Florida’s Republican primary for governor has brought the usual issues to the campaign trail, including taxes, development, affordability and the economy. But one topic has emerged that is anything but typical for a statewide political race: the future of motorsports in Florida.
Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback has increasingly made Florida’s racing heritage and the preservation of racetracks part of his campaign conversation. The issue first gained widespread attention among racing fans when Fishback appeared on Cleetus McFarland’s Bald Eagles podcast. McFarland gave Fishback an opportunity to speak directly to a community that rarely hears its concerns discussed by candidates seeking statewide office. Since then, the conversation has expanded beyond Cleetus’ national fan base. Fishback has connected with members of South Florida’s racing community, where the loss of Palm Beach International Raceway, remembered by generations of racers as Moroso Motorsports Park, remains a painful example of what can happen when longstanding racing facilities disappear.
Fishback says the response from Floridians has been difficult to ignore. “Every day I get another message about it, DM after DM, email after email,” Fishback said. “Floridians love their racing heritage and they’re watching it slip away. That matters to me, and it should matter to all of us.” He has since publicly stated that he is “fighting to preserve Florida’s racetracks and racing heritage,” turning what began as a conversation with McFarland into a broader campaign message.
Madelyn Zaron, who has spent years advocating for South Florida’s racing community and the preservation of the former Moroso Motorsports Park, believes the issue’s arrival on the gubernatorial campaign trail is long overdue. “I’m not surprised that motorsports has become a talking point in a race as big as the Republican primary for governor,” Zaron said. “Florida is unique. We are incredibly passionate about the things that are part of our identity, and for hundreds of thousands of Floridians, racing is one of them.” “I fully support any candidate willing to go beyond simply acknowledging our community and actually talk about the devastating loss of an iconic facility like Moroso Motorsports Park and present a vision for preserving racetracks across Florida,” she continued. “No other candidate in this race has mentioned, and then continued to emphasize, the need to preserve South Florida’s motorsports heritage quite like James Fishback has.” For decades, Florida has been synonymous with racing, from internationally recognized events to local drag strips, short tracks and grassroots facilities that have introduced generations to the sport. Yet the preservation of those venues has rarely commanded attention in a race for the governor’s office. That appears to be changing. Whether motorsports ultimately influences voters at the ballot box remains to be seen. But for a community that has watched tracks disappear while fighting to make its voice heard, having the issue discussed on one of Florida’s biggest political stages is already notable. Florida’s racers aren’t just watching the governor’s race anymore. The governor’s race is talking about them.
