Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Several AMA teams are getting their first official look at the brand new Barber Motorsports Park road course in Birmingham, Alabama Thursday.

Attending the test are the factory teams from American Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha, Ducati Austin, the Graves Yamaha Formula Xtreme team, the Corona Extra Suzuki squad (which is based near the new track) and Team EMGO Taiwan’s Chris “Opie” Caylor.

Many of the teams cut short a three-day test at Road Atlanta earlier this week in order to make the relatively short drive to the $54 million Barber facility, located just east of central Birmingham along Interstate 20, and get set-up for today’s one-day test.

Yoshimura Suzuki, who hosted the Road Atlanta test, is not running at Barber Motorsports Park Thursday. Yoshimura Suzuki intends to spend several days testing at the new 2.3-mile, 16-turn, Alan-Wilson-designed course later this summer.

Barber Motorsports Park is scheduled to host the final round of the 2003 Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship September 19-21.