryan Briscoe. For more information on the IndyCar Series, please visit www.indycar.com.

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 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 more information, please visit www.barbermotorsports.com

MEDIA CONTACTS

Sarah Knowlton; 205-919-2332; sknowlton@bruunoeventteam.com  Clark Virden; 205-262-2823; cvirden@zoommoto.com  

Barber Motorsports Park

One of Alabama's most exciting attractions is in your back yard. The Barber Motorsports Park lures motorcycle and sports car fans from around the world with races, new car debuts, club events and driving schools. It's also a great place for family fun.

Birmingham businessman George Barber created the 740-acre park to combine his hobbies with his love for his city and state. Barber's $55 million investment is the largest philanthropic project by an individual inAlabama history. The park operates as a non-profit foundation with any earnings going to the foundation.

MUSEUM
The 144,000-square-foot Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum is home to the largest and best collection of vintage motorcycles in the world. Exhibits are changed periodically so there's always something new to see. Only half of the 850-motorcycle collection is ever on display. Exhibits spiral around a central glass elevator large enough to take cars to any of the five levels.

The museum also houses the world's best collection of Lotus racecars and a 5,000-volume library. Museum space can be rented for meetings and conferences as large as 600 people.
Through fiber-optic technology, the museum's theater can import activity from the race control center that links 24 cameras around the track.

TRACK
The 2.3-mile track has been described by many as the finest road course in America - and perhaps one of the best in the world. It is 45-feet-wide with 16 turns and 80 feet of elevation changes. Because the track is built to international motorcycle and automobile specifications, it has the potential to do virtually any kind of road race.

The Bruno Event Team manages and promotes a multitude of spectator events such as the Grand American Road Racing Championship and the AMAs Superbike Series. These events attract hundreds of thousands of spectators annually.

SCHOOL
Each year about 1,300 people come here for performance driving training at the Porsche Driving Experience. Students use 3 5 Porsche 911 Carrera sports cars and 20 Cayenne sports utility vehicles for the twoday course.

PARK
Park-like beauty is as much a part of this facility as the sound of revving engines. Whimsical sculptures accent meticulous landscaping. No grandstands. Visitors view races from their lawn chairs on grassy sites surrounding the track./

Grass parking lots allow easy access to favorite race-watching points while reducing environmental impact. A lake was built to provide water for the park's underground irrigation system and to control storm water runoff.

For more information about Barber Motorsports Park, call the event hotline at (205) 298-9040 or visit http://www.barbermotorsports.com/

CONTACTS:
Anna Lacy Hale - Bruno's Events Team 262-2818 alhale@brunoeventteam.com