The Charlotte County Airport Authority is in lease negotiations with MotoBros, a motocross track and training facility based in Okeechobee, for the 4-17 Southern Speedway in Punta Gorda.
The speedway is a three-eighths-mile asphalt racetrack built in 1990, run by Joe and Janet Gentry. The racetrack has been home to several types of racing events championed by Charlotte County residents who share a love for motorsports.
The airport authority placed the property for bid in October to be in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration lease guidelines, requiring that such land leases be leased at or near fair market value.
The first bid was awarded to Smugglers Event Management, which initially intended to demolish the track and build an entertainment venue. Residents who have frequented the racetrack for years had some relief when Smugglers decided to move in a different direction, causing the airport authority to begin negotiations with MotoBros.
“MotoBros has stated their hope to incorporate the 4-17 Southern Speedway into their lease,” said Kaley Miller, director of marketing and communications for the airport authority. “We are still in lease negotiations with MotoBros, giving them an opportunity to come up with a preliminary site plan to refine the exact lease property boundaries.”
Despite not having concrete plans, MotoBros owner Jason Marra is working on what can be done to support the existing uses of the property. While Marra hopes to keep the racetrack, the initial intended use would be to turn the property into a motocross park.
“We’re trying to work with the current owners to see if there’s a feasibility for keeping the car racing going,” Marra said. “I’m just excited about the location. I’m excited about making something different for the community as far as what we do.”
Marra started his motocross business after retiring a couple years ago, buying a track in Okeechobee that was about to be sold and demolished.
“We just hate seeing these tracks disappearing and that’s ultimately what’s happening everywhere,” he said. “Land values are so high and the income that the tracks are generating just don’t pay the bills. That’s kind of the same spot that Joe and Janet are in with the speedway.”
MotoBros’ business model is flipping aged property into a reinvented, upgraded facility.
Considering the history of the racetrack in the county, Marra is trying to work with the speedway to keep car racing, proposing to add additional property to the site in order to support both venues.
“We have some meetings set with them right after the holidays to sit down and try to figure that out,” he said. “If we can do that and make it make sense, I would love to see it.”
If the proposed plan is approved, the property would look more like a motorsports park with different types of venues.
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of unanswered questions as of yet,” he said. “But we’re working on seeing exactly what we can do, exactly what it can support and hopefully we can save it.”
