I'm kicking around the idea of doing a track weekend down south after everything here up north shuts down for five months. I'd like to try them both, but if I couldn't, which is more fun for a 600? I've heard they're both amazing, and they both look insanely fun from the youtube videos I've seen. Barber is about a 10 hour drive. Road Atlanta is about 11 hours.
RAtl is 'more fun' on a 1000, but I would have to concede that Barber is probably a better south track to try first on a 600; plus you can go to the museum
RA is my favorite track and I have plenty of fun on my 600. The facilities leave a little bit to be desired. Barber is like a park and it is hella fun as well. And yes the museum is awesome.
I ride a 600 on both & live 15 minutes from RA... it is a blast! Barber on the other hand is by far one of, if not the best facilities in the south & like mentioned above it has the museum... awesome place to spend the weekend.
5 Months????? Where do you live? Do both... Each have their strengths with no weaknesses track wise... Now facilities Barber Hands down.. But Barber doesn't have a after hours Scooter track though...
Two completely different animals. RA is one of my all time favs. Barber, well that's been covered pretty well already.
They are both great but if you're only coming down south once in a great while, do Barber first. Make sure you give yourself a day to visit the museum. It's worth the drive just to visit the museum let alone ride the awesome track!!! Road Atlanta is also a wonderful track so hit it the next time you head south for the winter.
Barber to me is blahhh. Road Atlanta is for me amazing on a 600. Road A has allot more family feeling. There is nothing wrong with the facilities in my opinion. You can "get away" with more. Barber is like living in a socialist country. None of this, can't have that, don't do that, stop touching this. Road Atlanta is Hell, just don't burn me down, but enjoy yourself. Plus Halloween at road atlanta is killer. Tim
Great thread,, was thinking of doing one. Do the tracks run all winter.. Figured it would get pretty cool to run November - February
Barber. Don't know of any other track that has that much elevation changes and is so technical. RA has more high-speed opportunities, but if you could ONLY do ONE, it would be Barber by far.
I live on the northern edge of Indiana... Pretty much everything north of the Ohio River shuts down from November through March. It's the worst. I mostly just sit on my couch and eat ham. It sounds like they're both winners, but Barber might be taking the edge. Does it normally sell out 3-1/2 weeks beforehand like it just did? Is it possible to do the museum during the 1 hour 40 minute lunch break? I'm sure it's cool, but I'm not going to burn a vacation day to check out a museum.
You will need more than a Hour and 40 min.... I have been walking in there for 12 Years and I still have not seen everything... Yes... All of our Barber events sell out... Especially the Fall ones due to all the Northrners getting away.... Can you imagine such a thing??? : )
Barber is my favorite track, much better layout to me than RA. Barber is to racing what Augusta National is to Golf, sorry but RA is the ghetto by comparison.
Since they did away with the Gravity Cavity at RA...gotta say Barber is more fun! There was just nothing quite like getting face planted on your gas tank at the bottom of the Gravity Cavity!
This makes me want to make the trip there too. I'll be doing my last track day of the season this weekend (at least planned track day), after which it's over for us here as well until April. Damn winter! Both Barber and Road Atlanta are so damn far from me though ....I also want to do COTA in the spring.
Make an extra long weekend out of it. Trust me, it's worth the drive to either location like Steve said. Several of us from MI go usually once twice a year and it's 12-13 hours for us. I thought it was a long drive at first, but after going to each track I have no issues justifying the drive now. It's a great way to extend our season before and after winter! Do it!