BIR Racing Season Opens

Behind the Milwaukee Mile, Birmingham International Raceway (BIR) located at the Alabama State Fairgrounds, is the second oldest active automobile racing facility in America. Originally built as a horse-racing track in the late 19th century, BIR began hosting car races in 1914. But it wasn’t until the Chevrolet brothers introduced their new “Frontenac,” a car designed to race on short dirt tracks, at the 1925 state fair that racing fever truly caught on in Birmingham. By the 1950s, Indianapolis-style open-wheel racing began making regular stops at BIR, featuring stars such as Tony Bettenhausen and A. J. Foyt. Fireball Roberts won the first NASCAR event at BIR in 1958. The track was paved in 1962 and eventually became the official home of NASCAR’s legendary Alabama Gang: Red Farmer, Neil Bonnett, and Bobby, Donnie, and Davey Allison. Perhaps the track’s greatest moment was the evening that racer Nero Steptoe won a 25-lap race after losing a wheel on the third lap. BIR begins its racing season April 2. For more information, call 781-2471 or visit www.bhamraceway.com for details. &

	The boys are back in town: The demolition derby returns to Birmingham International Raceway September 3.

Labor Day weekend will feature the glorious return of demolition derby action to Birmingham International Raceway. Grown men will transform junk automobiles into heat-seeking missiles in furious attempts to destroy one another.

Big American cars are the weapons of choice for most demolition derby warriors. Old Cadillacs, Lincoln Continentals, Chrysler Imperials, and Buick Le Sabres that were once driven by grandmothers to the corner market are converted into machines of mass destruction. Cars are frequently customized to match driver agitations: Enlarged photos of ex-wives are a favorite decorative target attached to rear bumpers. (Crashes are administered from the rear to save engines, radiators, etc.)

The front straightaway next to the grandstand at BIR will be drenched in soapy water to add to the challenge. The grand tradition of cheating is admired–just as long as you don’t get caught. To avoid a disabling flat, drivers often secretly fill rear tires with cement (for added weight and traction on the slippery surface), while front tires are injected with styrofoam. Radiators are illegally removed from the engine area, tucked away somewhere in the middle of the automobile for protection. Helmets are required, fire suits suggested, and driving barefoot is discouraged.

Races will be held in the usual Friday night categories for the special Sunday show, which begins at 7 p.m. The demolition derby will be held last. Call 781-2471 for details.