Motorcycle racing comes to Birmingham September 19 through 21 with the inaugural American Motorcycle Association’s (AMA) Chevy Trucks Superbike Championship weekend at the Barber Motorsports Park. It’s the final round of the season for the AMA Superbike series, and it’s quite impressive that Barber snagged the series’ final race for 2003. According to racing enthusiasts, the Barber track is even better suited for racing motorcycles than sports cars. The winding track promises side by side motorcycle duels that will be a first for most racing fans in the area. Popularized through an international television audience, AMA events regularly attract large crowds around the world. The thrill comes from watching riders fearlessly ripping though turns with their bikes leaning at angles impossibly close to the ground, as the racers’ knees scrape the asphalt.September 19 will also be the grand opening of the new home of track chief George Barber’s Taj Mahal, the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum. It’s the largest collection of motorcycles in the world, and the museum building itself is a magnificent work of architecture with a winding centerpiece walkway that allows visitors to view the entire collection from almost any spot in the gargantuan room. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the Superbike Championship weekend. Call 800-240-2300 or visit www.barbermotorsportsmuseum.com for details. —E.R.