For Tyler Stone, winning at Barber Motorsports Park means a little more.
The Birmingham, Alabama native has logged hundreds of hours around the 2.38-mile circuit over the years, competed in countless club races at the venue and celebrated victories there before. But standing atop the Pirelli GT4 America Am class podium at his home track was one he had been waiting for.
After sweeping the weekend at Road America, Stone and TechSport Racing co-driver Frank Muniz carried their momentum into Barber Motorsports Park, adding another victory to an increasingly impressive second half of the season.
“This one is very special,” Stone said. “I have done a lot of races out here, a lot of club races and had a lot of victories, but not a victory in a series like SRO at my home track. So to win this one is very special.”
Stone's connection to Barber stretches far beyond racing.
His contracting business has completed work at the facility over the years, giving him close ties to many of the people who work there. He also knew the late George Barber personally, making Saturday's victory particularly meaningful.
“Mr. George Barber was a friend of mine,” Stone explained. “We did a lot of work for him through the years at his dairies and then here at the track. I have a lot of friends that work at Barber Motorsports Park, so to get a win here knowing they are all here watching is very special.
Stone describes the immaculately maintained facility as “the Augusta of race courses,” but beneath the pristine landscaping lies one of the more demanding circuits on the calendar.
“It’s a technical track, and you have to be on your game to be competitive,” he said. “It’s very tight. There is not a lot of room for passing, and there is not a lot of runoff. There is also a lot of elevation change and blind turns coming over crests where the car gets light. It’s a unique track.”
That familiarity may have helped Stone, but racing in front of a hometown crowd also brought some added pressure.
“I was a little bit nervous, honestly,” he admitted. “It put a little extra pressure on me, but I feel like I embraced it and we pressed hard.”
Perhaps a little too hard at first. Stone had a moment during his stint that cost him several positions, leaving him with work to do before handing the car over to Muniz. He began fighting his way back through the field but ultimately ran out of time before the driver change.
Then it was Muniz’s turn. “When Frankie took over, we felt like we had a shot to make it to the podium,” Stone said. “We were not sure where on the podium. But he did a phenomenal job. He dialed in and got focused.”
Muniz did exactly that, completing the charge and delivering the duo another Am class victory.
For Stone, their recent run of success is no accident.
The pairing showed potential from the opening round at Sonoma, but a series of setbacks prevented the results from reflecting their pace early in the season. A pit lane incident at Circuit of The Americas resulted in a six-minute stop, yet they still recovered to finish fourth. Transmission issues followed at Sebring International Raceway before the duo broke through with a podium at Road Atlanta. Then came Road America, where Stone and Muniz swept both races in Wisconsin, turning their early-season promise into results and establishing themselves firmly in the Am class championship conversation.
Stone believes one of the biggest reasons behind that progression has little to do with lap times or setup sheets.
“I think one thing that’s clicking is the camaraderie,” he said. “Not only are we co-drivers, but we’ve built up a good friendship. We’re like-minded, we have the same goals, and applying those same goals to the car and our racing has brought us together and made us a little bit quicker.”
Now, Stone and Muniz head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway with one final opportunity to add to their late-season charge.
The Am class battle remains incredibly close, and Stone knows there is little room for error when the championship reaches its conclusion at the Brickyard.
“I’m cautiously confident because I don’t want to be overconfident,” he said. “As drivers and competitors, we’re supposed to expect to win every race, so we do have that confidence. But it is a super tight race in Am. I have said it all year: the Am category is stacked with very capable and talented drivers from top to bottom. It’s going to be tight going into Indy.”
For someone who grew up watching IndyCar, however, Indianapolis represents something even bigger.
“To win at Indy and win at the Brickyard and have the potential of kissing the bricks would be incredible,” Stone said.
Before leaving Barber with another trophy in hand, however, there was one final important question for the Birmingham native: of all the sculptures scattered throughout his home circuit, which is his favorite?
“Some of them people think are creepy, but I think they’re all cool,” Stone laughed. “I really like Charlotte’s Web.”
Tyler Stone and TechSport Racing will be back in action for the season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedeway from October 8 to 11.
