Fans are rallying to save Palm Beach Int’l Raceway (PBIR). The IHRA-sanctioned drag strip and road course in Jupiter, Florida, formerly known as Moroso Motorsports Park, has reportedly been sold to a buyer that wants to convert it from a motorsports facility to an industrial park.
Racers, enthusiasts, and fans have formed a campaign to help stop the sale. The effort is documented on savepalmbeachraceway.com, which offers testimonial support from big names in the industry, including McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, NASCAR Team Co-Owner Armando Christian Perez (Pitbull), IndyCar champion Danny Sullivan, Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee Tommy Kendall, plus John Oates of Hall & Oates and former St. Louis Cardinal Rick Ankiel.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw also said, “If this race track is lost, it means we could see an increase in drag racing, motorcycle racing, and reckless driving on our neighborhood streets and highways, which could lead to senseless fatalities. As Sheriff of Palm Beach County, it is prudent that this facility stays a raceway, so these thrill-seekers have someplace to go beside our public streets.”
The website directs fans to sign a petition with 14,000 signatures to date. The website also points users to contact Palm Beach County commissioners to voice their support.
Save Palm Beach Raceway is operated by Al Guibord, Barry Lederman, and 1985 Indy 500 champion Sullivan.
PBIR first opened in 1964 and was owned by Joe Bucheck Jr. and his brother Edward. The track held its first race in March 1965, with around 10,000 spectators for its sports car race. In addition, several IndyCar Series teams use the track for winter testing, as do several sports car teams from the Rolex Sports Car Series, including Riviera Beach-based Orbit Racing.
Today, the track is owned by IRG Sports + Entertainment, which is based in West Palm Beach, Florida, and also owns Memphis International Raceway (MIR) in Millington, Tennesse; Maryland International Raceway (MDIR) in Mechanicsville, Maryland; and Cordova International Raceway (CIR) in Cordova, Illinois; three sanctioning bodies: International Hot Rod Association (IHRA), IHRA Australia, and International Roll Racing Association (IRRA); as well as the Bertil Roos Racing School, Hooked On Driving Southeast Region (HOD) and Palm Beach Driving Club (PBDC).
The last event on the track schedule for 2022 is the Pro Hydro Clean Last Lap At PBIR on Saturday, April 23.
For more information, visit racepbir.com and savepalmbeachraceway.com.
