Editorial: Start your economic engine!

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - The following is an editorial from FOX6 WBRC General Manager Collin Gaston, first aired on Monday, April 27, 2015.

If I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes and ears for that matter, I know I would have never truly understood what people in our area had told me about the Barber Motorsports Park. This weekend I and the world experienced Birmingham at its best at the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama held annually at this site.

This 830-acre Birmingham racing venue is more than just a racetrack, driving school, proving ground and museum – it's an economic and public relations juggernaut for Alabama that should not be overlooked. Trip Advisor, a popular travel website, ranks the park and museum as the No. 1 attraction in Birmingham. The Greater Birmingham Visitors and Convention Bureau calculated from 2003 through 2012, Barber Motorsports Park had an economic impact of $1.17 billion, including some $122 million dollars of tax revenue generated in state and local taxes during the same period.

My point is, even if you are not a fan of racing, cars and/or motorcycles you should be a fan of the vision and investment that Birmingham native George Barber has provided to our area and his home state of Alabama via the Barber Motorsports Park as it is benefitting us all.

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