So have you been out to Barber Motorsports Park yet?

You should go. Soon.

More than 80,000 people made the trek to Leeds last weekend to see the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, the first major open-wheel automobile race in the state and one of very few ever held in the Deep South.

I’m sure that many of them, having been raised on stock car racing since the Allison brothers played in the dusty streets of Hueytown as youngsters, weren’t quite sure what to expect.

They probably knew about Danica Patrick, the cover girl of the Indy Racing League who’s better known as a hottie than a hot-rodder. Hundreds of people were dressed in Danica gear.

Many had probably heard of race winner Helio Castroneves, maybe not so much for winning the Indianapolis 500 three times, but instead for winning “Dancing with the Stars” once.

So with the lack of any huge exposure to IndyCar racing, it was understandable that local race organizers such as Bruno Event Team head honcho Gene Hallman were a little skittish about the crowd that the race would draw.

Hallman didn’t come right out and say it, but he probably would have been happy with anything over 40,000 for Sunday and 75,000 for the weekend.

So when he stood in the media center an hour or so after the race finished, getting sales reports and parking estimates from far-flung points, his expression grew happier as he jotted down the incoming numbers.

53,555 for Sunday. A big walk-up turnout, aided by picture-perfect weather. Plus somewhere around 20,000 for Saturday races, which were mainly qualifying for Sunday and sports car races with drivers that most locals wouldn’t know, except maybe Scott Pruett. More than 10,000 cars in the main public parking at the Birmingham Race Course, well over the expected 4,000.

In fact, the numbers were so high that Hallman admitted to a certain amount of “operational stress.” That means his people sometimes had to struggle with the throngs, particularly the long lines for shuttle buses afterward.

That’s a problem Hallman can easily fix next year. Moreover, it showed mildly-skeptical IRL officials and race teams that Barber and metro Birmingham could not only handle the race, it could exceed lofty expectations.

Drivers may not have been totally happy with the racing itself, citing lack of places to pass on the course and an emphasis on fuel conservation over racing skill. But they were very happy, almost ecstatic, with the fan reaction.

So what did fans get to see at Barber?

They got to see drivers who could make right turns, for one thing. Road-course racing is totally different than ovals, and some do better on them than others. Patrick is an example — she much prefers ovals, and it showed Sunday. That’s true with NASCAR as well, where you have road-course specialists who often see starts in place of regular Sprint Cup drivers on the two road-course races each year.

Most road courses are widely spread out, and fans will usually see only one turn or straightaway. Not at Barber, where most fans could see at least two turns and a straight, and many could see the backstretch, start-finish line and Turns 5 and 6 (a/k/a “Charlotte’s Web”) all at once. From my position as a photographer in the infield, I had access to three different vantage points along the track without walking more than 30 feet in any direction.

In its short history, Barber has gained a reputation as “the Augusta National of auto racing.” That’s easily cast off as a p.r. person’s hype, but this truly is like no other. The tree-lined banks provide a unique space for fans, and what seating there looked more like something one would find at the Regions Charity Classic at Ross Bridge — and given the Bruno Event Team’s involvement in both events, you’ll probably see those grandstands there in a few weeks.

The fascinating thing about the whole place is how it came to be. George Barber was simply looking for a better place to display his massive collection of vintage cars and motorcycles. From the museum — now home to the largest motorcycle collection on the planet — came the race track, all from one man. Very little government involvement, just road improvements and some utilities.

Barber Motorsports Park and Museum are open year round, and it seems like something is always running on the track. Several driving schools use it. I even covered a high school cross country meet there once when I worked for The Birmingham News.

The Indy Racing League is signed for two more races here. If this turnout is any indication, they’ll be signing an extension very soon.

So if you haven’t made the trip out to Barber, you should. If you are just taking in the museum, take a drive around the track’s perimeter road as well. You’ll like what you’ll see, and you’ll make a mental note to come back next spring when Helio, Dario, Danica and the others return.

Trust me. You should go.