Alabama Hospital Becomes Title Sponsor For IndyCar Race At Barber Motorsports Park

An Alabama Hospital will take over the event title sponsorship for the NTT IndyCar Series race at Barber Motorsports Park for the next five years, beginning with this year’s contest.

Barber Motorsports Park introduced its new title sponsor, Medical Properties TrustMPW
on January 20. Through Medical Properties Trust’s philanthropic vision, the event will be named “Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix.”

Medical Properties Trust, a Birmingham-based real estate investment trust specializing in the acquisition and development of net-leased hospital facilities around the world, has entered into a five-year sponsorship agreement for the naming rights of the event and has dedicated the entitlement to Children’s of Alabama. A percentage of proceeds from ticket sales and additional ancillary events will benefit Children’s of Alabama.

“Children’s of Alabama provides invaluable resources to the children of our state and the southeast,” said Edward K. Aldag, Jr., Chairman, President, and CEO of Medical Properties Trust. “As a proud and long-time supporter of Children’s of Alabama, we are delighted to be able to sponsor the Indy Grand Prix on behalf of Children’s of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park to increase awareness of their services and raise funds for the world-class hospital.”

Children’s of Alabama is ranked among the best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Children’s serves patients from every county in Alabama and is a cornerstone of the Birmingham medical community.

“We are honored to be the primary beneficiary of Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix,” said Tom Shufflebarger, President, and CEO of Children’s of Alabama. “We have enjoyed our partnership with Medical Properties Trust for many years, and we cannot thank them enough for making Children’s of Alabama an even bigger part of this amazing weekend.”

Previously Known as the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama

Since 2010, it was known as the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama. Honda will continue their long-standing partnership with the event as the official automobile partner.

The event at Barber Motorsports Park has grown to become one of the most popular and successful road course contests of the season, attracting a wide range of spectators from around the United States.

“Since the first race in 2010, the growth of the NTT IndyCar Series in Alabama has been remarkable,” IndyCar President Jay Frye said. “It is tremendous to see Medical Properties Trust partner with Barber Motorsports Park to expand on its Racing for Children’s program. Barber Motorsports Park has a tradition of producing great racing and exciting partnerships and we look forward to seeing both continue for years to come.”

The three-day racing event will take place April 28 – 30, featuring the NTT IndyCar Series. In its 13^th year, the event is hosted at the world-renowned Barber Motorsports Park, home of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. This year’s event, April 28 – 30, kicks off the Month of May leading into the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500. Tickets are on sale now at indyalabama.com, with General Admission tickets starting at $25. Kids 15 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

“We are incredibly excited about this agreement with Medical Properties Trust. It marks a new era for this event,” said Gene Hallman, CEO of ZOOM Motorsports, the exclusive promotor of Barber Motorsports Park. “We thank Medical Properties Trust for their partnership which will allow the event to be the first NTT IndyCar Series race to partner with a non-profit for the naming rights to a race.”

In its 13th year, the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix is a signature event on the NTT IndyCar Series circuit. This year’s event will feature ten races over three days with drivers such as Will Power, Romain Grosjean, Scott Dixon, and Alex Palou at the

world-renowned Barber Motorsports Park from April 28 – 30. The event generates more than $20 million in economic impact annually, with tickets sold in 50 states and 8 countries. The race is broadcast by NBC nationally and internationally to more than 100 countries. Additional events include wine tastings, an art festival, INDYINDY
5K, Fan Zone and more.

The Barber Motorsports Park is home of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, a 501(c)(3) Not for Profit Foundation located at the 880-acre Barber Motorsports Park dedicated to vintage motorcycles and motorsports. The museum is home to the world’s largest motorcycle collection and is widely known for its collection of vintage Lotus racecars and other rare vehicles.

Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient, outpatient and primary care throughout Central Alabama. Ranked among the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s serves patients from every county in Alabama and nearly every state. Children’s is a private, not-for-profit medical center that serves as the teaching hospital for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine, surgery, psychiatry, research, and residency programs. The medical staff consists of UAB faculty and Children’s full-time physicians, as well as private practicing community physicians.

Medical Properties Trust is a self-advised real estate investment trust formed in 2003 to acquire and develop net-leased hospital facilities. From its inception in Birmingham, Alabama, the Company has grown to become one of the world’s largest owners of hospitals in ten countries across four continents. MPT’s financing model facilitates acquisitions, recapitalizations and allows operators of hospitals to unlock the value of their real estate assets to fund facility improvements, technology upgrades and other investments in operations.